Battery Input
Got a sore back! Just returned from dropping off my old Trojan 105s (golf carts) and picking up some new Dyno GC2s and learned some more in the process. 1. Light and Heavy Weights (= ampere-hours): Golf cart batteries come in more than one weight (read ampere-hour size). Trojans come in three models 105 (my old batteries that lasted 8 and 9 years - two sets of two), 125 and 145. The number is the ampere-hour capacity. Trojans have nation-wide distribution. Dyno is a smaller company apparently based in Seattle and they have two weights: GC2C (225Ah) and GC2 (245Ah). What I got out of battery shopping is the lightweight batteries are more of a "promotional" model where as the heavyweight models are more durable. 2. Testing: There are four tests one can perform on the old batteries to determine their condition: 1) Voltage, 2) Hydrometer, 3) Load, and, 4) Capacitance. If the voltage is low, replace. If any of the cells has a low specific gravity, replace. 3. Equalizing: The charger companies, like Hart, while having an equalizing circuit built-in to their chargers/inverters defer to the battery manufacturer if one should do this. Dyno said they don't recommend this as it consumes the positive plates. The batteries that I turned in had no less than 6.30 volts after 9 years, and this was by no means with a "proper" charge. The last time out I did a lot of sailing with the refrigeration running and only motored a very short distance from the breakwater to my slip - and this was almost a week ago. Hence, 6.3 volts, worst case, is really really good for 9 year-old batteries. However, they had lost a lot of their capacity as I could tell because I had to charge them sooner than years ago (no fancy testing required). 4. Charging devices: The charging devices I have on board include: (1) Balmar 70A alternator with ARS-2 three-step regulator and a (2) Heart Inverter 1000W. Their large charging capability are all that is needed to keep the batteries healthy. The Balmar alternator initial output is way above their rated output when cold (rating is a "hot" rating); bench tested at 125 amps! The Heart puts out 50 amps when connected to shore power. Based on my type of use (see previous post) these charging rates are apparently enough to keep the batteries healthy without equalizing. The Dyno person I talked to said that the way a person uses the batteries is an important factor in determining their life span. Note: In the entire 9 years I had the inverter I used the equalizer function only two times. Voltage: Golf carts retain a high voltage throughout their life. This is documented in Charlie Wing's "Handbook of Wiring" and in my own experience. High voltage is what electrical loads like, especially motor circuits. Low voltage is conducive to premature failure. Hope this helps.
