battery selection

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Oct 25, 2011
34
Hunter 37 Cutter Yankton SD
Did a liitle research on house batteries for my 1981 Hunter 30.

Ended up buying 2 Sams Club Group 29 Energizer marine/rv e29hm for $85 each.

Looked at Sams, Walmart, Sears Diehard, Interstate, and Trojan.

All group 29 flooded cells had very similar size, weight, reserve capacity, amp hours, and cranking amps. The Sams Club, Sears, and Intertate looked like identical cases.

Reserve capacity minutes 210, amp hours 115, weight 61 lbs,
13" x 6.75" by 9"

Sams Club - $85
Sears Die Hard - $125
Interstate SRM 29 $125
Trojan scs200 $180

I think walmart quit waranty on deep cycle, but Sams has one year free replacement, 3 yr pro-rated.

So I'm going to keep them topped off, try not to discharge too deep, and see how they last. If they last half as long as the expensive ones, I'm still breaking even. Boat is on an inland resevour, I'm not traveling the world with these batteries.

Paul
 
Oct 25, 2011
34
Hunter 37 Cutter Yankton SD
I have a 1997 era Heart Interface Freedom 10 inverter/charger with three stage charging. I think they were bought out by Xantrex. Will be putting on a xantrex digital echo charger to link to the starter battery. Will be putting the alternator to the house bank. If anybody knows where I can get the optional remote control panel for the inverter/charger, i would have the ablilty to also equalize charge.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
I have a 1997 era Heart Interface Freedom 10 inverter/charger with three stage charging. I think they were bought out by Xantrex. Will be putting on a xantrex digital echo charger to link to the starter battery. Will be putting the alternator to the house bank. If anybody knows where I can get the optional remote control panel for the inverter/charger, i would have the ablilty to also equalize charge.
I believe they discontinued making them. Two products would do that for the combined Heart I/Cs (I have a 1998 Freedom 15) -- the remote control panel that you mentioned or a Link 2000 (or a Link 1000, somewhat rarer to find).

The Link units also perform as battery monitors. I have a Link 2000.

They plug into the I/C with a telephone cable.

Try eBay or CL.
 

malyea

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Dec 15, 2009
236
'87 Irwin 43 Sea Breeze
Bommers.....May I ask - where on your boat are your batteries located? On my '82 H30, they both sit in the well under the port side quarter berth just aft of the chart table.

Mine are not enclosed in a plastic battery box, just strapped to the hull with battery straps. Looks like very little room in the well to add the bulk of battery boxes but I'd rather keep them a bit more protected.

Also on an inland reservoir.

Thoughts?
 

Johnb

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Jan 22, 2008
1,419
Hunter 37-cutter Richmond CA
I think you did yourself a favor with your selection. If you keep the water level above the plates at all times those batteries will last a long time, and give reliable service. They will tolerate overcharging as that just consumes water, so even a pretty crude charging system would do, just avoid leting them get too discharged, especially when it might freeze.
 
Oct 25, 2011
34
Hunter 37 Cutter Yankton SD
Malyea - when I bought the boat this fall, batteries were identical to yours, under the port rear birth with straps and no cases. I bought cases for the two group 29's I am putting in that space. The group 24 starter battery I am moving to behind the engine, just in front of the diesel tank. Hope the batteries fit height wise with the cases, should be close.

Paul
 
Jun 5, 2010
1,107
Hunter 25 Burlington NJ
Paul, I like your thinking and am doing the same thing. At the tractor supply store near me they sell Exide-brand deep-cycle batteries, size 24, deep-cycle, for $84.95 each. I was impressed. The Batteries Plus guy also has good numbers on these. If the only last two seasons it's still worth it!
 
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