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23-07-2014, 03:16
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#76
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Whangaroa, New Zealand
Posts: 266
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
wait what!? 450 good sized cycles and only one balance!? Im seriusly considering LiFe now! Im more afraid of trying to know how much juice you have left in the batteries since the discharge voltage curve is so strange. AH counting must be required....hmmm
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23-07-2014, 09:19
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#77
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Treasure Island, FL
Boat: Island Packet 35
Posts: 478
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
There are some awesome new technologies that are well past proof of concept stage, but none are past getting the costs per watt low enough to be truly viable in the next couple of years and probably not within the first couple years of GA or until the R&D costs are realized.
So, if we are 2 years from GA, we are 5 years from being a viable option for you and I as a general rule going back to grade school economics.
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23-07-2014, 09:44
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#78
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Treasure Island, FL
Boat: Island Packet 35
Posts: 478
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
What I would really like to see is a consistent lifetime cost per watt on LI
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23-07-2014, 11:07
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#79
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Florida
Boat: Seawind 1000xl
Posts: 2,592
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
What ever type of batteries the OP gets I would suggest flexible solar panels. Huge advantage in weight on top of the arch. I am a flooded guy and happy with them.
As an aside someone in the harbor mentioned something about an add on for flooded batteries that automatically added water as needed. Anyone know about that. It sure would make my life easier.
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23-07-2014, 11:51
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#80
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Jacksonville/ out cruising
Boat: Island Packet 38
Posts: 31,351
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tomfl
As an aside someone in the harbor mentioned something about an add on for flooded batteries that automatically added water as needed. Anyone know about that. It sure would make my life easier.
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There are a couple of semi-auto watering systems out there, Trojan for example has a valve on a float in each cell and them tied together with a tube, you add water until it won't take anymore in one single point and then they are all correctly topped off as the float close off each cell.
I assume you could leave a bottle connected to it and as long as a float valve didn't leak it would auto water, but it looks so easy to do with visual indicators and all, why bother? Just connect distilled water once a month for a minute or two and then disconnect, your done no cap removal, nothing.
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23-07-2014, 11:53
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#81
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Jacksonville/ out cruising
Boat: Island Packet 38
Posts: 31,351
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
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23-07-2014, 11:57
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#82
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Presently on US East Coast
Boat: Manta 40 "Reach"
Posts: 10,108
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
They aren't automatic. They consist of float valves permanently connected to the top of your battery caps with a single tube leading from them. You pump water into them with a squeeze bulb and they all fill up until their floats shut them off. When you can't pump any more water, they are full.
I suppose you could set it up with a gravity fed tank and it would be automatic.
It does make watering batteries very simple - particularly if they are located in a difficult space.
Search for Hydrolink and FlowRite (probably others also).
Mark
__________________
www.svreach.com
You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
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23-07-2014, 12:52
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#83
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: On the boat
Boat: Valiant 50
Posts: 509
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
S.V. Third Day
Just looking at your 400AH pack.
I'm curious .. No cell monitor? No BMS?
Obviously a conscious decision. I'd be interested to hear your reasoning.
__________________
The light at the end of the tunnel are no longer the headlights of the oncoming train......yippee
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23-07-2014, 13:26
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#84
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֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎֍֎
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 15,136
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
Rich-
"Basically the “Black Box Controller” will have input lugs for Solar, Wind, Alternator, and Battery charger going to the battery"
Will this be the "one ring to rule them all" that I've kept saying the world needs? Or just dumping them all together and letting the silicon kids fight it out for who's boss?
And as long as you are taking flack...you didn't regulate the battery bolts. They're supposed to be oriented all alike, all with the flats oriented the same way, all in unison. Aesthetics are the hallmark of a true professional, you know. (VBG)
Gunsmiths, watchmakers, electricians, machinists...aesthetics count!
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23-07-2014, 13:44
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#85
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CLOD
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: being planted in Jacksonville Fl
Boat: none
Posts: 20,432
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
these batteries made of gold sound like a lot of trouble to keep track of
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
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23-07-2014, 13:46
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#86
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: La Paz, Mexico
Boat: 1978 Hudson Force 50 Ketch
Posts: 3,920
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sailorboy1
these batteries made of gold sound like a lot of trouble to keep track of
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I wouldn't call $1700 for a 400AH bank made of gold...but as my wife tells me I spend company R&D money like she spends at a Mexican flea market...way too easily.
__________________
Rich Boren
Cruise RO & Schenker Water Makers
Technautics CoolBlue Refrigeration
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23-07-2014, 13:49
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#87
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: La Paz, Mexico
Boat: 1978 Hudson Force 50 Ketch
Posts: 3,920
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by neelie
S.V. Third Day
Just looking at your 400AH pack.
I'm curious .. No cell monitor? No BMS?
Obviously a conscious decision. I'd be interested to hear your reasoning.
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Whooooo That's just a work in progress photo...so don't panic.
BMS being built and cells being monitored....
That's the danger in sharing on the fly photos.....
I'll keep ya'll updated but so far so good.
__________________
Rich Boren
Cruise RO & Schenker Water Makers
Technautics CoolBlue Refrigeration
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23-07-2014, 13:51
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#88
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CLOD
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: being planted in Jacksonville Fl
Boat: none
Posts: 20,432
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY
I wouldn't call $1700 for a 400AH bank made of gold...
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I would! I can replace my $450 460ah set almost 4 times for that price and not be stressing about abusing them.
(and it doesn't matter that my 460AH bank is only 230AH usable since they are charging for "free" on solar and normally are only down 50-100AH in the morning)
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
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23-07-2014, 13:58
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#89
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: La Paz, Mexico
Boat: 1978 Hudson Force 50 Ketch
Posts: 3,920
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sailorboy1
I would! I can replace my $450 460ah set almost 4 times for that price and not be stressing about abusing them.
(and it doesn't matter that my 460AH bank is only 230AH usable since they are charging for "free" on solar and normally are only down 50-100AH in the morning)
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So what's the problem....some wouldn't buy a water maker because they can get water for FREE at the local dock in 5gal jugs. As for stressing about the batteries....WHO's stressing? Not me...maybe you...but to me it's just a fun project. Now where did I put my gold plated screw driver to drive the internet folks crazy.....?
(PS: and if you have a $450 460AH bank and are not stessing about them while living aboard full time...ha ha ha...then I got some Beach Front land in Arizona for ya)
__________________
Rich Boren
Cruise RO & Schenker Water Makers
Technautics CoolBlue Refrigeration
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23-07-2014, 14:01
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#90
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CLOD
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: being planted in Jacksonville Fl
Boat: none
Posts: 20,432
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Re: Upgrading your Battery Banks and Alternator in 2014 is a Waste of Money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY
Now where did I put my gold plated screw driver to drive the internet folks crazy.....?
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The best screwdrivers have diamond tips for long life, get it right!
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
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