Batteries
 

Good link on batteries. Discusses AGM vs Gel, vs Flooded
batteries.

http://www.vonwentzel.net/Battery/

Batteries
 

"Bart" wrote in message
oups.com...
Good link on batteries. Discusses AGM vs Gel, vs Flooded
batteries.

http://www.vonwentzel.net/Battery/

I purchased 2 Optima Blue Tops (dual purpose - starting and deep cycle) for
my boat. The manuf. stresses the need to manage the charging voltage to a
max of 13.8 with a max current flow of 1 amp. I have 2 trickle chargers I
bought for my bikes, but I try to follow spec recs. at almost any cost. Any
tips on quality chargers that can be user regulated?
Scout

Batteries
 

A good charge controller is an important part of
keeling your batteries alive. I have not had much
luck in that area. My charger died, then I fixed it,
then it died, then it came back to life, then the controller
died. It has been frustrating to me. I'm thinking about
getting a second charger, just to keep the batteries
topped off if the first one dies again.

Scout wrote:
"Bart" wrote in message
oups.com...
Good link on batteries. Discusses AGM vs Gel, vs Flooded
batteries.

http://www.vonwentzel.net/Battery/

I purchased 2 Optima Blue Tops (dual purpose - starting and deep cycle) for
my boat. The manuf. stresses the need to manage the charging voltage to a
max of 13.8 with a max current flow of 1 amp. I have 2 trickle chargers I
bought for my bikes, but I try to follow spec recs. at almost any cost. Any
tips on quality chargers that can be user regulated?
Scout

Batteries
 

"Bart" wrote
|A good charge controller is an important part of
| keeling your batteries alive. I have not had much
| luck in that area. My charger died, then I fixed it,
| then it died, then it came back to life, then the controller
| died. It has been frustrating to me. I'm thinking about
| getting a second charger, just to keep the batteries
| topped off if the first one dies again.


Duh! Forget the charge controllers. Get one of those little suction thingies that floats
balls. It tells you specific gravity on each cell in the battery. You can easily tell if you have
a bad cell. If all the cells are good then the whole battery is good. If one is bad then the whole
battery is done, finished, kaput. People make it way too complicated. I don't even have a battery
but I know more about them than you do. So sad! I'm a girl. Your a man. Your a duh case.

Cheers.
Ellen

Batteries
 

Scout wrote:

I purchased 2 Optima Blue Tops (dual purpose - starting and deep cycle) for
my boat. The manuf. stresses the need to manage the charging voltage to a
max of 13.8 with a max current flow of 1 amp. I have 2 trickle chargers I
bought for my bikes, but I try to follow spec recs. at almost any cost. Any
tips on quality chargers that can be user regulated?


I was going to say just don't worry about it, but just to be sure I
checked a few specs. My big Heart 2000 has a complex table for
different types and temps, showing, for example, the float voltage for
an AGM at 70 degrees. When I checked the small Truecharge 10 I found,
however, that the voltage for and AGM was the same as Gel, and higher
than the Optima recommendations. In other places, I found that the
Truecharge 10 was not recommended for AGM at all. The Truecharge 20,
however, had and AGM setting, and its float voltage was appropriate.

In general, I didn't find any specs for the "el cheapo" chargers. My
advice would be to go to the Xantrex site, and download the manuals
for various chargers, and see if they suit your needs.

On the other hand, it seems like a good charger costs significantly
more than the batteries, so it might not actually be cost effective to
optimize the life of the batteries. My approach is to do a reasonable
job of maintaining them, and hope they won't die too often. My house
bank (Trojan 6V flooded) lasted 6 years, and my two Optima Red Top
starting batteries have gone 3 years now with an EchoCharge echoing
the flooded regime during the summer. Actually, I was surprised to
find that one had not received any charge for most of the summer
(flawed setup) and yet had enough power to start its engine a number
of times. They have survived the winter well with the solar panels
receiving a modest amount of light through the shrink wrap.

Batteries
 

"Dave" wrote
| Pity you can't figure out the question before running off at the mouth with
| the wrong answer.

