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24-12-2014, 06:24
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Port Saint Lucie Fl Treasure Coast
Boat: Working On Getting one
Posts: 38
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Batteries
Question for everyone. How many batteries do you guy's have on your boats. What's a good amount to have to run a fridge and the normal boat electronics. I have no clue as to how many and what you can run on them.
__________________
Diesel in my veins, wind in my hair.
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24-12-2014, 06:31
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Holladay, UT
Boat: Nordic Tug 37
Posts: 394
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Re: Batteries
Depends totally on the equipment you want to run, and how you use the boat. What sort of a boat? How long do you stay at anchor w/o running the main engine? Do you have a generator? How big a fridge? etc etc. You have to add up the amp hour requirements of the various electricity users between charges.
For my 26-footer with no generator and a small fridge I have a house bank of 2 g31 AGM's, and two g34 AGM's for a diesel start bank.
__________________
Richard Cook
Dream Catcher (Nordic Tug 37) Poulsbo WA
"Cruising in a Big Way"
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24-12-2014, 06:38
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Lakewood Ranch, FLORIDA
Boat: Alden 50, Sarasota, Florida
Posts: 3,467
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Re: Batteries
People write books about this subject. You are best served by reading some and drawing your own conclusions based on your need rather than numerous opinions, all varied by knowledge and need.
Note one thing - it's a system. You need to consider charging system changes warranted by battery capacity size so don't just thinking terms of type and number of batteries
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24-12-2014, 06:52
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Port Saint Lucie Fl Treasure Coast
Boat: Working On Getting one
Posts: 38
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Re: Batteries
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewMoon
Depends totally on the equipment you want to run, and how you use the boat. What sort of a boat? How long do you stay at anchor w/o running the main engine? Do you have a generator? How big a fridge? etc etc. You have to add up the amp hour requirements of the various electricity users between charges.
For my 26-footer with no generator and a small fridge I have a house bank of 2 g31 AGM's, and two g34 AGM's for a diesel start bank.
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Hey thanks for the reply I really don't have any clue on this I'm looking in to . sailing
__________________
Diesel in my veins, wind in my hair.
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24-12-2014, 11:12
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: North Charleston, SC
Boat: Camano Troll
Posts: 5,176
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Re: Batteries
I have five batteries on my boat. One to start the engine and four for a house bank. They are all group 31 AGM batteries.
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Ron
HIGH COTTON
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24-12-2014, 11:20
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Cowichan Bay, BC (Maple Bay Marina)
Posts: 9,705
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Re: Batteries
Quote:
Originally Posted by mattnone
Hey thanks for the reply I really don't have any clue on this I'm looking in to . sailing
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Hi, and welcome.
You could buy a book, Charlie Wing's is very well respected.
You could also start here:
Electrical Systems 101 Electrical Systems 101
__________________
Stu Jackson
Catalina 34 #224 (1986) C34IA Secretary
Cowichan Bay, BC, SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)
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24-12-2014, 12:11
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Placida, Florida
Boat: Cal 31, 31.5'
Posts: 60
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Re: Batteries
Advising the thread starter to read one of the great books available on this subject is good advice. I really like electronics and found the reading and analysis of my system a lot of fun.
However, this is still a great thread for discussion. I always like to hear how others are dealing with power while away from the dock. Discussion of the "proper" use of deep cycle batteries never gets old. I use two Trojan T105, 6 volters in series for house needs. I don't have a refer, microwave or other electric appliances, but use an AC box fan and inverter at night to keep the interior cooled down. At 0.8 amps at 110 volts (plus inverter losses) I can use over 50% of the house capacity (220 amp-hours) in one night. If I had the money and place to put them, I would get a pair of the big capacity 6 volt Surrettes (over 400 amp-hours). Is it possible to lust after battery capacity?
