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Old 16-12-2014, 20:22   #1
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Location: Central Ontario
Boat: Sandpiper 565, Tanzer 22, Corbin 39
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Battery cart for indoor winter storage

Hi:

Just finished making a maintenance cart for my collection of led acid boat batteries. I grew tired of crawling under the workbench to get at some of them, and the ones on top of the bench were just in the way and I have some serious wood working to do.

So I made a maintenance cart. The cart is on four 4 inch wheels, the back two fixed and the front two swiveled. There are two levels

The bottom level holds my set of 4 T 105s arranged as two 12 volt batteries.

The top level currently holds two 12 volt batteries, but might accommodate up to 4 depending on sizes. The top level is split in two and each side is mounted on full extension 100 pound rated drawer slides. So to work on the T105s below, I slide the top units out of the way, look Ma no lifting!

I screwed down battery chargers on the left side and a power bar on the right side.

The unit then lives underneath the workbench quite out of the way, but easy to pull out and access the batteries for a ~monthly check and rotation of the chargers.

If the cart were stored out in the open I would have put a top on it in case errant wrenches and the like found battery terminals, but it is quite protected by the workbench.

Long term, I likely won't schlep the batteries on and off the boats in the winter, but now I at least have a reasonable indoor spot if I choose to.

Maybe someone else will find this project of interest.

One question I have if anyone knows the answer ... I'd like to connect the four T105s as one series parallel battery, but I am unsure if the ProSport 6 charger is suitable, it says "for single battery use". Is there some reason in battery chemistry why I should not do this? Maybe it just is warning against slow charging rates at 6 Amps, which is of no concern, I am just keeping up the charge. All 4 batteries are as new, they have never been used, just kept charged up.

Regards

Boulter

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Old 17-12-2014, 04:01   #2
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Re: Battery cart for indoor winter storage

The ProSport 6 is rated for one 12V Battery BANK.
http://promariner.com/wp-content/upl...ort_Manual.pdf

Very nice cart!
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Old 17-12-2014, 05:05   #3
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Re: Battery cart for indoor winter storage

The ProSport 6 is a sealed waterproof charger and thus has minimal cooling. Trying to actually charge a 450Ah bank with it would kill it in short order.

However, if you start with full batteries, and use it to maintain them, then it will work fine as a maintainer for that bank. Not really the best voltage profiles for Trojan but as a maintainer should work fine..
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Old 17-12-2014, 08:29   #4
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Re: Battery cart for indoor winter storage

Quote:
Originally Posted by GordMay View Post
The ProSport 6 is rated for one 12V Battery BANK.
http://promariner.com/wp-content/upl...ort_Manual.pdf

Very nice cart!
Thank you Gord and Maine Sail. I missed the distinction of "bank". I will connect up in series parallel.

Long term, when the 4 T105s are installed on the boat, I will invest in a more robust charger arrangement.

Boulter
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