Well excussssssssse me! But *wrong answer* is in the eye of the beholder. There's
only one way to tell how your battery's working. That's measuring specific gravity of
the acid. If all the balls float it's good. If they sink it's bad. It's so simple. It's sad
people can't figure it out.....


Cheers,
Ellen

Batteries
 

OzOne wrote |
| Do you know what's killing the chargers?
| Pull one apart and chech the circuit board..my bet is salt corrosion.
| Worth pulling any new one apart and spraying the CB with a protectant
| sealer available from any good electronics part supplier...you may
| need a cleaner first.
| I've done Pcs and Laptops and plenty of equipment not strictly
| designed for a marine environment this way and the last without
| problem.
| Heck, even some 'marine' radios do NOT have sealer on components but
| rely solely on waterproof casings....that unfortunately breathe.


Get serious. You sure like to spout off at the mouth. It's not hard to see you don't know squat.
I bet Gilligan would straighten you out... What you imagine isn't fact!

Cheers,
Ellen

Batteries
 

"Dave" wrote
| Q.E.D.

What does Q.E.D. mean?

Cheers,
Ellen

Batteries
 

"She's" dumb as a post. :-)

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

OzOne wrote in message ...
On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 19:13:19 -0400, "Ellen MacArthur"
scribbled thusly:


"Dave" wrote
| Q.E.D.

What does Q.E.D. mean?

Cheers,
Ellen

It's what I should have placed at the end of my 2nd last post!


Oz1...of the 3 twins.

I welcome you to crackerbox palace,We've been expecting you.

Batteries
 

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message

Walmart sells a very good "smart charger" for well under $50. It even
senses
sulfation and will desulfate if needed.

Walmart!!!?????...... Bwahahahahaahahahahahaahahaaaaa!!!!

Good Grief!!!

CM-

Batteries
 

The first problem I found was a bent pin on a connector
to a ribbon cable. Actually it was an easy fix. Another
time it was a fuse located on a PCB--same amount of
work, pulling the charger off the bulkhead--not easy as it
is a 140 Amp charger and quite heavy, taking it apart
and swapping out the fuse.

I suspect the latest problem is a wire with two R-11
connector that link the charger to the controller. At
least I hope so as I'm not totally sure the charger will
shut off on it's own without the controller--need to call
the manufacturer and ask about that. Hopefully, I won't
need a new monitor.

I have not had an PCB problems with this unit. It is
probably coated. Have you seen the spray coating
you can put on PCB's. It works rather well. I tried in
on a DC distribution bus which has a rather complicated
diode array and low voltage sensor, and it has been
working great for several years now.

OzOne wrote:
On 21 Oct 2006 14:56:23 -0700, "Bart"
scribbled thusly:

A good charge controller is an important part of
keeling your batteries alive. I have not had much
luck in that area. My charger died, then I fixed it,
then it died, then it came back to life, then the controller
died. It has been frustrating to me. I'm thinking about
getting a second charger, just to keep the batteries
topped off if the first one dies again.


Do you know what's killing the chargers?
Pull one apart and chech the circuit board..my bet is salt corrosion.

Worth pulling any new one apart and spraying the CB with a protectant
sealer available from any good electronics part supplier...you may
need a cleaner first.

I've done Pcs and Laptops and plenty of equipment not strictly
designed for a marine environment this way and the last without
problem.
Heck, even some 'marine' radios do NOT have sealer on components but
rely solely on waterproof casings....that unfortunately breathe.


Oz1...of the 3 twins.

I welcome you to crackerbox palace,We've been expecting you.

Batteries
 

Jeff wrote:
of times. They have survived the winter well with the solar panels
receiving a modest amount of light through the shrink wrap.

I think those solar panel are they key to your success Jeff. At
least you have a constant trickle charge so the batteries never
get depleted and in fact, left alone will recharge. Solar is the best.
That is one reason I'd like a big cat. More space for solar panels.

