Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 12-04-2015, 08:45   #1
tat
Registered User

Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: west yorkshire
Boat: cabin cruiser 22ft
Posts: 72
What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

I'm looking to buy a flooded deep-cycle battery.

Although I will not use a lot of amps, usually, I want a high capacity battery so that I will not need to discharge it much before I am able to recharge it (with a Honda 900watt silent generator and a 40amp unsmart charger), so it will mean I will have the capacity if I need it, but be able to keep it in good shape as I will not drain it too deep, usually.

So what would be a high capacity battery?

Also, I want to get a battery with the thickest plates. Do you know? How would I know, please?
tat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2015, 09:10   #2
Registered User
 
Cheechako's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,453
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

You may be overthinking it, but generally I think golf cart batteries have thick plates. But they are 6 volt so it takes 2. A good deep cycle battery will have "thick" plates. Only way I know to tell would be to compare weights. Each time a battery is discharged and charged it gives off some of it's plate material. So deep cycle batteries have thick plates apparently...(all second hand knowledge).... But you say you don't intend to discharge it much, so if that's the case... not sure you need a deep cycle battery...
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard











Cheechako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2015, 09:14   #3
Sponsoring Vendor

Community Sponsor

Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: South Carolina
Boat: Philip Rhodes Custom
Posts: 414
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

Once upon a time battery manufacturers would specify the amp-hour capacity of their batteries, even though the capacity is a function of load. Sift through their specs and purchase the largest capacity they appear to have for the space and weight you have available. The "deeper" the cycle the thicker the plates but that is all you can use for a guide, they don't give internal specifications.
Andina Marie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2015, 09:43   #4
Nearly an old salt
 
goboatingnow's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Lefkas Marina ,Greece
Boat: Bavaria 36
Posts: 22,801
Images: 3
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

Tubular traction batteries are best, but very pricey. After that it's a crap shoot


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum
__________________
Interested in smart boat technology, networking and all things tech
goboatingnow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2015, 09:44   #5
Senior Cruiser
 
newhaul's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: puget sound washington
Boat: 1968 Islander bahama 24 hull 182, 1963 columbia 29 defender. hull # 60
Posts: 12,113
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

Two 6v golf cart batteries is m2cw will give you about 200 ah for about 100 ah usable and the thickest plates for the money. Golf shops sell used ones with 80% of life left in them for less than half of new units ( usually less than a year old)
newhaul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-04-2015, 05:20   #6
Registered User
 
denverd0n's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 5,009
Images: 6
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

You need to start by getting some concept of your electrical usage. "What would be a high capacity battery" depends entirely on how much you need/want to use. If you are only powering a few LED lights then what constitutes a "high capacity battery" for you will be completely different than for someone who runs lights, a stereo, full suite of instruments, an electric head, pressure water system, a refrigerator, and so on.
denverd0n is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-04-2015, 07:56   #7
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Charleston, SC
Boat: Stevens 47
Posts: 199
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

Generally, Trojan T105 6V golf cart batteries give the biggest bang for the buck. They have a capacity of 225 amp hours and will last for years if properly maintained (keep distilled water in them and keep them charged).

In my neck of the woods, they sell for about $120 per battery at my local golf cart shop. You can get them delivered for about $150 per.

A previous poster is certainly right, too, that you need to know your electrical demand to properly size your battery bank. A 225 amp bank (two six volt T105s wired in series) will give you about 110 amp hours if discharged to 50%, the recommended discharge level before charging. Two banks will obviously double that.

Best of luck.
sainted is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17-04-2015, 19:02   #8
Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Western Victoria
Boat: Northwind 7 trailer sailer
Posts: 31
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

Something that has bothered me for a while: how do I know what percentage discharge my 100 Ahr deep cycle battery is when it's voltage is say,11.8? What's the lowest voltage I should allow?
Sorry if this off topic but I hope it is a relevant question here.
Thanks!
Pete
On the Gippsland Lakes,
Australia
Isabella Jane is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17-04-2015, 19:24   #9
Registered User
 
Roy M's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Southwestern Yacht Club, San Diego, CA
Boat: Searunner 40 trimaran, WILDERNESS
Posts: 3,175
Images: 4
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

I use 4 six volt batteries in my house bank. They are the L16 style which means they are TALL, around 18" with the special Hydrocaps which convert the produced gases from charging back into water to reduce maintenance. This format gives me a nominal 740 amphours. I chose this so as to have a sufficient capacity to allow me to have a substantial reefer and freezer. Ideally, you don't want to use more than one-half of your battery capacity in order to get the best longevity from your bank. I have a separate battery for my engine start and windlass draw.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	PICT0018.jpg
Views:	201
Size:	420.6 KB
ID:	100619   Click image for larger version