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24-12-2014, 12:28
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: canada
Posts: 4,642
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Re: Batteries
for a 30-40 footer around here 4-8 golf carts is the norm for a house bank. or 2-4 L16's.
plus starting battery(s)
with a 2000w inverter / charger to charge them.
this is for a boat that will leave the dock for a few days and then come back to plug in.
but it entirely depends on the boat and it's use.
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24-12-2014, 12:35
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#9
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Jacksonville/ out cruising
Boat: Island Packet 38
Posts: 31,351
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Re: Batteries
My thought is you must first determine useage in Watt hours or Amp hours.
Once you know that, then size your bank to where on average you use less than 50% of it's capacity per charge cycle if lead acid may not be daily.
Deterime what type of battery chemistry you desire.
Determine charge sources, shore power, Alt, Generator, Solar, wind, hydo etc.
I am sure I have missed some things, seems most of it is interrelated also. So doing considerable research before you start buying would help a lot, but I believ determineing how much power you need you can start doing at any time, it is relevant because of course it must all be stored and replaced
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24-12-2014, 12:41
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 2,954
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Re: Batteries
The fact is that when you first get a boat, it will already have a baseline set of electronics, batteries, etc that someone else, for better or for worse, figured out.
Before you go changing anything, you should follow the recommendations here, learn a little about boat electronics from some of the basic books (the Wing book is pretty good), and do some basic calculations of the energy consumption on your boat.
Like many of the topics related to cruising, there isn't a one-size fits all answer here, because it will vary by the size, type, and equipment configuration on the boat.
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24-12-2014, 12:52
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Boat: Dragonfly 1000 trimaran
Posts: 7,145
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Re: Batteries
Only ONE 200 aH LiFePo4 bank for everything including engine start.
320 watts solar with MPPT controller.
Fridge/freezer, GPS/chartplotter/radar, HAM, autopilot, Spectra watermaker, 1500 watt sinewave inverter, diesel furnace, long distance wifi, laptop, fans etc.
Never need to run engine for electricity.
Hot water? Turn on the inverter for 20 minutes a day for 130 f. water in PNW.
Love those lithiums !!!
__________________
The question is not, "Who will let me?"
The question is,"Who is going to stop me?"
Ayn Rand
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24-12-2014, 13:03
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Northern and Southern California
Boat: too many
Posts: 3,731
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Re: Batteries
Quote:
Originally Posted by senormechanico
Only ONE 200 aH LiFePo4 bank for everything including engine start.
320 watts solar with MPPT controller.
Fridge/freezer, GPS/chartplotter/radar, HAM, autopilot, Spectra watermaker, 1500 watt sinewave inverter, diesel furnace, long distance wifi, laptop, fans etc.
Never need to run engine for electricity.
Hot water? Turn on the inverter for 20 minutes a day for 130 f. water in PNW.
Love those lithiums !!!
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Lead is dead.
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24-12-2014, 13:08
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Placida, Florida
Boat: Cal 31, 31.5'
Posts: 60
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Re: Batteries
senormechanico, where are you located, do you live aboard, what kind of solar cells do you have, and how many watt-hours can you collect in one day? Am I correct in saying that lithiums can be regularly fully discharged without hurting them? I obviously can't do that with my lead-acid Trojans.
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24-12-2014, 13:11
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: North Charleston, SC
Boat: Camano Troll
Posts: 5,176
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Re: Batteries
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cal31
.......... I don't have a refer, microwave or other electric appliances, but use an AC box fan and inverter at night to keep the interior cooled down. .........
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It would be more efficient to use a 12 volt DC fan and do away with the losses associated with converting 12 volts DC to 120 volts AC just to turn a motor.
__________________
Ron
HIGH COTTON
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24-12-2014, 13:14
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Northern and Southern California
Boat: too many
Posts: 3,731
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Re: Batteries
Quote:
Originally Posted by rwidman
It would be more efficient to use a 12 volt DC fan and do away with the losses associated with converting 12 volts DC to 120 volts AC just to turn a motor.
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100% correct. My inverter takes 15 watts just to be on, let alone the losses of conversion. I think a DC fan is the only way to go.
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