Charge comfort level

[sailorboy1]

I really try to not overly worry about my batteries (FLA). Yes they are very very important, but they are cheap in the big picture as long as you don't just completely abuse them. But I wonder if I'm still giving them more attention than needed, so cruisers a poll please.

FWITW - there's no need to start another battery type discussion or that "it is better to fully charge all the time"etc., this is just practical real world question of what people are really doing

[Sailmonkey]

I put 70-80, I do start to get a little twitchy in the upper 70’s, they’re only down that far with several days of windless rain though. Below 70 and I can’t do anything but obsess and start the engine to preserve my sanity.

[conachair]

Where's the 100% several ties a week option ?? Ain't that hard.


Different when you might not be anywhere near a country where good ones are actually available.

Many kinds of cruising

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by conachair

Where's the 100% several ties a week option ?? Ain't that hard.





Different when you might not be anywhere near a country where good ones are actually available.



Many kinds of cruising

Good ones what? Batteries?

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Good ones what? Batteries?

Yep. Or end up with some car batteries which will be lucky to last a while in an anchorage and a long passage .

Away from the marina and shops most cruisers tend to try to look after everything and make it last. Throw away consumerism is not really all that common around the globe.

[Bean Counter]

We run the generator 1 - 2 hrs a day at daybreak (some clear long sunny days not at all if the solar panels 720W can do the job - which struggle if use all 2 fridges and freezer). At the same time make 26+ gallons of water and heat 15 gallons of water and every now and then run the clothes washer.

Batteries hardly ever below 75% charged. These are Gel batteries now 7 years old.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Bean Counter

We run the generator 1 - 2 hrs a day at daybreak (some clear long sunny days not at all if the solar panels 720W can do the job - which struggle if use all 2 fridges and freezer). At the same time make 26+ gallons of water and heat 15 gallons of water and every now and then run the clothes washer.

Batteries hardly ever below 75% charged. These are Gel batteries now 7 years old.

I’m doing that now, however today I’m delaying the run so that I can heat some water for the Wife to shower. It’s going to be a warm day.
I try to keep the SOC as high as I can.
Summer I’m hoping the panels can do it mostly alone 1,000W

[kmacdonald]

What's the best batteries, FLA, AGM, Gel, Lithium, ?

I don't even think about charging until 70% discharged and I sleep just fine. And I only use solar to charge.

[sailorboy1]

When I was researching cruising the standard story was cruisers generally maintained their batteries between 50-75%. I bet in truth this is still fine, but us forum people would be having a nervous twitch going on by then.

Btw to the 1 vote so far for the 50% less and/or don’t play attention. I’ve met a few of you out cruising and I think you might be on to something. Near as I can tell you are getting reasonable battery life,and the shorted life is pretty low cost really, and you aren’t worried about them all the time.

[kmacdonald]

The battery companies love people to use only 50% capacity-----they sell more batteries and people get the privilege of paying a greater cost per cycle by using only 50% capacity. It's a win-win for them and a lose-lose for the cruiser.

[goat]

I can't vote, only have the mobile website. Are you guys disconnecting your batteries and letting them rest to check the voltages, or just checking the voltage first thing in the morning before the solar starts charging?
The lowest I've let mine get is 12.3V. No idea whether I charge to 100%. I go to float around noon here in sunny Mexico. Usually turn the fridge on around then so the beer's cold when I need it.
I should probably care about stuff more, but the beer is cold.

goat

[a64pilot]

I’m on the mobile site as well.
However battery chemistry is also a deciding factor, the LifePo folks don’t want 100% and will gladly accept less than 50 for example.

I think the numbers are 50 to 85 for lead acid as you can get to 85 usually pretty quick and stay in bulk doing so, above 85 I think is when the acceptance rate really begins to drop, so if your burning fuel and putting hours on a motor to get there, it’s diminishing returns after 85 or thereabouts.

Myself, I think many cruisers have no idea what their SOC is, somebody told them to crank the motor when the analog meter shows 12 and run it for two hours, repeat as necessary.
That was my game plan early on although we were just weekending on the Walmart batteries the boat came with.
It’s only when people start buying big high dollar alternators and regulators, etc. and after they buy their first bank that they begin to take notice, I think.

[Mike OReilly]

“Comfortable” is a subjective and relative state of mind. I’m "comfortable" with the batteries dropping low if I know tomorrow will be a sunny day. I’m “comfortable” if there is wind blowing so my wind gen will pick up the slack. I’m uncomfortable if there is a three-day forecast of fog or heavy overcast skies with no wind.

Normally we reach float almost every day. My general practice is to only run the portable generator when we’re down to around 60%-50% AND the forecast for the coming 12 hrs looks bad for solar and wind. Last season I had to run the generator 1.5 hrs over a six month season.

I will say, I don’t really trust my SOC meter. I view it as a general guide. I put more trust in the simple volt meter, and my charge controller.

[Jammer]

I just replaced the FLAs in my Airstream trailer. I got 8 years out of them. They were not even deep cycle batteries.

You will not damage your batteries by running them down to 10%. You'll only get half as many cycles as you would running them to 50%. But cycles are not what kill batteries except in industrial environments where they are cycled every day (forklift, floor machine, etc). In a marine environment your batteries will age out before you hit 1000 cycles.

Good quality deep-cycle FLAs die from age and heat, loss of electrolyte due to overcharging, and damage due to being left fully discharged for lengthy periods (more than a few hours). In cold climates it is also possible to damage them by freezing while discharged.

So I run the down to 10% when it makes sense.

[sailorboy1]

Whatever spin reply you wish to post, please vote