Battery weight?

[john61ct]

Worth paying for the Trojans compared to relabelled.

Duracell as a brand is licensed by Deka, exactly the same batt as their own label.
It happens to be sold by Batteries+ and Sam's Club.

I completely agree that otherwise consumer big box does not sell any decent true deep cycling, same with automotive channels.

The point with buying good quality - and with the Deka FLA GCs we're not talking about spending any more money, they're often *cheaper* per AH than cr^p batts

is longevity. If you take care of them properly they can last 6-8 years before capacity declines 80% (definition of scrap time) or even past a decade if you want to push your luck.

That makes their cost per year much lower than buying lower quality. Plus less headaches.

And if you're the type to say who cares, not take care just buy more often, then don't spend more on Crown or US, get the cheapest but at least proper deep cycling so they last as long as possible.

I guess in the trawler world alt charging is pretty constant so perhaps this topic area is not as critical as it is for cruising sailboats and boondocking campers.

[psneeld]

Depends, some here anchor out quite a bit and stay for awhile.

But more so than sailboats and RVs, my guess is the house battery banks tend to be larger on cruising vessels. Maybe boondocking RVs have large house banks, and brousing off grid solar battsries an Renology as well as a few others yet to be mentioned scored well.

Different people do different things when anchored or parked. Some are burning up the amp hours and have a high drain much of the night. others may read tablets and use flashlights with small fridges and almost no drain.

So theory kinda has to bend to fit the setup and use more than the people are going to. Also econonomics as well as convenience.

Plus quality is a slippery thing to sell. I bought the cheapest start batteries from Walmart 6 years ago. I am actually using one as a deep cycle for my mast winch, and gets left partially charged for weeks. Funny, they are all still scoring top marks on my snap-on load meter tester. Who woulda thunk?

[BruceK]

Originally Posted by john61ct

It sounds like you may think lead qty is the only factor behind quality and longevity? It's not.

Missed the irony/humour/,eh?

[john61ct]

Yes I can be too literal I guess, no cues for subtlety

[Pura Vida]

I was a partner in a golf course until It sold in June of 17. I have 14 blems 6V of various brands (we used at the course) on my boat that I installed two years ago $50.00 each (purchased 25 at a time by the golf course )

[FlyWright]

What do you use to charge a bank of 14 GCs?

[Lou_tribal]

Originally Posted by FlyWright

What do you use to charge a bank of 14 GCs?

Certainly a portable nuclear plant

L

[Pura Vida]

magnum 2800W Pure Sine Inverter Charger 10 on inverter and 4 house all the room I had.

[Art]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Yes **if same AH** at 20-hr discharge rate.

​Best battery value by far is Duracell (actually Deka/East Penn) FLA deep cycle, less than $180 per 200+AH pair from BatteriesPlus or Sam's Club.

Trojan T-105s a bit dearer, RE version a big step up.

Agreed...

[tiltrider1]

For those who boat in the PNW. Fisheries Supplies sells Dyno batteries. Dyno are made in Seattle. Dyno builds batteries for the commercial fleet, the railroad and many custom needs. They are not the cheapest but they are the best you can buy.

[john61ct]

Yes, very rare example of 4D or 8D that actually live up to a "deep cycle" label, the other being Rolls.

[Baker]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Yes, very rare example of 4D or 8D that actually live up to a "deep cycle" label, the other being Rolls.

I'd put Oddysey in that group!!!

[john61ct]

Yes, I was just talking FLA type above.

Odyssey, Lifeline and Northstar can all be trusted for AGM, as long as they're labelled deep cycling. Even their "dual purpose" units would be better at deep cycling than any 12V you find in big box or automotive retail.

[psneeld]

Proof......

[markpierce]

Batteries are very heavy. Don't think I'm capable of lifting more than a six-cell. Well, I'll be seventy-years-old near the end of January.

[FlyWright]

Originally Posted by markpierce

Batteries are very heavy. Don't think I'm capable of lifting more than a six-cell. Well, I'll be seventy-years-old near the end of January.

Again? I thought you turned 70 last January!

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by FlyWright

Again? I thought you turned 70 last January!

Yes, that was last year. It's coming-up seventy-one to my horror. One hopes to continue on without passing.

[Codger2]

Originally Posted by FlyWright

Again? I thought you turned 70 last January!

LMAO! That's really funny!

[FF]

"Maybe boondocking RVs have large house banks,"

Most simply use propane reefers that solve the biggest amp draw on most boats.

[john61ct]

Yes, many RVs use their factory-installed three-way on propane if they occasionally boondock.

But for those designed by their owners for that purpose, especially custom campers, expedition vehicles, converted cargo trailers etc

A few solar panels and decent deep-cycle bank are the preferred solution, and can easily keep up with efficient Danfoss-style compressor freezer / fridges.

In some conditions they can pull under 10AH per day, and even the larger ones rarely go over 30AH except in extreme heat.

It's a huge advantage to having to carry much propane, larger tanks are very heavy, more water capacity. Plus, one less thing to have to drive an hour+ for back to civilization.