Name:	PICT0021.jpg
Views:	145
Size:	363.1 KB
ID:	100620  

Roy M is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17-04-2015, 19:56   #10
Senior Cruiser
 
newhaul's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: puget sound washington
Boat: 1968 Islander bahama 24 hull 182, 1963 columbia 29 defender. hull # 60
Posts: 12,113
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Isabella Jane View Post
Something that has bothered me for a while: how do I know what percentage discharge my 100 Ahr deep cycle battery is when it's voltage is say,11.8? What's the lowest voltage I should allow?
Sorry if this off topic but I hope it is a relevant question here.
Thanks!
Pete
On the Gippsland Lakes,
Australia
Here's a chart to help answer your questions http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...2Dec051817.gif hope it helps
newhaul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17-04-2015, 23:42   #11
Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Western Victoria
Boat: Northwind 7 trailer sailer
Posts: 31
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

Thanks Newhaul. Just what I needed. Appreciate your help to a (very) newby.
Cheers from me!
Isabella Jane is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-04-2015, 07:01   #12
Senior Cruiser
 
newhaul's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: puget sound washington
Boat: 1968 Islander bahama 24 hull 182, 1963 columbia 29 defender. hull # 60
Posts: 12,113
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Isabella Jane View Post
Thanks Newhaul. Just what I needed. Appreciate your help to a (very) newby.
Cheers from me!
Being a newby is nothing to scoff at my last name is Newby and I used to own a small trucking company ( newby hauling) aka newhaul. And you are very welcome. Glad to help when I can.
One thing I forgot to mention take the voltage readings with at least a 30 minute rest period after heavy use or charging to allow the voltage to stabilize ( large load items like a refer or autopilot)
newhaul is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-04-2015, 22:35   #13
tat
Registered User

Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: west yorkshire
Boat: cabin cruiser 22ft
Posts: 72
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Isabella Jane View Post
Something that has bothered me for a while: how do I know what percentage discharge my 100 Ahr deep cycle battery is when it's voltage is say,11.8? What's the lowest voltage I should allow?
Sorry if this off topic but I hope it is a relevant question here.
Thanks!
Pete
On the Gippsland Lakes,
Australia
This is what i wanted to know, and in a book I found a table. Like the link posted, it shows the rested state of charge and the capacity %, but also seems to show the state of charge when the batteries are/have been in use. The rested charge is just to see if you have charged them enough. But we also need to know how much we have got left in them before we need to charge again.

It was a table in the book called Essential Boat Electrics by Pat Manley. I've just 'looked inside' on Amazon and near the back in the useful tables is the chart for this. I'm going to cut it out and stick it next to the volt/amp meter.

For instance, the rested figure is 12.8v for 100%, but 100% after a few days is actually 12.5v. It is the 'after a few days' capacity we need, not just the rested after charging figure.

According to this chart in the book, your battery, reading 11.8 volts, if not a load on it when you took the voltage would be down to 30% capacity. The chart recommends that you should re-charge at 50%, which is a reading of 12.0v. Or, if you had a 5amp load on it when you read it, then 11.9v, or if you had a 10amp load on it when you read it, then 11.7v.
tat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-04-2015, 08:17   #14
Registered User
 
Cheechako's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,453
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?

It's all over an internet search:
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard











Cheechako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-04-2015, 08:37   #15
Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: WY / Currently in Hayes VA on the Chesapeake
Boat: Ocean Alexander, Ocean 44
Posts: 1,149
Re: What be a high capacity battery, and which with thickest plates?



This is the chart I have by my volt meter. However I colored it yellow at 12.06 volts. Any one on the boat knows that we want to do something about it before it gets to yellow.

As others have stated you need to figure out your usage.

Best value in deep cycle batteries seem to be Duracell 6 volt golf cart batteries at Sam's Club if you live in a state where Sam's carries them.
darylat8750 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
battery

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Link 10 Battery Monitor -Setting Battery Capacity hugh c Electrical: Batteries, Generators & Solar 3 02-05-2012 11:57
Best high-capacity electric bilge pump sneuman Plumbing Systems and Fixtures 1 06-06-2008 10:52
Holding plates or evaporator plates captden Plumbing Systems and Fixtures 21 08-05-2008 18:56
High Capacity Deck Wash Pumps Roy M Plumbing Systems and Fixtures 5 21-05-2007 18:25
Battery Capacity Advise needed rleslie Electrical: Batteries, Generators & Solar 2 22-05-2005 22:56

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 00:07.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.