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Old 06-07-2009, 17:00   #11
Strygaldwir
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Deale, Maryland
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Corkscrew;

Typically you only want to discharge your battery by half its available amps. So, with your 125 amp hour battery, you'd be better off with a 10 amp load for 6 hours. So your math is correct. If you start draining a Lead Acid battery by more than half you significantly shorten the life of the battery.

Mark is also correct, with that small a panel and that large a battery, you could do without the charge controller. But, it sounds like your controller has facilities for keeping the batteries from discharging to the panels at night (blocking diodes). So, since you already have it, I'd use it.

Keith
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