# Dumb question about when the battery charges on the tempest **URL:** \ **Category:** Tempest Owners\ **Tags:** tempest, charging\ **Created:** [August 30, 2020, 8:21pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033 "2020-08-30T20:21:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jeffh1199](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9e8a1a/32.png) [@jeffh1199](https://community.tempest.earth/u/jeffh1199)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 8:21pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/1 "2020-08-30T20:21:26Z")
So I’ve had my tempest up for a few days. It started at 2.57 and it 2.52 now. It doesn’t seem to be charging and it saw full sun today so it really hasn’t used much power but I’m surprised that a charge cycle didn’t start today. Is it something I should be concerned about? ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/sws/original/2X/e/efe8b82101e9051a0e2cb2573bacc2c99cf197c3.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![sunny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/sunny/32/16368_2.png) [@sunny](https://community.tempest.earth/u/sunny)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 10:48pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/2 "2020-08-30T22:48:50Z")
it most likely starts charging when it reaches something like 2.45 V, at least mine did. ---
**Author:** ![GaryFunk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/garyfunk/32/5729_2.png) [@GaryFunk](https://community.tempest.earth/u/GaryFunk)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 12:43am UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/3 "2020-08-31T00:43:36Z")
Keep watching and wait. Only time will tell is the charging circuit is working. ---
**Author:** ![tyuhl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/76d3ee/32.png) [@tyuhl](https://community.tempest.earth/u/tyuhl)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 2:53pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/4 "2020-08-31T14:53:23Z")
My Tempest will not start charging until the battery drops down to about 2.47 v. My station behaves the same as yours. ---
**Author:** ![Glbltvlr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9dc877/32.png) [@Glbltvlr](https://community.tempest.earth/u/Glbltvlr)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/5 "2020-08-31T15:03:33Z")
I’m not seeing that behavior. Mine charges every day back up to 2.79 or so. You can see that yesterday we had a bit of clouds midday where it wasn’t, but then recovered. ![bc](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/sws/original/2X/d/d3d7d0103c9a53a82daf5118877e71e13c97dd39.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![sunny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/sunny/32/16368_2.png) [@sunny](https://community.tempest.earth/u/sunny)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 3:41pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/6 "2020-08-31T15:41:00Z")
on the other hand yours seems to discharge very, very quickly. I’m wondering how yours would hold up after 2 weeks of clouds. ---
**Author:** ![Gary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Gary](https://community.tempest.earth/u/Gary)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/7 "2020-08-31T15:56:01Z")
Mine charges up to 2.79 or 2.80 daily also. ---
**Author:** ![Glbltvlr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9dc877/32.png) [@Glbltvlr](https://community.tempest.earth/u/Glbltvlr)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/8 "2020-08-31T15:56:49Z")
Definitely curious about how it holds up in the winter here. We can go a week or two with no direct sunlight. Edit: That said, the charge cycle is much shorter than the discharge cycle, so it shouldn’t take much sun to bring it back up. ---
**Author:** ![sunny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/sunny/32/16368_2.png) [@sunny](https://community.tempest.earth/u/sunny)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/9 "2020-08-31T16:32:54Z")
i looked at your station, and there is one day where it didn’t charge, but it also didn’t discharge that much. Perhaps the initial discharge is quicker and it will still last 2 weeks without sun. There is hope. ---
**Author:** ![jeffh1199](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9e8a1a/32.png) [@jeffh1199](https://community.tempest.earth/u/jeffh1199)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2020, 6:35pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/10 "2020-08-31T18:35:24Z")
Thanks guys I’m not worried I know the customer support is super if I have a problem. I was just curious ---
**Author:** ![jeffh1199](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9e8a1a/32.png) [@jeffh1199](https://community.tempest.earth/u/jeffh1199)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 6:05pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/11 "2020-09-06T18:05:41Z")
It just isn’t charging right it will see over 800w/m2 for up to six hours and will charge .01 to .03 percent and the next morning it will have lost that charge I sent in a ticket. When I got it it came charged at 2.57. It won’t stay charged above 2.5 and drops back down to 2.44 During the winter i won’t have a prayer of keeping it charged. I guess I got One of the units with bum batteries or a bum charging circuit. ---
**Author:** ![gizmoev](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/gizmoev/32/941_2.png) [@gizmoev](https://community.tempest.earth/u/gizmoev)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 8:21pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/12 "2020-09-06T20:21:36Z")
There are different charging routines depending on the device. I do not know if the difference is between batches or otherwise. First, here is one of the later Field Test units, Tempest-3, on [12859](https://tempestwx.com/station/12859/grid). [Note that Tempest-BY (Sub-Optimal charging) is a very early FT unit and it shouldn’t be used as a gauge.] ![Screenshot_20200906-125129_Tempest](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/sws/original/2X/7/7a9be1a6a7ea737e99706af255bd52537dc81694.png) It typically only charges once every three days. Next is the first production station I received when field testers were allowed to order after NA (US?) backers’ units had been shipped out. It is Tempest-Production on station [22968](https://tempestwx.com/station/22968/grid). ![Screenshot_20200906-124916_Tempest](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/sws/original/2X/a/ac1e30e21ab2305a57b23a0fbea7f4de2a7442fa.png) As you can see, it charges every day. Next is a Tempest I have attached to my Mobile station hub, it is Tempest on station [5080](https://tempestwx.com/station/5080/grid). ![Screenshot_20200906-124851_Tempest](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/sws/original/2X/1/16c8664c2d85a921674711ea14d19c698c346d6d.png) It charges every two to six days. This is the most recent Tempest I have and was purchased as a standalone unit during the short window they were available this way. Finally, here is a station I acquired from another user and was likely originally purchased about the time I purchased my production system. It is set up at my church on station [24537](https://tempestwx.com/station/24537/grid). ![Screenshot_20200906-125021_Edge](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/sws/original/2X/3/32c7aec84ccdec1b9541b7026a4911e9e374f663.jpeg) This one appears to charge every day. I wouldn’t worry too much about how high your battery charges or how often. The warranty is plenty long to cover the winter. Furthermore, the later you get a replacement, the more likely you will have a more refined unit since WF will have had more data to go by. ---
**Author:** ![ted.mackechnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@ted.mackechnie](https://community.tempest.earth/u/ted.mackechnie)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 7:02am UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/13 "2023-01-12T07:02:09Z")
I call bul!!.the station always drops below 2.36 Volt when clouds form, which turns off the rain recorder! I have yet to record rain for any storm. perfectly built to fail!. ---
**Author:** ![gizmoev](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/gizmoev/32/941_2.png) [@gizmoev](https://community.tempest.earth/u/gizmoev)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/14 "2023-01-12T20:28:07Z")
> [@ted.mackechnie](#): > > the station always drops below 2.36 Volt when clouds form Then you have a defective unit and need to open a support ticket! The voltage should only drop that low when there are multiple days in a row with no sun. Use the support link above. ---
**Author:** ![eric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.tempest.earth/eric/32/13553_2.png) [@eric](https://community.tempest.earth/u/eric)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2023, 10:57am UTC](https://community.tempest.earth/t/dumb-question-about-when-the-battery-charges-on-the-tempest/9033/15 "2023-01-13T10:57:30Z")
Ted, This is the answer you got early this month about your **ST-00095895** : shipped in November, from charging data looks like it just needs more sunlight And I just looked again, that Tempest is hardly seeing any direct sunlight on it. If it does, is a few minutes according to solar radiation level. Way way to short. (seems to sit in shade all day) Is it possible for you to relocate the Tempest to an open spot as your region has way enough sun.