Starting batteries for consumption

JK_Boston_Catalina310 · Apr 16, 2015

Read this

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/deep_cycle_battery

And don't listen to some guy.

Good luck,

Jesse.

Ron20324 · Apr 16, 2015

You already made the change, so it is past the time that you should have asked this question. Buy at Sams Club or Costco and save $$$ on marine, deep cycle, lead-acid batteries.

Don S/V ILLusion · Apr 16, 2015

Sounds like some people are listening to the same guy who likes to give advice about things he knows very little. We need to catch this guy.

zzmeyer · Apr 16, 2015

Great article. Some of the west data not consistent with other data I've seen as it relates to agm. By definition are golf cart batteries better (number of cycles) than marine. Since no standardized testing having the number of cycles a battery manufacture say they get are misleading. I'm a battery expert as I have been doing things wrong for 40 years of sailing.

centerline · Apr 16, 2015

clausjepsen said:
A guy told me, that he has installed starting batteries for bis power bank and that works very well as long as you do not discharge them too hard.

They are much cheeper than ordinary batterie, so I have installed 3x70 + 2x180 amp.

Have any of you experiences with this rule braking way to go?

I am not interested in AGM or marine batteries. I prefer normal led-acid batteries and then maybe just change them a bit more often.

Yep.. he's right about it working well in the same way a car battery keeps the headlight burning on you car.
The problem is that we are talking about a sailboat here, or that is my assumption due to the forum we are in here...

The only thing that is identical to an automobile system concerning a boat electrical system is the voltage and some of the bulbs.... the wiring, batteries, switches and charging systems are all different it you want it to last without constant problems.

The regular 12v starting battery can is designed to give lots of amps for a very short period and then an immediate recharge... a deepcycle battery, especially the 6v batteries are designed to give less amps over a much much longer period and with a deeper draw/discharge before needing to be recharged.

So, if you want to run your stereo and lights in the evening with a starting battery, using up 10-12 amps, you should recharge them as soon as you get up in the morning.... with deep cycle batts, you will be able to go 5 to 8 times as long, so depending on the actual draw, that could mean 5 to 8 days before needing to be charged...

And then there is the expense... all things being equal, (2) 6v batteries that are designed to last 10 years or more, delivering 10 to 12 times more energy over its lifetime, is going to cost a LOT less per amp than will the starting batteries that do not have the capacity to deliver the same kind of energy, and will fail within 3-4 years in that application..

So the guy is right if you have a good and available charging source to keep a constant charge on the batts, but he is wrong in that its a good choice for a boat.

Philip_Oceanis 361 · Apr 16, 2015

clausjepsen said:
so I have installed 3x70 + 2x180 amp.

.

Wow!! Where did you actually manage to install 5 batteries in the Beneteau 361? I suppose 2 in the engine department. What about the remaining three? In the aft port side cabin (if you have the 3 cabin version) under the bed?