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Old 09-09-2016, 10:21   #16
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

Installed a brand new battery bank before I went cruising. Researched and contemplated all the other options (Li-on, AGM, Firefly, LA). In the end I went with 6V Costco golf cart batts. We have been cruising 8 months now and am very happy with my decision. Cheap, simple and well know technology.

I looked very closely at the Firefly products and was very close to picking them. In the end I decided against them due to price. They are not popular enough yet to benefit from "Economy of Scale". If you plan to keep your bank for 5+ years, then they make sense. If you don't know, then maybe not!
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Old 09-09-2016, 10:53   #17
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

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Originally Posted by barnakiel View Post
I never use 6V in a 12 or 24V system.

Asked others the answer seems in a big boat only 6V units are easy to manage without a crane. I agree.

As long as the boat bank is not 'huge', I would always use 12V units in a 12V wired boat.

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I'm not sure why--lead acid battery cells are 2V each, so 6V batteries are 3 cells wired in series internally, and 12v batteries are 6 cells wired in series internally. Do you really think there is a difference, other than the one extra external wire you need with 6V batteries in series??
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Old 09-09-2016, 11:46   #18
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

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Originally Posted by yellotaxi View Post
Batteries: 6 volt in series or 12 volt in parallel ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by chala View Post
If a single bank consists of two or more battery in parallel then this configuration will be one of the less efficient.
Simple.
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Old 09-09-2016, 13:01   #19
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

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I honestly don't understand how cruisers, especially retired cruisers, have huge AGM batteries. How the hell do you lift them out of the boat? depend on others i guess

Easy enough. Avoid 8Ds and 4Ds.

AGM Group 31s = 77.8-lbs (Odyssey C-2150s).

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Old 09-09-2016, 13:09   #20
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

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Originally Posted by donradcliffe View Post
I'm not sure why--lead acid battery cells are 2V each, so 6V batteries are 3 cells wired in series internally, and 12v batteries are 6 cells wired in series internally. Do you really think there is a difference, other than the one extra external wire you need with 6V batteries in series??
I like things to be simple. Small boats wired 12V can use 12V batteries. Not simply simpler ;-) but also way better choice in the store.

I understand big boats big banks wired 24V - no 24V batteries so we use ... exactly. I would use 12V batteries, seen 6V batteries wired too many times.

I understand then big boats, big banks, big batteries, one opts for 6 or 2V batteries, for handling.

What I do not buy is doing the same when the bank is small and the boat wired 12V.

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Old 09-09-2016, 14:30   #21
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

6 v AGMs here. 420 amp hour house bank

12v AGM starter.


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Old 09-09-2016, 14:40   #22
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

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Originally Posted by yellotaxi View Post
Batteries: 6 volt in series or 12 volt in parallel ?
yes, both!
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Old 09-09-2016, 14:52   #23
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

Series would be more even in charging. And 6v is in true deep cycle.

But that's the first time I heard of firefly, do they charge better and have better life's?
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Old 09-09-2016, 18:02   #24
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

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Firefly sounds interesting but what do they cost??? With all the new battery technology it comes back to bang for the buck which Golf Cart Batteries seem to continue to win.
They list for $486 here in FL. After some discounting, I got them for $411/each. It may be the answer, it may not. Time will tell. (Also bought a panel and controller so that may have helped the discount)

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Old 09-09-2016, 20:00   #25
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

$411 for how much amperage/voltage??? Can get 440 amps at 12 volts using GC batteries so hope there is a lot of amps in those batteries.
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Old 09-09-2016, 20:28   #26
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

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$411 for how much amperage/voltage??? Can get 440 amps at 12 volts using GC batteries so hope there is a lot of amps in those batteries.
No. The advantage is in much lower loss of capacity over time (partial discharges) and more cycles over the battery life. Most batteries on boats die a premature death due to improper charging. it's more of a life-cycle cost thing. Great battery, but pricey. I'm sticking with standard flooded deep cycles.
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Old 09-09-2016, 20:34   #27
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

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I honestly don't understand how cruisers, especially retired cruisers, have huge AGM batteries. How the hell do you lift them out of the boat? depend on others i guess

agm batteries are the exact same size as flooded batteries....

battery size = battery size.
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Old 09-09-2016, 20:37   #28
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

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I'm not sure why--lead acid battery cells are 2V each, so 6V batteries are 3 cells wired in series internally, and 12v batteries are 6 cells wired in series internally. Do you really think there is a difference, other than the one extra external wire you need with 6V batteries in series??

the differnce is having only 3 cells in a battery means they can have thicker plates vs craming 6 cells in a simular sized battery. which is why golf carts are much better at deep cycling then any 12v sized car battery. (24-31)
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Old 10-09-2016, 03:07   #29
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

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Originally Posted by roverhi View Post
$411 for how much amperage/voltage??? Can get 440 amps at 12 volts using GC batteries so hope there is a lot of amps in those batteries.
I presume that you meant Amp hours, not cranking Amps.

But who knows? Please use the correct units when discussing electrical systems here.
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Old 10-09-2016, 04:43   #30
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Re: Right batteries for cruising

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Originally Posted by yellotaxi View Post
Batteries: 6 volt in series or 12 volt in parallel ?

Looking for the better way to go for cruising. A well respected friend mentioned that when he was sailing/cruising 15 years ago, 6 volt golf cart batteries were the way to go. However, he raise the question if with the new technology thsi may no longer be true.

A thought about how to answer battery questions:

Seems like useful to start with a series of questions:
- Are you willing to perform (monthly?) maintenance?
- Will your batteries be reasonably accessible for maintenance?
- If inadvertent off-gassing acceptable?
- Can you recharge to 100% immediately after discharging batteries?
- Is immediate cost a driving function? Or is life-cycle cost more important?
- Are you willing to install a battery management system? (or do you already have one?)
- And so forth.

The "right" answer would perhaps arise from that kind of analysis.

And then life-cycle info -- informed by info from above -- about various options would be useful, too.


I suspect any 10 different members here would come up with about 14 different "best" approaches... depending on how they walk in their shoes.

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