Two New Articles

[Maine Sail]

My daughter has been home sick for two days and while she's been sleeping it gave me some time to work on the web site.

This article is more general about buying deep cycle batteries:

What Is A Deep Cycle Battery?






This one is a bit more technical and for those with external voltage regulation who want to get the most from the charging system. This topic came up yesterday and prompted this article.

Alternator Regulator Voltage Sensing

 

[Bad Obsession]

Nice. Your articles are always so good and they have great pictures to back them up.

If you have 2 6V batteries can you use the standard 12V charger if you mirror the series wiring set-up of the battery?

 

[Maine Sail]

Nice. Your articles are always so good and they have great pictures to back them up.

If you have 2 6V batteries can you use the standard 12V charger if you mirror the series wiring set-up of the battery?

Two 6V batteries in series is one 12V battery.. So yes..

 

[Sumner]

Thanks, great article on the batteries (I'll read the other also).

I think you might need to move the decimal point one place on the plate thickness for the 12 volt. You have 0.617 and I think you meant it to be .0617??

I'm sure I'll be pointing people to the article down the road. I was a believer before but that wasn't with all the factors you pointed out so more of a believer now,

Sumner

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Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links[/FONT]

 

[Maine Sail]

Thanks, great article on the batteries (I'll read the other also).

I think you might need to move the decimal point one place on the plate thickness for the 12 volt. You have 0.617 and I think you meant it to be .0617??

I'm sure I'll be pointing people to the article down the road. I was a believer before but that wasn't with all the factors you pointed out so more of a believer now,

Sumner

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links[/FONT]

Thanks Sum!!

 

[weinie]

Thanks for the good read.

When's your book coming out?

 

[TENACITY CS36T]

Thanks for both articles, hope your daughter is feeling better soon.

 

[njlarry]

Thank you for all your efforts. The only reason I have not gone the 6v route before was that if I swap my two 12V for two 6V batteries is that I would then not have an "ace in the hole" spare battery to start the engine at anchor unless I can find room to add a 12v spare starter battery back up.
Now i have to rethink all that.

 

[MSter]

Maine, as usual a great article.
When wiring 4 6 volt batteries in series/parallel is there a proper sequence for connecting the cables? I worry about a shower of sparks if done incorrectly!
Regards
Mster
s/v Ladylike

 

[Benny17441]

Excellent article, I had never paid any attention to the drop in voltage in the alternator wiring and its effects on the regulator. Seems to me that it would be a worthwhile endeavor to at least test that the voltage drop in the circuit is not excessive.

 

[Maine Sail]

Maine, as usual a great article.
When wiring 4 6 volt batteries in series/parallel is there a proper sequence for connecting the cables? I worry about a shower of sparks if done incorrectly!
Regards
Mster
s/v Ladylike

Generally you would first wire for series, then parallel the two series banks into one large series / parallel bank...

FWIW I just added a section on wiring series / parallel on Page 2

 

[MSter]

Maine, thanks for the info. I have a few burns on ratchet handles from working near my batt's and was concerned about making connections in a shower of sparks!
Regards
MSTER

 

[kloudie1]

Great stuff, Maine! Thanks

 

[forbin]

Great battery article. What if I don't have the height available (currently 3 pseudo group 27 'deep cycles' with about 1/2 inch of clearance above)? Without modifications what are the best options?

 

[Maine Sail]

Great battery article. What if I don't have the height available (currently 3 pseudo group 27 'deep cycles' with about 1/2 inch of clearance above)? Without modifications what are the best options?

There are a few ways you can go.

#1 Accept your limitations and stick with a premium quality pseudo battery and replace it when it dies. If you practice good battery care you may be able to eek out another 6 months to a year beyond where you are now. Cost is minimal, no mods. Upgrade cost = $

#2 Move to a premium AGM (Lifeline, Odyssey, Northstar) or GEL (Deka, Trojan or Sonnenschein/Prevailer) battery. In the G-24, 27, 31 4D & 8D both premium AGM and GEL are deep cycle. AGM's & GEL's are arguably a bit temperamental in how they are cared for and charged and these really need to be installed as a "system". The charging system upgrade costs can far exceed the cost of the batteries. These batteries are simply too expesnsive to not install correctly. Done correctly AGM can often approach 6V GC2 life and GEL's often exceed it. You can murder expensive AGM's & GEL's just as fast as pseudo batteries if not done right. GEL batteries are really the hands down kings of small case cycle life. The Deka GEL is rated at 1000 cycles and I have a number of banks out there well beyond ten years and one into its 15th season. My buddy Bruce went around the world TWICE in the same set of GEL batteries..... Upgrade cost = $$$$$

#3 Relocate your house batteries and fabricate / build a new space for them. You can leave the starting battery a deep cycle pseudo type, in that location, and just revamp the house bank. Upgrade cost = $$$

Some times when you factor in how long you plan to keep the boat, sticking with pseudo batteries actually wins.

 

[Bad Obsession]

Ok...I have a confession to make: I spend time reading those types of articles in the winter just to get ready for spring maintenance. Yep, it is very true. Sad, just sad.

Seriously, I don't know of anywhere else where things are written that well, for the lay person, and the photographs are that well done.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

I was stuck on a job site waiting for a regulator and finally had time to read them.

Great articles Maine Sail!

Thanks and fair winds,

Jesse

 

[forbin]

Some times when you factor in how long you plan to keep the boat, sticking with pseudo batteries actually wins.

Your advice is much appreciated! These batteries are 6 years old (though lightly used) so I've been starting to look at options. It sounds like the most realistic one, given expected usage, will be to stick with what I have (or similar)...and deal with it in the next boat ;-)

 

[CYQK]

Maine
Great post thanks
As always

 

[All U Get]

Thanks Maine Sail, are there any acceptable standards or protection groups to help inform boaters about poorly manufactured items? It always bothers me to read about misleading labels.

All U Get