One big cat I looked at had 10 solar panels. I figure 4 more would
fit--that would have been fabulous. Can you imagine 14?

Batteries
 

"Capt.Mooron" wrote in message
news:v6C_g.35181$P7.9631@edtnps89...

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message

Walmart sells a very good "smart charger" for well under $50. It even
senses
sulfation and will desulfate if needed.

Walmart!!!?????...... Bwahahahahaahahahahahaahahaaaaa!!!!

Good Grief!!!

If the charger gives me headaches - they'll sell me a $4 bottle of aspirin.
Scout

Batteries
 

"Scout" wrote in message
. ..
"Capt.Mooron" wrote in message
news:v6C_g.35181$P7.9631@edtnps89...

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message

Walmart sells a very good "smart charger" for well under $50. It even
senses
sulfation and will desulfate if needed.

Walmart!!!?????...... Bwahahahahaahahahahahaahahaaaaa!!!!

Good Grief!!!

If the charger gives me headaches - they'll sell me a $4 bottle of
aspirin.

Chucky reminds me of the idiot that approached me while I was working on my
boat.... the 'idiot' decided to clue me in that I had been "taken" by the
local chandler on the 2 part epoxy resin [West Systems]... he claimed he
bought all his fibreglass repair supplies in 'kits' for less than a quarter
of what I paid, at... you guessed it... Wal-Mart!!!!
Bwahahahahahahahhhaaaa!!!!

CM-

Batteries
 

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 04:05:47 GMT, "Capt.Mooron"

wrote:


"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message

Walmart sells a very good "smart charger" for well under $50. It even
senses
sulfation and will desulfate if needed.

Walmart!!!?????

Yes, Walmart. I'm sure they didn't intend to sell such a good charger for
a low
price. They ****ed up. It's a Schumacher, and every bit the equal of
"marine"
smart chargers that sell for several hundred dollars.

Let me guess..... you get all your marine supplies there!???

"Attention Wal-Mart shoppers... sale on battery chargers in isle 7"

Bwahahahahaahhahahahahaaa......

Heh wait a minute... maybe that's where Bobsprit is getting his great deals
on sails??

CM-

Batteries
 

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message

The charger can be left plugged in all winter without any problem. When it
comes
to battery charging, it's considerably smarter than Mooron, and knows when
to
shut up - or off. Mooron apparently thinks Walmart manufactures everything
they
sell. The tip about the excellent smart charger at a bargain price has
been
known for quite some time. Mooron is also probably ignorant of the fact
that
many "marine" accessories are available at RV stores for much lower
prices. Same
brands and models - different pricing structure.

Good Grief..... what's next Chucky? The deals on Dumpster diving??
BTW- I had my battery charger built.


Remember who first suggested you look at a Seaward 26RK? :^)

Woooooo Yeah... Chucky begs, grovels and whimpers... "remember who helped
you / be nice to me / I'm trying to turn over a new leaf/ I wanna be your
newest bestest buddy" ....

What a truly PATHETIC display..... you're more disgusting than Ganz!

Whatsa matter Chucky boy?.... are the delusions of past glories you bragged
about waning thin? People getting tired of your "I told'em I died" story?

You are one pasty little dickwad...... I know who you are Chucky!!!

Bwahahahahahahahahahhahahahaaaaaa......

CM-

Batteries
 

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message

It's fine with me if you wish to remain clueless. Completely fine.

Whoa Nelly..... now you're stating anyone who doesn't shop at Wal-Mart for
their marine products ... is clueless!!!

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaa.... Brilliant there Einstein!!! Absolutely
BRILLIANT!!!!

CM-

Batteries
 

Uh oh, I thought Chuckles was wooing Dave, but now it looks
like he's going after Scout, too. What a two timer!

Scotty




"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message
...

Remember who first suggested you look at a Seaward 26RK?
:^)

CWM

Batteries
 

Bart wrote:
A good charge controller is an important part of
keeling your batteries alive. I have not had much
luck in that area. My charger died, then I fixed it,
then it died, then it came back to life, then the controller
died. It has been frustrating to me. I'm thinking about
getting a second charger, just to keep the batteries
topped off if the first one dies again.

