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Old 04-03-2013, 11:47 AM   #56
deckofficer
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City: Northern California
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 409
I don't go with ad bs either. I have set up many off grid homes, design and race electric vehicles, and I do know batteries. Like I said, if your cruising full time and are on the hook instead of marinas, where you are cycling your batteries constantly, then you can't get better bang for your buck than LiFePO4 cells period.

For off grid homes I've used 6 volt golf cart batteries, L16s, Rolls, and 700 a-hr 2 volt AGM. Of that group for any given capacity, the AGM has by far the best charge acceptance, allowing a 1C charge rate vs. 0.1C for the flooded. An Odyssey AGM is both a deep cycle and cranking battery, giving much higher discharge rates than any flooded of the same a-hr rating. I can see why they are used as a thruster battery, where else will you find a 15 lb battery capable of 680 amps?

If you have a multi hull sailboat where weight is a penalty, lithium is the way to go. If you cycle a lot, a LA doesn't want to go deeper then 50% DOD if you hope to get 500 cycles from it. LiFePO4 have no problem going down to 80% DOD and still giving 3000 cycles.

Like I said, if your a weekend only boater then go with the LA, but if a cruiser go with LiFePO4.
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