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doubtful article?

A

Ashley Clarke

Jan 1, 1970
0
Robert Morein said:
This article makes an observation about lead acid batteries that runs
counter to anything I've read elsewhere.
http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/012000tip4.htm

Opinions?

Yes, this has just given me an idea to follow up the above:
If possible, keep the Deep-cycle Batteries seperated from the
Load with current limiting and use the cheapo Automotive Battery
in between (connected in parrallel) for the peaks of high current
drain as a Buffer.
Unfortunately with this new configuration you would not be able to
take advantage of as much current for as much time when using
the Deep-cycles directly but they would at least be protected.
Maybe make it into a manually switched in mode as required?

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W

William P.N. Smith

Jan 1, 1970
0
Robert Morein said:
This article makes an observation about lead acid batteries that runs
counter to anything I've read elsewhere.
http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/012000tip4.htm

Can't be right, though he could think he's seeing this effect if his
charger isn't doing the right thing.

I'm especially concerned by "leave the auto battery in parallel all
the time, for surge loads" with no thought to what deep cycles will do
to the auto battery.

One thing he did get right:

This is an empirical article based on 10 years of cruising experience,
with no technical verification.
 
V

Vaughn

Jan 1, 1970
0
Robert Morein said:
This article makes an observation about lead acid batteries that runs
counter to anything I've read elsewhere.
http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/012000tip4.htm

Opinions?

Take it from somebody who ruined way too many batteries before he finally
figured it out...

It is far more likely that this guy has just never had a really good
charger. If you have a charger that charges to too high a voltage, you are
certainly better off to isolate the battery bank and charge it manually
occasionally; which is exactly what he is doing.

Vaughn
 
H

Harry Chickpea

Jan 1, 1970
0
Vaughn said:
Take it from somebody who ruined way too many batteries before he finally
figured it out...

It is far more likely that this guy has just never had a really good
charger. If you have a charger that charges to too high a voltage, you are
certainly better off to isolate the battery bank and charge it manually
occasionally; which is exactly what he is doing.

Vaughn

Well, my good Trace inverter/charger was hooked up to four Trojans for a year
in a warm shed, and I was disappointed in the battery life. Part of it was
undoubtedly the excess heat, but I've found that constant charging a small
battery bank with little load didn't work out very well for me. The Trace got
moved to my van, where the charger portion is _really_ oversized for the single
marine trolling battery that it now lives with. I charge less frequently and
am getting better battery life.

Charger amperage does need to fit the size of the battery bank, and I'm more
inclined to think the boat owner was simply overcharging rather than creating
any "memory" effect on a small portion of the plate. Then again, I'm only
speaking from my experience and what I've read.
 
C

chuck h

Jan 1, 1970
0
Robert Morein said:
This article makes an observation about lead acid batteries that runs
counter to anything I've read elsewhere.
http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/012000tip4.htm

Opinions?
Perhaps the application being different from your's (an assumption) is why
the observation "runs counter to anything I've read elsewhere". The author
of the article is addressing a very specific group of alternative power
users ... people who live on cruising boats.

Chuckh
 
B

Bob Adkins

Jan 1, 1970
0
One thing he did get right:

This is an empirical article based on 10 years of cruising experience,
with no technical verification.

If he hadn't intentionally deep cycled his batteries during his 10 years of
experience, he would swear by not deep cycling. He probably lucked out that
he didn't lose more batteries from deep cycling.

Bob
 
D

daestrom

Jan 1, 1970
0
Robert Morein said:
This article makes an observation about lead acid batteries that runs
counter to anything I've read elsewhere.
http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/012000tip4.htm

Opinions?

Follow manufacturer's direction. Use the type of battery best suited for
the service it will supply.

In last paragraph, the statement about "...is of the maintenance free type,"
doesn't line-up with "deep-cycle" service. Maintenance free are calcium
grid batteries meant for long periods of standby service (i.e. not
deep-cycle).

Then the statement, "If they are the lead-acid type..." Well, DUH! isn't
that what we're talking about, just different types of lead-acid batteries?
Or is he thinking that 'maintenance free batteries' aren't lead-acid??

daestrom

P.S. Leaving deep-cycle batteries open-circuit for a significant time will
allow them to self-discharge. So they must be checked and recharged
periodically. Letting them self-discharge and stay discharged is *not* a
good thing for them.
 
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