I've had a Newmar Consti-volt/ charger. It can keep up to 3 battery
banks charged at a time.
Heavy duty splash proof bulkhead mounted stainless steel case. Haven't
had a problem with it in 10 yrs.. I think it cost around 700-800

http://www.nonstopyacht.com/static/b...DPT&2D20CE.htm

Joe



Scout wrote:
"Bart" wrote in message
oups.com...
Good link on batteries. Discusses AGM vs Gel, vs Flooded
batteries.

http://www.vonwentzel.net/Battery/

I purchased 2 Optima Blue Tops (dual purpose - starting and deep cycle) for
my boat. The manuf. stresses the need to manage the charging voltage to a
max of 13.8 with a max current flow of 1 amp. I have 2 trickle chargers I
bought for my bikes, but I try to follow spec recs. at almost any cost. Any
tips on quality chargers that can be user regulated?
Scout

Batteries
 

"Joe" wrote in message
ups.com...

I've had a Newmar Consti-volt/ charger. It can keep up
to 3 battery
banks charged at a time.
Heavy duty splash proof bulkhead mounted stainless steel
case. Haven't
had a problem with it in 10 yrs.. I think it cost around
700-800


http://www.nonstopyacht.com/static/b...ion/Product/Vi
ew/NEWM&2DPT&2D20CE.htm


I'm guessing you didn't buy that at Wal Mart.

Scotty

Batteries
 

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 03:33:48 -0400, "Scout"
wrote:

"Capt.Mooron" wrote in message
news:v6C_g.35181$P7.9631@edtnps89...

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message

Walmart sells a very good "smart charger" for well under $50. It even
senses
sulfation and will desulfate if needed.

Walmart!!!?????...... Bwahahahahaahahahahahaahahaaaaa!!!!

Good Grief!!!

If the charger gives me headaches - they'll sell me a $4 bottle of
aspirin.
Scout


The charger can be left plugged in all winter without any problem. When it
comes
to battery charging, it's considerably smarter than Mooron, and knows when
to
shut up - or off. Mooron apparently thinks Walmart manufactures everything
they
sell. The tip about the excellent smart charger at a bargain price has
been
known for quite some time. Mooron is also probably ignorant of the fact
that
many "marine" accessories are available at RV stores for much lower
prices. Same
brands and models - different pricing structure.

Remember who first suggested you look at a Seaward 26RK? :^)

I didn't forget :o)
Scout

Batteries
 

Scotty wrote:
"Joe" wrote in message
ups.com...

I've had a Newmar Consti-volt/ charger. It can keep up
to 3 battery
banks charged at a time.
Heavy duty splash proof bulkhead mounted stainless steel
case. Haven't
had a problem with it in 10 yrs.. I think it cost around
700-800


http://www.nonstopyacht.com/static/b...ion/Product/Vi
ew/NEWM&2DPT&2D20CE.htm


I'm guessing you didn't buy that at Wal Mart.

No...I wanted to do that right the first time. Also used all new Newmar
breaker panels on the boat. They are expensive but you pay for what you
get.

Joe



Scotty

Batteries
 

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message

Lookout! Mooron's turning into a puddle, and FAST!

Oh Looky.... an example of Chucky's wit!!!
Ding! Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers...Sale on Witty Comebacks and One
liners...Isle 2!!

Bwahahahahahahahaaaaa.....

CM-

Batteries
 

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message
Poor broken down Mooron. Maybe someone can send him a few bucks so he can
make
rent this month. Oh.. I forgot... Mooron the manly man still lives with
his
mother, and she pays the bills!

Woooooooooo.... shades of binary rustcloud. Much better Chucky... come on
let it out.... you know you want to.
Ding!-Attention Walmart Shoppers... Sale on Identities... Isle 9

Bwahahahahahahahhhhaaaaa........

CM-

Batteries
 

"Joe" wrote in message

Scotty wrote:

I'm guessing you didn't buy that at Wal Mart.

