Bravo 12v pumps - voltage/battery issues.

Fenlander · 02 May 2018, 13:24

In the most recent "which 12v pump shall I buy for my SIB" thread I mentioned my Bravo BTP12 Digital needed replacement after 7yrs use. For the first few years I ran it from the car battery and latterly from a Powerline 12AH battery so I could set up away from the car.

Recent thread: http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/decathl...ump-78487.html

Well not the pump after all... insufficient investigation on my part. The actual fault might help someone searching the forum in the future.

It's issues were... it was very reluctant to take the push button commands to increase from 240mb... when the tubes were finished... up to 800mb for the HP floor. Then eventually when I'd persuaded the display up to 800mb it would only manage to reach 600mb or less before the pump cut out as if up to pressure.

I had noted when I went to recharge the Powerline battery it always had at least 12V left in it so assumed the pump was following a flaky Bravo reputation.

Just about to click to buy another Bravo when the £139 concentrated my mind.... I unpacked the boat, old Bravo pump, battery and a voltmeter.

Monitoring voltage throughout the inflate I saw by the time the tubes were up to pressure the Powerline was down to just under 10v... and the Bravo wouldn't allow the set pressure to be increased easily.

Put a fresh battery on showing 13v.... set pressure easily raised to 800mb and the HP floor inflated straight up to that pressure for the first time in a couple of years. Seems the electronics in the pump were faulting at this low voltage... the battery was the issue all along and the Bravo is fine.

Now what can I spend the saved £139 on? I mean I've already had it passed by finance for boat purposes.

Pikey Dave · 02 May 2018, 17:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Now what can I spend the saved £139 on? I mean I've already had it passed by finance for boat purposes.

PLB / handheld vhf?

jeffstevens763@g · 02 May 2018, 20:06

Another battery

Fenlander · 02 May 2018, 20:14

Up to date with radio. PLB a possibility.

Another battery... ahh well that's worked well Jeff. My 85yr old dad doesn't drive but uses a mobility scooter and suffers range anxiety. So the slightest long run to take the power meter below normal he'll say I think the batteries are getting weak so he gets another pair.

He has the last perfectly good 20AH pair under his PC desk so I'll have those... before he drops a wire coat hanger across the terminals and sets fire to the flat!

jeffstevens763@g · 02 May 2018, 20:26

A nice new Peli case to keep all your kit in one place

Fenlander · 02 May 2018, 22:02

Nice idea but sadly a Peli case or any other rigid type doesn’t fit the way we use the Aerotec with its narrow V floor. By the time the 25l tank is strapped halfway along the floor and Mrs F is firmly established on the seat remaining space only copes with flexible placement of dry bags.

Max... · 02 May 2018, 22:59

Bladder!

Fenlander · 03 May 2018, 08:49

Damn... rumbled... funding pulled. Been pointed out that harbour dues, council parking permit and insurance uplift totals £145 for the two weeks hols... and the saving on not buying a pump roughly covers that. Oh well next time...

Pikey Dave · 03 May 2018, 08:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Damn... rumbled... funding pulled. Been pointed out that harbour dues, council parking permit and insurance uplift totals £145 for the two weeks hols... and the saving on not buying a pump roughly covers that. Oh well next time...

You snooze you lose[emoji1]

Fenlander · 03 May 2018, 09:08

Yep spot on... had I ordered something while she was at work I'd have got away with it... but made the dual mistake of waiting until she was home... and recounting the "how I saved the pump" story.

That's a lesson learned.

The Gurnard · 03 May 2018, 10:41

Aww..I was too late in suggesting ...you invest the money ...in a nice bag of daffodils and a slap up meal for two. That way MrsF would happily agree the next time you needed money for boaty bits

Fenlander · 07 May 2018, 15:39

>>>a slap up meal for two

Sorry only just noticed this Mr G. I did go to the village chippy and offer to buy Mrs Fenlander anything from the left side* of the menu board. That the sort of thing you had in mind?

*Stuff on the right side is pretty exotic like pineapple fritters, curry roll and the like.

Anyway battery/pump sorted. Collected the two 20Ah mobility scooter batteries from dad... quick top up charge and they both flew through the inflation process inc HP floor without flagging.

Always happy to trust a "Power your life Long" battery!

jeffstevens763@g · 07 May 2018, 20:16

Buying toys needs more planning discussions although very honest leaves the enemy time to diswade,stop, object etc. Stealth buying is needed on line, delivery by courier with chance to change delivery times to suit the enemy's absence parcel unpacked packaging disposed of deep in the bin, kit stowed only to emerge at a later date and if asked I've had it ages praying on the enemy's memory, then if needed flowers,meal, bow and scrape.

Fenlander · 07 May 2018, 20:48

All very true Jeff. In fact it even affects the minor things. Just on my way home from town for the lunch Mrs F was making today. Couldn't resist a coffee and doughnut drive through McDonalds but had to make sure no evidence of sugar around mouth or on the car seat, find the receipt in wallet and throw that together with the bag and cup.

It's a constant battle.

jeffstevens763@g · 07 May 2018, 20:51

Well done mate they taste so much better

Firstrib · 26 May 2018, 13:58

Pleased that you had approval from Finance for further boat spend.

Firstrib · 26 May 2018, 14:01

Seriously though - I relate to your battery voltage problems with my Bravo pump and yes, a better battery or having the car engine on when plugged into the car battery can be the answer (although my recent Bravo problem was that the [fuse removed] cigarette lighter plug came unsoldered and I nearly spent another £139 as well but saved the day).

Fenlander · 28 May 2020, 12:50

Well 2yrs on and now 9yrs old the Bravo has added a fault that's tipped me into replacing it. The pressure display/setting has stuck on my air floor pressure of 820mbar. It works otherwise but you have to keep an eye on it when doing tubes rather than having the pump set lower for it to auto shut-off.

Decided this time to remove one layer of complexity and save a bit of cash by getting the analogue version. As I said elsewhere the other day after 9yrs good service I didn't have to think too hard about getting Bravo again.

One tiny annoyance... the bag is no longer padded so I'll add a layer of bubble wrap around the pump for protection when it's chucked in the car.

benhben · 04 June 2020, 10:31

Received a new Honwave yesterday which came supplied with a pressure gauge. I pumped up to boat to the correct settings on my Bravo GE BP pump and thought I would check these pressures with the Honwave gauge. It looks like my pumps auto pressure cut off settings are miles out.

The tubes set on the pump to 0.25 bar measured around 0.2 bar on the honwave gauge. The floor set to 0.8 bar was only around 0.5bar.

The pump is less than a year old. Not sure whether this variation is normal or I've got a dud!

The battery was a brand new 7AH.

jeffstevens763@g · 04 June 2020, 10:34

did you check when the air had cooled down in the tubes?