agree with that Dwight Veinot C&C 35 MKII, *Alianna* Head of St. Margaret's Bay, NS d.ve...@bellaliant.net
On Thu, Feb 26, 2015 at 8:18 PM, Rick Brass via CnC-List < cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > Edd; > > > > Like several others, I would endorse the choice of going with golf cart > batteries (I’d use GC5s, not GC2s, but I’d have flooded golf cart batteries > in my boats if there was enough room in the locker that the batteries are > housed in to accommodate the height of the batteries. > > > > You have raised the question of the batteries freezing. A fully charged > wet cell battery has a freezing temperature of 76 degrees below zero > Fahrenheit. It is true that the liquid in a flooded battery that is fully > discharged is around 30 degrees, since the liquid is almost 100% distilled > water. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a frozen battery – even is a winter > stint at the GM Arctic Proving Grounds years ago. Unless New Jersey is > expecting an Ice Age, I wouldn’t worry. > > > > Storage on the boat over the winter is also not a real problem – although > there are a lot of old wives’ tales about taking batteries home for storage > and not setting them on concrete floors, and so forth. The accepted > self-discharge rate for a lead-acid battery is between 1.5 and 3% per > month, depending on storage conditions. The rate gets higher as the storage > temperature gets higher, but isn’t really very high until you get over 100 > degrees. AGM batteries are a bit less, but the chemistry is almost the same > and the lower rate for an AGM battery has more to do with the fact that the > AGM has less plate surface area in contact with the electrolyte mat, so the > reaction is slower. > > > > You may want to think about how you use your boat when you make the > decision about batteries. You mention wanting 4 to 6 T-105 batteries in > your house bank. That’s 450 to 675 AH in a 12 volt configuration, and that > gives you a lot of live aboard time. My 460 AH house bank will power my 38 > for 2 to 3 days on the hook without recharging. (My biggest draw is for > refrigeration and that is more than half of the total.) > > > > But if I recall you mostly daysail and race, so what impact will 400 > pounds of batteries have on trim and performance? Do you need that much > endurance? Also, you say you only charge with your engine alternator. A 675 > AH bank is going to need a 75 amp (or more) alternator and a smart voltage > regulator to recharge it in any manageable amount of time, and at least a > 60 amp charger if you plug into shore power. > > > > I have many years of experience in the marketing of batteries for > industrial vehicle, and I have an aversion to AGM batteries, so I’d > recommend not using them. YMMV. > > > > Sure, you can lay them on their side. But laying your sailboat on its side > is slow, and flooded batteries – particularly the maintenance free versions > – don’t generally leak liquid at normal angles of heel for reasonable > lengths of time. AGM batteries are more demanding about proper charging > voltages (the regulator in your boat is almost certainly designed for > flooded cells, not AGMs, and will need to be replaced) and less forgiving > about being stored when partially discharged than flooded cells. And AGM > batteries have a significantly shorter service life – in terms of > charge/discharge cycles – than do flooded batteries. Plus they are a lot > more expensive. > > > > I looked at the AGM batteries in your post. Trojan T125s from the same > supplier would have 15% more capacity and cost 15% less than the AGM. Two > Exide or Interstate 27 deep cycle batteries in parallel would have the same > capacity as two of these AGM GC2s wired in series and cost about half as > much. These particular AGM batteries don’t look like a particularly good > value to me. > > > > Good luck making your decision > > > > Rick Brass > > > > *From:* CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] *On Behalf Of *Edd > Schillay via CnC-List > *Sent:* Wednesday, February 25, 2015 12:16 PM > *To:* C&C List > *Subject:* Re: Stus-List Batteries -- Flooded, Sealed or AGM? > > > > Josh, > > > > I’m leaning towards 4 to 6 (depending on the space available) > Trojan T-105s, but am concerned about the maintenance, especially since I’m > kinda cut off from the boat all winter long. Alternatively, I was looking > at these AGMs: > http://www.atbatt.com/amstron-gc2-6v-agm-deep-cycle-battery.asp?utm_content=Amstron-AP-GC2&utm_term=AP-GC2&utm_category=Sealed-Lead-Acid&gclid=CLy95KfH_cMCFXBp7Aod2WkA2g, > but won’t bother if AGMs are only going to last a few years. > > > > My charging system is the alternator, since the Enterprise > lives on a mooring during the season (yes — we call that "standard orbit"). > I only hook up to shore power a few times a year when cruising. > > > > The new system will connect the alternator to the house bank > and use a Blue Seas ACR ( > https://www.bluesea.com/products/7610/SI-ACR_Automatic_Charging_Relay_-_12_24V_DC_120A) > to also charge the starting battery. That means I'll have a New-In-Box Echo > Charger to sell this Spring. > > > > All the best, > > > > Edd > > > > > > Edd M. Schillay > > Starship Enterprise > > C&C 37+ | Sail No: NCC-1701-B > > City Island, NY > > Starship Enterprise's Captain's Log > <http://enterpriseb.blogspot.com/> > > > > > > > > On Feb 25, 2015, at 11:53 AM, Josh Muckley <muckl...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > I was at a point of extremes when I bought 5 AutoZone marine/deep cycle > for a total of about $600 and 500Ahrs (~250Ahrs usable without damage). > They are the standard maintenance free auto style which can be but are not > intended to be watered. For me they were relatively cheap, readily > available, easy to claim warranty, light enough to move/install/uninstall. > They are also the easiest to charge and discharge since it is such a long > standing standard. > > There are certainly advantages to other technologies and disadvantages to > wet cells but for now this solution has met my needs very comfortably. > T-105 golf cart batteries would really be my only other concideration but > availability, movability, and warranty claimability are hold backs. > > You also have to consider the charging system when choosing batteries. I > have a 100amp balmer alternator with external charge controller and a > ProMariner P Nautic 60-12 charger/maintainer. There are disadvantages to > staying on shore power 24/7 but it is working for me right now. Maybe I'll > change that practice in the future. > > Josh Muckley > S/V Sea Hawk > 1989 C&C 37+ > Solomons, MD > > On Feb 25, 2015 11:17 AM, "Edd Schillay via CnC-List" < > cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > > Listers, > > > > As you know, I’m redoing the electrical systems on the Enterprise (thanks > to all for diagrams and advice). > > > > So now comes the question of what type of battery to use in my house bank > — Flooded, Sealed or AGM? What do you have on your C&C and why do you > prefer it? > > > > And, if you have flooded, how often do you top them off with distilled > water? > > > > The countdown has begun! > http://enterpriseb.blogspot.com/2015/02/launch-of-enterprise-countdown.html > > > > > All the best, > > > > Edd > > > > > > Edd M. Schillay > > Starship Enterprise > > C&C 37+ | Sail No: NCC-1701-B > > City Island, NY > > Starship Enterprise's Captain's Log <http://enterpriseb.blogspot.com/> > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Email address: > CnC-List@cnc-list.com > To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go to the > bottom of page at: > http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Email address: > CnC-List@cnc-list.com > To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go to the > bottom of page at: > http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com > > >
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