No...I wanted to do that right the first time. Also used all new Newmar
breaker panels on the boat. They are expensive but you pay for what you
get.

Way to go Joe..... I had my charger built by students in an electronics
class, my buddy is the instructor. Class project. I bought the
parts/case/cables. Flawless!

I guess those $29.99 Wal-Mart chargers are okay if you have a tiny boat with
an outboard and rarely sail.

CM-

Batteries
 

Charlie Morgan wrote:


Yes, Walmart. I'm sure they didn't intend to sell such a good charger for a low
price. They ****ed up. It's a Schumacher, and every bit the equal of "marine"
smart chargers that sell for several hundred dollars.


Which model ?

Batteries
 

Charlie Morgan wrote:



Scout needs to maintain 2 group 27 batteries over the winter. You geniuses would
have him spend $800 for that? The Shumacher charger at Walmart will do what he
needs for under $50, and do it very well. He can spend the other $750 building
an exact replica of your house.

Newmar has several sizes of chargers. They are used widely in the
oilfiled, and yachting industry. Scout could get a 10 amp 2 bank for
around 250 from Newmar. It is compact, will still look and work like
new in 10 yrs. The Wally world special will have shorted, ate up his
propshaft and zincs with electrolysis and look like a block of rust in
3 yrs, not to mention all the sparks in the engine space if it's not
hard wired..which the mfg does not suggest or he would not have put
TEMPORY clips on the charging leads.

Joe



CWM

Batteries
 

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 11:54:14 -0400, "Scotty"
wrote:


I'm guessing you didn't buy that at Wal Mart.

Scotty


Scout needs to maintain 2 group 27 batteries over the
winter.

For that alone, his MC trickle chargers will do the job. he
also will need to charge them between sailings once he gets
his sails on next decade or two.


You geniuses would
have him spend $800 for that?


Nobody said that. Why are you so obtuse?

The Shumacher charger at Walmart will do what he
needs for under $50, and do it very well.

Which one?


He can spend the other $750 building
an exact replica of your house.


He already has a camper.


--
Scott Vernon
Plowville Pa _/)__/)_/)_

Batteries
 

Capt.Mooron wrote:
"Joe" wrote in message

Scotty wrote:

I'm guessing you didn't buy that at Wal Mart.

No...I wanted to do that right the first time. Also used all new Newmar
breaker panels on the boat. They are expensive but you pay for what you
get.

Way to go Joe..... I had my charger built by students in an electronics
class, my buddy is the instructor. Class project. I bought the
parts/case/cables. Flawless!

Sounds like the perfect option. Some things you just do not want to go
cheap.
I even tried the RV stove route...What a mistake. Went thru 2 in 6 yrs
and finally paid the price for a force 10. Man I wish I did it right to
begin with.



I guess those $29.99 Wal-Mart chargers are okay if you have a tiny boat with
an outboard and rarely sail.

I would not go that route.

Joe


CM-

Batteries
 

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message

Sounds about right.

Ding! - Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers - Big savings on Kiddy Witty Comebacks,
Isle 3.

Bwahahahahahahaahhahaaaaaa......

CM-

Batteries
 

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message
Ding! - Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers - Big savings on Kiddy Witty
Comebacks,
Isle 3.

Sounds like you stocked up for the year. You should have checked the
sell-by
date. Everything you got is stale. Next time you go shopping, take mommy
along
to show you the ropes.

Let me guess... you work there part time as a Wal-Mart Greeter??
Lucky Chucky!!! "Hello, Welcome to Wal-Mart...here's a coupon"
Ding!- Special on Battery Chargers... Isle 27
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa

CM-

Batteries
 

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message

You can also buy a lousy looking suit at Armani's if you don't know what
you
are doing.

Tell me Chuck... does Wal-Mart stock Armani??

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaaa....

CM-

Batteries
 

"Scotty" wrote in message
. ..

"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 11:54:14 -0400, "Scotty"
wrote:


I'm guessing you didn't buy that at Wal Mart.

