BoatBanter.com - View Single Post - Batteries - what's best and cheapest for long term cruising these days

Salomon Fringe

wrote:

On Jun 17, 12:02 am, Salomon Fringe wrote:

... Everybody I have spoken to has different (sometimes radically different)
AGM/gel experiences than yours, so I figure there must be something special
in your situation that makes these batteries really shine. I would like to
know what it is.

I wish you wouldn't lump AGMs and gels together. I've heard some
horror stories about gels and am still waiting to hear any about
AGMs. They are very different things.

My house bank is 2 Lifeline 8DL's that live in a well vented
compartment in the living area of the boat. For charging I have two
105 amp alternators and four 85 watt solar panels and a 25 amp, three
stage plug in battery charger set to flooded battery mode. I use an
Ample Power Energy Monitor/Controller. The solar is set to cut off at
13.5 volts. Normally the batteries simply live on the solar and every
once in a while when the voltage gets low (3-5 days typically in port
or daily on passage) I charge them up until their acceptance rate is
~1 amp when using the charger and ~13 amps when using the
alternators. They also get charged when we motor for an extended
period. That's it.

I'm not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Do notice that may not be
cycling your batteries very heavily. Also, your energy budget seems
quite low! How do you live aboard? Washer? Microwave? TV? Computer(s),
refrigerator/freezer?

...

I have a 24v setup and when I listened around and did the math two years
ago, I settled for Hawker full traction at half the price mentioned in the
Victron article. My second choice would have been semi traction based on
price and power. ...

Cool. How's it been working for you? What's your set-up and what
kind of service have you put them to?

--Tom.

I have 12x2v Hawker perfectplus traction batteries with one 100A bulk
charger, a 35A 3stage Victron 1500w inverter/charger and a Victron
Multiplus 24/3000w/70 4-stage charger and inverter. The batteries are in
a big zinc-lined steel battery case in the engine room with vent to the
outside. Additionally I have 6 semi-traction bats of 230Ah with their
own two chargers, I can switch from the tractions to this bank if
necessary but normally I use them just for lights and for the diesel
central heating (pump, burner) in winter (really :-) and yes I live
aboard) I charge them using a generator or shore current, rarely with
two 100A alternators (one per bank) on the main engine (with 3-stage
chargers),I really have to be moving a lot for that. About 60%/35%/5%.
As for the semi-tractions (which were more heavily used before I got the
traction batteries), they have performed well so far but at their age
(5yrs now) there's nothing special about it yet. Very little maintenance
actually, although I do check them. And with 2yrs on them I guess I
can't say a thing about the traction batteries yet except that they are
doing their job. Definitely more water use than the semis, but distilled
water is cheap and it takes about 5 minutes to check and add some once
per two-three weeks. Equalize them at 32 volt about once a month.