6 Volt Battery box thoughts....

[Bad Obsession]

So I am doing a big electrical job to my Compac 23 this spring. I am planning out and I have posted many of my plans.

A late arrival is the pan to go with two 6 volt batteries in a series instead of two group 27 deep cycle batteries. Honestly, reading up on this and hearing what Mainesail said about this has sold me on this idea.

I will be adding the batteries back to the factory original place, the starboard lazzerette. I have talked to the builder of my boat and had advised me that they do make some Compac 23s with 2 group 27 batteries in this location and the extra battery won't hurt the boat's trim in that location.

All that has been settled....Two 6 volt batteries, wired in a series, and placed in the Starboard Lazzerette. They will be placed correctly with the positive sides to starboard and the negative sides to port. Still, I will have to buy or build a battery box.

I am debating on building a battery box out of marine plywood. If I do this I am also considering moving the battery on/off switch from the cabin (there wasn't one originally and the p/o placed it in the cabin in an okay location) to the side of the battery box. This will shorten the wire runs a bit.

The upside would be that there would be shorter wire runs to the switch and to the fuse panels. The down side would be it is a switch in a lazzerette and I would be slightly less convenient.

Which solution is better? Build a box and move the stitches or buy two cheapo plastic battery boxes and keep the switch in the current location?

Let me know what you all think. Thanks.

 

[Bad Obsession]

Oh...and if I fabricate the box, I could add some other stuff to it too. I was thinking about putting hooks to hold the docklines and other things. Still, I am considering expense and convenience too.

 

[Stu Jackson]

BO, the right answer is "What will be most convenient to use?" A little extra wire...I know you're on a tight budget, but it's either a longer #4 wire from the battery box to the switch then to the DP, or the same wire from the switch to the DP, no? Another reason why wiring diagrams are such a help. I just don't understand the tradeoffs... If it's simply an I/O switch, wiring shouldn't matter, it'd be the same no matter where you put it...

 

[Maine Sail]

Building a box is easy and if you want you make it acid proof, as it should be, drop it at your local Rhino Liner and they'll hit it for $25-$40 or so..

If you want to save time Sailboatowners.com has the excellent Dyno battery boxes. They make one to fit two GC2's..

SBO BATTERY BOXES http://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?4651

 

[Bill Roosa]

1/4" plywood and fiberglass worked for me. made a box for 4 - 12 volt batteries for the cost of about $20

 

[FastOlson]

Yup - That's the one

Building a box is easy and if you want you make it acid proof, as it should be, drop it at your local Rhino Liner and they'll hit it for $25-$40 or so..

If you want to save time Sailboatowners.com has the excellent Dyno battery boxes. They make one to fit two GC2's..

SBO BATTERY BOXES http://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?4651

Except for not having the cool label on the side that looks identical to the box I bought from the local Trojan battery shop many years ago to hold two GC batteries where a couple of group 24's used to live. Good quality. I could build one with some 1/8 inch ply and a layer of cloth on each side, but epoxy costs money too... I doubt I would have saved the cost of the commercial box. Measure carefully though before you buy.
Happy AmpHours,
Loren

 

[Bad Obsession]

I just got nailed by the thought that I have to fit the box into the lazzerette opening. That puts a damper on building the box I was thinking about.

I will probably have to go to two battery boxes and strap each one down to the battery platform. It just makes more sense because it is a smaller opening.

This also means keeping the switch where it is.



Does Costco actually carry the 6V batteries and are they the same as the Sam's Club boxes.

I do have to give a lot of credit to Mainesail's site on this modification. It has convinced me that this is the best course of action for what I am doing.

 

[PGIJon]

I got mine here... http://www.allbatterysalesandservice.com/browse.cfm/4,576.html

 

[Joe]

Does Costco actually carry the 6V batteries and are they the same as the Sam's Club boxes.

I believe this information is available on a store by store basis. Your easiest course of action would be to call the store in your area for stock info.

 

[Maine Sail]

Does Costco actually carry the 6V batteries and are they the same as the Sam's Club boxes.

I do have to give a lot of credit to Mainesail's site on this modification. It has convinced me that this is the best course of action for what I am doing.

As far as I know the Costco/Kirkland batteries are still Johnson Controls/Interstate batteries. JCI batteries are on the lower tier/end of the quality range but all 6V batteries are fairly decent.

About half the Sam's Clubs in the US sell the Deka / East Penn brand of 6V batteries. They are a notch up from the JCI product but are getting closer to Trojan T105 pricing lately at about $109.00 each for a 230Ah EGC2. I can buy Trojan T105's for about $135.00 up here but in Florida and other parts they are even less $$.. Check your local battery distributor who supplies your local golf courses before you buy the JCI battery..