Scotty


Scout needs to maintain 2 group 27 batteries over the
winter.

For that alone, his MC trickle chargers will do the job. he
also will need to charge them between sailings once he gets
his sails on next decade or two.

Scotty,
My engine or my onboard charger (when on shore power) can each charge the
batteries from April to November. I'll keep them in my basement over the
winter though, so I'm thinking of that scenario. Optima seems pretty adamant
about not exceeding 13.8 volts or 1 amp. Otherwise I would have just thrown
the MC charger on them.
Scout

Batteries
 

"Scout" wrote in message
. ..

For that alone, his MC trickle chargers will do the job.
he
also will need to charge them between sailings once he
gets
his sails on next decade or two.

Scotty,
My engine or my onboard charger (when on shore power) can
each charge the
batteries from April to November. I'll keep them in my
basement over the
winter though, so I'm thinking of that scenario. Optima
seems pretty adamant
about not exceeding 13.8 volts or 1 amp. Otherwise I would
have just thrown
the MC charger on them.


My MC charger puts out 1/2 amp, and won't overcharge ( so
they claim). Not to exceed 1 amp? What does your engine
put out?

SBV

sorry Scotty - my short answer got carried away
 

"Scotty" wrote in message
. ..

"Scout" wrote in message
. ..

For that alone, his MC trickle chargers will do the job.
he
also will need to charge them between sailings once he
gets
his sails on next decade or two.

Scotty,
My engine or my onboard charger (when on shore power) can
each charge the
batteries from April to November. I'll keep them in my
basement over the
winter though, so I'm thinking of that scenario. Optima
seems pretty adamant
about not exceeding 13.8 volts or 1 amp. Otherwise I would
have just thrown
the MC charger on them.


My MC charger puts out 1/2 amp, and won't overcharge ( so
they claim). Not to exceed 1 amp? What does your engine
put out?

SBV

A good question Scotty, I'm not sure - but I'll find out.
It's not an immediate issue because I still have the 2 original
batteries onboard (deep cycles). I'm using and checking out the originals
right now, putting electrical loads on both the 12 VDC and the 120 VAC (via
the Xantrex Sine Wave Inverter 1000) systems to see how they respond. I've
run a drill motor, wet vac, coffee maker, and the heat pump (while I pumped
anti-freeze through the coil), and so far the inverter has worked well. The
inverter displays a bar graph to indicate approximate current draw. It also
gives me a voltage readout on the batteries and warns me when they are
getting low, which they did because I couldn't plug my 30 amp shore power
cord into my backyard 120 VAC circuit, which means the onboard charger
(Professional Mariner Charger) wasn't able to be powered.
The batteries needed to be recharged, so off to Home Depot I went to buy
the 2 electrical ends and the 6' length of SJ 14-3 cord I needed to make an
adapter. I did that while the Eagles were losing yesterday, and the boat is
now on shore power and the recharger (Professional Mariner Charger) is
whirring comfortably. I put my Fluke DMM on the batteries and watched the
voltage output from the charger slowly rise to about 13.5 VDC. I left it
operating when I packed up the tools last night. I'll do more studying on
the charger later. By the way, I listened to the game on the onboard sound
system, the extra set of speakers in the cockpit are a nice touch and I
can't wait to play Vivaldi whilst blowing across the bay, hehe! It's one of
my favorite CD's and we listened to it all the time on the Starwind. Hake
Yachts sent me a promotional DVD - guess what music they chose to play in
the background! Yep, Vivaldi.
As I winterize I'm crawling through and around every place on the boat.
It's only a 28' boat, but there seems to be a hundred places to hide cables,
hoses, wires, valves, switches, breakers, tanks, ducts, etc. I'm putting all
my boiler room experience to work. The boiler tech mindset is casualty
based, as I think Doug will attest. When I worked boiler rooms, I'd spend
countless hours studying the systems, knowing what valves, switches, pumps,
cross-overs, etc., did what. The time to study is when all is well and calm.
It's part of the reason for taking my time putting her in the water. I need
time to know the boat. My wife thinks I'm crazy. I pulled the hot water
heater out yesterday, disassembled it completely, and a bare stainless steel
tank now sits on my basement floor. I will reinstall it to my liking, adding
additional valves, extending wiring, making the tank more secure, and in
general, making it much more service friendly. But first I will measure
everything, make drawings, clean the tank, take ohm readings on the
elements, and so on. I should add that all of this is fun for me - a labor
of love.
There are tons of neat little features which if no one tells a person,
and if one doesn't look closely, they'll be missed. For instance, I saw a
tiny hose tied into a tee in the line that dumps the spent reverse-cycle
water overboard. I surmise and suppose that it is some type of venturi
device that sucks the condensate from the evaporator pan when the air
conditioner is running. Makes good sense. The power to pump the condensate
overboard comes from the flowing seawater which is being pumped though the
heat exchanger - very clever!
Back to the original batteries - if they're in good shape, why toss
them? Why not keep 4 batteries if I have the room? I'm thinking of
dedicating the older batteries to the reverse cycle (heat pump) and keeping
the new Optima Bluetops (dual purpose) for everything else. I wouldn't be
too hard to make an emergency electrical crossover if some situation called
for it. Before I install them I'll know what the engine puts out, and the
output characteristics of the onboard charger.
In addition to all this looking, I've been communicating with some very
good and knowledgable people in the Seaward forum - thanks to Charlie Morgan
for putting me in touch there. Between here and there, I couldn't ask for
more or better advice and I feel lucky to have such good online friends.
Scout

