[Rhodes22-list] Dead Battery (Again)

[Bill Effros]

Lee,

I have a set up similar to yours, except I have a Link 10 monitor on the 
system so I can always see where the power is coming from, and where 
it's going.

I use the same amount of gas per year.  I found that with my easy 
starting Tohatsu motor I put back as much electricity as it took to 
start the engine.  The Solar panels kept the batteries at full charge 
all year long.  My batteries last much longer than their advertised 
life.  I like wet cells because they are more tolerant of overcharging.  
I had one set of batteries than never went under 13 volts, and lasted 
forever.

I live in a colder place than you.  My solar panels kept the batteries 
fully charged over the winter.

On our boats I see no point to isolating a starter battery.  If the 
battery is dead you pull the handle.  Those little charging batteries 
are more than enough to start our little engines -- but don't run the 
electricity through a dead battery first.  Hook up the engine directly 
to the little starter battery.  Make sure the battery sealed inside the 
plastic is an AGM battery--it will remain sufficiently charged for you 
in the unlikely event you need to use it.

My guess is you have a short somewhere.  Get a little VOM meter from 
Radio Shack and see if the battery is discharging when nothing is on.

That electricity has to be going somewhere.  Replace both batteries at 
the same time.  Better to use identical batteries, not "one starting" 
"one for lights" -- the weaker one will constantly drain the stronger.

Bill Effros





Leland wrote:
> Bill,
>
> About four to six gallons a year.  It doesn't take much to get in and out of
> my marina and as a daysailor I rarely need my motor to get anywhere.
>
> In warm weather the battery always has enough juice to operate the lift and
> start the motor.
>
> Lee
>
>
> Bill Effros wrote:
>   
>> Lee,
>>
>> How much motoring do you do?  How much gas do you burn in a year?
>>
>> Bill Effros
>>
>> R22RumRunner at aol.com wrote:
>>     
>>> Lee,
>>> Sounds like a lot of problems without an easy way to determine exactly 
>>> where 
>>> the problem is. Many years ago a hail storm took out my solar panel so I  
>>> removed it and replaced it with a MARINE charger on board. They are
>>> sealed units  
>>> with no accessible or serviceable parts anywhere. All solid state. I like 
>>> this  arrangement because I always know that I will have fully charged
>>> batteries. 
>>> I  would isolate the batteries or at least put in a battery switch
>>> allowing 
>>> you to  chose how you want to use the power.
>>> Your house battery should be a deep cycle battery and your battery for
>>> the  
>>> motor should be a starting battery. West Marine and several others have a
>>> duel  
>>> purpose battery which can be used as a starting battery and also takes to 
>>> deep  discharges.
>>> If you go with just the starting battery for the motor, I would isolate
>>> it  
>>> from the rest of the electrical and have only the motor connected to it. 
>>> Running  the motor should keep it fully charged. If it doesn't, at least
>>> you have  
>>> isolated that problem.
>>> I don't have an electric start motor so I don't have that problem. I have  
>>> two deep cycle batteries beneath the V berth. One is connected to only
>>> the  
>>> running lights. The other runs the cabin lights, VHF radio and a very
>>> power  
>>> hungry stereo. Hope this helps.
>>>  
>>> Rummy
>>>  
>>>  
>>> In a message dated 11/26/2008 12:16:49 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
>>> LKUHN at cnmc.org writes:
>>>
>>>
>>> I  seem to ask the same question around this time every year and I hate 
>>> to
>>> beat a dead horse, but I am about ready to start beating my dead 
>>> battery.
>>>
>>> I have two batteries and two solar panels.  
>>>
>>> The  cabin battery is for everything but the motor and has both solar 
>>> panels
>>> attached to it.  For three years it has been fully charged,  although it
>>> is
>>> rare that it operates much aside from my depth/fish  finder.
>>>
>>> The motor battery is only for the motor and is hard-wired to  the
>>> motor--it
>>> gets charged by the motor.  All three years it has lost  its charge
>>> during
>>> the winter.  It is also connected to the cabin  battery.  Last year there
>>> was
>>> a charge coming from the cabin battery  to the motor battery, but I
>>> suspect
>>> that it is too low to keep the motor  battery charged.
>>>
>>> I haven't checked the batteries' charges yet nor have  I cleaned/checked
>>> the
>>> connections, but I certainly will.
>>>
>>> I own a  trickle charger that connects to a 110 outlet and I own an 
>>> AC/DC
>>> convertor.
>>>
>>> I think my new marina only has 220 electrical and I  haven't yet
>>> purchased an
>>> expensive 220 cord nor have I had a need to do  so.
>>>
>>> 1.  Should I re-run the solar panels so that one charges the  motor
>>> battery
>>> and one charges the cabin battery?  I assume there is no  danger with the
>>> motor battery being hard-wired to the motor.  I don't  want to do this if
>>> one
>>> solar panel won't be strong enough to keep the motor  battery charged or
>>> if I
>>> will risk not being able to keep the cabin battery  charged with only one
>>> solar panel connected to it instead of  two.
>>>
>>> 2.  Should I break down and buy a 220 cord and use my AC/DC  converter
>>> and
>>> trickle charger to charge the motor battery?  Any  dangers to the trickle
>>> charger, converter, or battery?
>>>
>>> 3.   Should I buy one of those rechargeable jumping battery panels to
>>> start
>>> the  motor when the battery is dead?  I was thinking about getting one
>>> for  my
>>> motorcycle anyway.  I hate it when I want to go for a ride or a  sail and
>>> have to wait for the trickle charger to do its  thing.
>>>
>>> 4.  Any other recommendations?
>>>
>>> Thanks for your  advice.  Just want to make sure the electrical juice is
>>> worth the  economic squeeze.
>>>
>>> Lee
>>> 1986 Rhodes22  At Ease
>>> Kent Island,  MD
>>>   
>>>       
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