I am shopping for sealed gel batteries to my boat's start up and house batteries. MK, DEKA solar, .. ?? I read that you have to install a charging voltage regulator. Can it be installed with the standard Volvo diesel alternator? Experience with this setup and suggestions on brands, retailers and installation will be greatly appreciated.
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Ed Schenck
Gels.
My Gels(3 Prevailers) are in the boat for their fourth winter. One starter and two house Gels have been buried deep in a locker since I installed them in the Spring of 1999. Some owner's have had them for ten years without problems. You can mount them anywhere at any angle without battery boxes. That's the good news. The bad news is that they are expensive, especially relative to the amp/hours per dollar. I am presently adding an AGM as the starter battery and will move the starter Gel to the house. Even with that I will only have 300 amp/hours in the house bank. Gels make sense for me because I do not have big DC demands. And since they are almost inaccessible they need to be maintenance free. If you have a high output alternator then you will need a smart regulator with Gels. The 55-Amp alternator on my Yanmar can't hurt the Gels(maybe?).
My Gels(3 Prevailers) are in the boat for their fourth winter. One starter and two house Gels have been buried deep in a locker since I installed them in the Spring of 1999. Some owner's have had them for ten years without problems. You can mount them anywhere at any angle without battery boxes. That's the good news. The bad news is that they are expensive, especially relative to the amp/hours per dollar. I am presently adding an AGM as the starter battery and will move the starter Gel to the house. Even with that I will only have 300 amp/hours in the house bank. Gels make sense for me because I do not have big DC demands. And since they are almost inaccessible they need to be maintenance free. If you have a high output alternator then you will need a smart regulator with Gels. The 55-Amp alternator on my Yanmar can't hurt the Gels(maybe?).
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neil walters
Gel Batteries
My boat is not used for 6 months at a time. Befor I had gels I would have a bad battery when Igot back. I have had a gel for over 4 years with no problems. For me they are the best and cheapest way to go. I keep a small solar trickle charger hooked up full time with no problems. It is wired directly to the battery.
My boat is not used for 6 months at a time. Befor I had gels I would have a bad battery when Igot back. I have had a gel for over 4 years with no problems. For me they are the best and cheapest way to go. I keep a small solar trickle charger hooked up full time with no problems. It is wired directly to the battery.
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Mike DiMario
Read Up
Jose, Gel batteries like different voltages, when charging, than regular acid batteries. You can read up in the West Marine advisor, Chapman's, Nigel Calder, or one of the manufacturer's of smart chargers. I think if you spend a good deal of time on the hook, you may benefit from gels. They are a long lasting deep cycle battery. If your going out for day sails, it may not be worth it. Once you do some reading, you should get the idea of what the gel cells are about. There are many more ways to look at it. It depends, at that point, on personal preference. Sorry for not answering more directly, but I do think it is an educated decision and not a simple answer. good luck, Mike D
Jose, Gel batteries like different voltages, when charging, than regular acid batteries. You can read up in the West Marine advisor, Chapman's, Nigel Calder, or one of the manufacturer's of smart chargers. I think if you spend a good deal of time on the hook, you may benefit from gels. They are a long lasting deep cycle battery. If your going out for day sails, it may not be worth it. Once you do some reading, you should get the idea of what the gel cells are about. There are many more ways to look at it. It depends, at that point, on personal preference. Sorry for not answering more directly, but I do think it is an educated decision and not a simple answer. good luck, Mike D
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Jose Venegas
Reading don't tell which brand is best!!!
Mike, before I wrote my post I did all that reading you mentioned and I had already decided that gel batteries were the solution for me. I was therefore "shopping" for them and what I was requesting here was personal experience with specific brands and retailers. However, I do appreciate your “educated” reply. Thanks also to Neil and Ed for your kinder but apparently less educated replies.
Mike, before I wrote my post I did all that reading you mentioned and I had already decided that gel batteries were the solution for me. I was therefore "shopping" for them and what I was requesting here was personal experience with specific brands and retailers. However, I do appreciate your “educated” reply. Thanks also to Neil and Ed for your kinder but apparently less educated replies.
10+ years on Gel Cells.
Jose: I purchased Gels from West Marine. They lasted for over 10 years. There was no maintenance, did not even need to clean the terminals. You should be sure that your battery charger will handle Gels. I'm going to use AGM's now and I will see if they last as long as the Gels. I think you will find that the AGM's are not a sensative too.
Jose: I purchased Gels from West Marine. They lasted for over 10 years. There was no maintenance, did not even need to clean the terminals. You should be sure that your battery charger will handle Gels. I'm going to use AGM's now and I will see if they last as long as the Gels. I think you will find that the AGM's are not a sensative too.
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Bill O'Donovan
For airplanes
I heard they were more suited for airplanes, so the acid doesn't spill out. Very few of us turn the boat over in the water, at which point the leaky battery acide would be the least of our problems.
I heard they were more suited for airplanes, so the acid doesn't spill out. Very few of us turn the boat over in the water, at which point the leaky battery acide would be the least of our problems.
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Ken
Go to Innerstate Battery
I picked up some blem Gel's from the Innerstate wharehouse. The also carry 6 volt golf cart gel's (hard to find blems there) with more amp hours, if in series. They're very good quality and wolld recomend them to anyone.
I picked up some blem Gel's from the Innerstate wharehouse. The also carry 6 volt golf cart gel's (hard to find blems there) with more amp hours, if in series. They're very good quality and wolld recomend them to anyone.
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Jose Venegas
Ken, where is that
Innerstate wharehouse located. Do they have a web site. I was not able to find it with Google. May be the name is not quite that? Thanks a lot for the tip.
Innerstate wharehouse located. Do they have a web site. I was not able to find it with Google. May be the name is not quite that? Thanks a lot for the tip.
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Ed Schenck
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Jose Venegas
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Ken
Sorry for the misspelling Jose
I woke up early and my spelling is not good at 5:00am, this has no spell-checker. Interstate Battery is correct and warehouse is also correct. Sorry!
I woke up early and my spelling is not good at 5:00am, this has no spell-checker. Interstate Battery is correct and warehouse is also correct. Sorry!
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Jose Venegas
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