sorry Scotty - my short answer got carried away
 

where did you get the ''1 amp'' info?

This is on their web site;

''OPTIMA BlueTop battery has such a low rate of
self-discharge, that it can go unused for up to one year
without recharging, if kept at or below room temperature.
And because of its low internal resistance, it recharges
faster, ''





"Scout" wrote in message
. ..
"Scotty" wrote in message
. ..

"Scout" wrote in message
. ..

For that alone, his MC trickle chargers will do the
job.
he
also will need to charge them between sailings once
he

sorry Scotty - my short answer got carried away
 

In the specs it mentions (from memory) that 13.2 Volts can be held
indefinitely if the charge rate is under one Amp.

Scotty wrote:
where did you get the ''1 amp'' info?

This is on their web site;

''OPTIMA BlueTop battery has such a low rate of
self-discharge, that it can go unused for up to one year
without recharging, if kept at or below room temperature.
And because of its low internal resistance, it recharges
faster, ''





"Scout" wrote in message
. ..
"Scotty" wrote in message
. ..
"Scout" wrote in message
. ..
For that alone, his MC trickle chargers will do the
job.
he
also will need to charge them between sailings once
he

sorry Scotty - my short answer got carried away
 

there's a PDF file on charging , states max of 10 amps from
batt charger, or 1 amp from float charger ( indefinite time
period).

I can't figure out how to copy / paste off a PDF file.

http://www.optimabatteries.com/publi...americas0/en/c
onfig/product_info/marine/product_spec_sheets.RowPar.0001.Co
ntentPar.0001.ColumnPar.0005.File.tmp/D34M_082104.pdf






--
Scott Vernon
Plowville Pa _/)__/)_/)_



"Scout" wrote in message
. ..
"Scotty" wrote in message
. ..

sorry Scotty - my short answer got carried away
 

"Scotty" wrote
| I can't figure out how to copy / paste off a PDF file.


On top in the tool bar there's a *select* tool. Click on it and you can
highlight and copy and paste just the same as usual....

Cheers,
Ellen

sorry Scotty - my short answer got carried away
 

I don't have that, maybe because I'm using Adobe 3 with Win
98 ?

SBV


"Ellen MacArthur" wrote in
message
reenews.ne
t...

"Scotty" wrote
| I can't figure out how to copy / paste off a PDF file.


On top in the tool bar there's a *select* tool. Click
on it and you can
highlight and copy and paste just the same as usual....

Cheers,
Ellen