[Rhodes22-list] Battery Advice

Tue Apr 3 22:12:10 EDT 2012

What brand and model charge controllers do you have? 
Thanks.

Rod
On Apr 3, 2012, at 10:49 AM, R22RumRunner at aol.com wrote:

> Lee,
> Correction on one point. AGM batteries will last longer than lead acid  
> batteries. They cost more, but I like the maintenance free part. I use only agm 
> batteries in our SeaDoo and it has more cranking power than a lead acid 
> battery.  I have two deep cycle batteries on Rum Runner and only use shore 
> power for  charging. I know from personal experience that without a charge 
> controller,  solar panels can easily overcharge a battery. You can also buy 
> "dual purpose"  batteries which allow for deep discharge and also give you 
> cranking power for an  electric starter. It all depends on how you use your boats 
> power.
> 
> Rummy
> 
> 
> In a message dated 4/3/2012 9:09:40 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
> LKUHN at cnmc.org writes:
> 
> 
> David and Geoff,
> 
> Went to West Marine and Western Auto  yesterday.  I guess it depends on the
> individual sales/service person,  but the Western Auto staff seem to know 
> far
> more about boat  mechanics.  We live in a fishing community so I guess West
> Marine is  for recreational boaters and Western Auto is for working 
> boaters. 
> Last  month West Marine couldn't figure out what size spark plug wrench I
> needed  (18mm).  Last night they checked the volts but not the amps on my
> dead  battery and declared it was a connection problem.  Sounds  like
> something I would do.
> 
> Anyway if you have a 9.9, 4-stroke  Mercury you'll need a 12V deep cell with
> about 465 amps of marine cranking  and 350 amps of cold cranking.  A 
> starting
> battery might be better for  your electric-start outboard but not for your
> motor lift.  Very  important is the group size which tells nothing more than
> the physical size  of your battery.  You want to ensure it fits in the tray
> that Stan  installed.  Mine was a group 27  (27G).
> 
> http://www.mercurymarine.com/service-and-support/storage-and-maintenance/faq
> s/outboards/?category=electrical
> http://www.mercurymarine.com/service-and-support/storage-and-maintenance/faq
> s/outboards/?category=electrical  
> 
> I basically bought the same battery that Stan gave me.  The  Western Auto
> mechanic told me that if it lasted seven years without  maintenance then it
> was the right battery.  Like Geoff he said to  check the battery
> acid/distilled water level once a year.  He said it  was impossible to
> overcharge the battery with the outboard or solar  panels.  If you use a
> charger without an automatic cut-off you could  overcharge the battery 
> (boils
> the acid/water).  Charging the battery  if needed is a good idea, but you
> need to check the volts and the  amps.  My dead battery had 13.4 volts but
> hardly any  amperage.
> 
> Gel and AGM batteries cost more and may not last as  long.  Big advantage is
> that they're maintenance-free and won't  leak.  Just ensure your 
> fluid-filled
> battery covers are on tight for  those bury-the-rail heels.
> 
> Good  luck!
> 
> Lee
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ____________________________________________________________________________
> _____
> I'd  be interested in the same.  Original GBI batteries going into  their
> seventh year, and the boat has been out of the water for almost two  years.
> I'll pull the plastic shrink wrap off next weekend and see if the  motor 
> will
> turn over...
> 
> David
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Mon, Apr 2, 2012  at 11:35 AM, Geoff  Farrell
> <geoffreylfarrell at gmail.com>wrote:
> 
>> I have the  same setup as you do. My batteries stay charged with the 
>> solar  panels. It's interesting to note that although I stored my boat 
>> under  a roof from April 15 through Dec 1 my batteries were fully 
>> charged  when I got the boat out of storage. Seems the ambient light 
>> was  enough to keep them topped off.
>> 
>> I do notice that my batteries  use a lot of water, perhaps because they 
>> are constantly being charged  by the panels. I was warned by an old 
>> salt to check the fluid often,  and he was right.
>> 
>> Recently, I purchased a battery meter  that simply plugs into the 12V 
>> outlet over the galley. It monitors  the batteries during charging and 
>> also while they are being used, and  seems to work great. I can measure 
>> voltage drop while using various  combinations of equipment (radio, nav 
>> lights, etc.). I have been very  pleased that on bright sunny days I 
>> can use the VHF radio and my Ipod  (for navigation and music) and 
>> charge an external portable speaker  without any battery drain.
>> 
>> My motor is hard wired to battery  2. When cruising I set my battery 
>> switch to battery 1 to keep battery  2 fully charged for restarting the 
>> engine. I haven't, however, done  any overnighters so my battery use is
>> minimal.
>> 
>> I still  have Stan's original batteries and so I would also be 
>> interested in  what the best replacement batteries are for when mine die.
> 
> Leland  wrote:
>> 
>> Need some battery advice.  
>> 
>> Probably should have replaced my battery long ago.  When I need  to
>> pull-start my outboard in the marina it usually recharges the  battery
>> enough that I can use the electric start when I'm ready to  come in. 
>> Didn't happen yesterday.  By the time I unscrewed  everything to get to 
> the
>> flywheel I was dangerously close to running  into the causeway rip-rap.
>> 
>> Easy answer would be to replace  the battery with the one Stan put in. 
>> Wasn't sure if there was  something better out there now.  I've got the
>> electric motor  winch which I assume uses a ridiculous amount of juice.  I
>> have  one battery hardwired to the motor which is linked to a second house
>> battery.  Both batteries are linked to two solar panels.
>> 
>> I've taken zero care of the batteries since I bought the boat seven  
> years
>> ago.
>> 
>> Should I be concerned about the solar  panels overcharging the batteries?
>> 
>> Should I periodically  charge the batteries to full capacity?
>> 
>> Any advice on what  battery would be best and what care it needs?
>> 
>> Thanks!
>> 
>> Lee
>> 1986 Rhodes22  AT EASE
>> Kent Island,  MD
>> 
> 
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