Lead acids dying. What to replace with?

[donradcliffe]

I was stuck in upstate NY without a car rental place around, so couldn't get to Costco or Sam's, and ended up with 4 NAPA 6v batteries at $130 apiece (about half of what they cost in Canada). They seem to be holding up pretty well after 2 years on an energy hog trawler which used over 250 amphrs per day.

[Canibul]

no taxicabs in NY????

Well that's encouraging about the batteries, anyhow. I'll throw another solar panel on the roof to make up for the lost capacity.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by colemj

In parallel, you maintain the voltage but increase the capacity by the number of batteries in parallel. So your two series pairs in parallel will give you a 12V bank of 372Ahr.

Mark

This is getting interesting...

I so want to stir this pot but I am trying to be a new improved and supportive member of the forum.

Good on ya Canibul - I can just imagine you in a remote NAPA store asking for choices - LOL. Practical boat maintenance in far away places is not understood by many around here.

We only basically get one peanut butter choice here. I remember asking visitors to bring cheese to the Philippines when they visited. No cheese unless you convinced yourself Velveeta was cheese or had a hookup on the black market out of Clark AFB - LOL...

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

This is getting interesting...

I so want to stir this pot but I am trying to be a new improved and supportive member of the forum.

I can take it. However, I don't see what I wrote about series/parallel capacities and voltages as being incorrect - it is pretty basic stuff.

Mark

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Canibul

So I lost capacity

There is no practical capacity difference (ie, actual use on a boat) between 420Ahr and 372Ahr.

Mark

[Canibul]

I spent a lot of time in S'pore and Thailand back in the 70's. I was there to find things people lost in the ocean up just north of there, if you know what I mean. I stayed in a hotel on Balmoral Road, but can't remember the name of it at the moment. Garden Hotel, I think maybe. I was on standby a lot of the time, on full and largely unquestioned expense account, and really enjoyed my trips there.

In those days, you could get just about anything you needed in Singapore. Heck I bet I could have bought a battery at midnight on Bugis Street...

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Canibul

I spent a lot of time in S'pore and Thailand back in the 70's. I was there to find things people lost in the ocean up just north of there, if you know what I mean. I stayed in a hotel on Balmoral Road, but can't remember the name of it at the moment. Garden Hotel, I think maybe. I was on standby a lot of the time, on full and largely unquestioned expense account, and really enjoyed my trips there.

In those days, you could get just about anything you needed in Singapore. Heck I bet I could have bought a battery at midnight on Bugis Street...

It's much better everywhere around here these days but in the 80's you went to Singapore to get stuff.

Our guys from India would fly in with 100qt coolers and load up meat at the cold storage in terminal one. they'd stick your cooler in deep freezer while you did R&R and pick it up on the way out.

I'd drive down from KL - 8 hours in those days, load computer parts in a cooler, top it with pork products (and cheese - LOL) and never had a customs inspection going back in - what's statute of limitations on import duties anyway...

[Canibul]

I used to bring home wristwatches and cameras. Then the Singapore guys smartened up and raised their prices up to near NYC prices. Then I found great deals on Yamaha guitars.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by colemj

I can take it. However, I don't see what I wrote about series/parallel capacities and voltages as being incorrect - it is pretty basic stuff.

Mark

No nothing incorrect. I just knew the capacity question would come up.

Originally Posted by colemj

There is no practical capacity difference (ie, actual use on a boat) between 420Ahr and 372Ahr.

Mark

This isn't your fault - It's what canibul could get but...

12% less, 48 amps - That's my daily amp budget - LOL...

But a great demonstration of practical boat maintenance away from the USA.

[Canibul]

I'm starting to wonder if maybe the lightning strike took out the wind gen regulator and it keeps pumping out amps when the batteries are full.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

This isn't your fault - It's what canibul could get but...

12% less, 48 amps - That's my daily amp budget - LOL...

Yes, mathematically, but in practical usage, one aims for never getting below 50%.

So as long as he doesn't use more than 186Ahr between recharges, there is no difference between 420Ahr and 376Ahr capacities.

And if he had 420Ahr capacity, that 50% is only 24 more Ahr.

Mark

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Canibul

I'm starting to wonder if maybe the lightning strike took out the wind gen regulator and it keeps pumping out amps when the batteries are full.

Like others have said, it should be real easy to tell by voltage alone, plus if it's cooking them, they will go through a LOT of water, if your not having to add water often, your not overcharging your batts, now that's taking something complicated and trying to make it simple and someone will come on and show me why it ain't always so, but that is my belief anyway.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by colemj

Yes, mathematically, but in practical usage, one aims for never getting below 50%.

So as long as he doesn't use more than 186Ahr between recharges, there is no difference between 420Ahr and 376Ahr capacities.

And if he had 420Ahr capacity, that 50% is only 24 more Ahr.

Mark

Bet what he had towards the end was closer to 250 or 300 anyway, not 420

[a64pilot]

How does this discrepancy in amp hours come about anyway?
You take the same physical dimension battery, that weighs the same, and there is a big difference in capacity?
I wonder if it's not marketing

[Canibul]

I think it's all about the lead plate thickness and spacing. The rest is marketing.

What do you mean by telling by voltage alone? I've gotten pretty confused by voltage alone. A 12v battery is NEVER 12 volts. I guess a 6 volt battery is never 6 volts, either. I see numbers on here like 13 , 14 and 10 volts. Some say if the solar is putting out 17 volts it's all happy. Well...uh...maybe. I couldn't add water to the last set of batteries without physically damaging them.

The ones I just bought have removable tops. I like the idea of adding water and checking with a hydrometer. Sure is a lot more simple and foolproof than another thousand bucks worth of electronics to buy, study, install, babysit, come to rely upon, get let down by, and then replace and start over. Lets face it, electronics and salt water do not mix. It's not a question of if they'll let you down, it's more like how serious will it be the next time they do.