Comments below:

"Doug Dotson" wrote in message
...
I think that a liquid lead-acid battery plus hydrocaps may be
about the same cost as a gel or AGM.

Doug
s/v CAllista

Perhaps true but if your charger keeps coming out of float and into
absorption when a load onboard starts up your AGMs or gels are going to be
quickly destroyed. You can't put electrolyte back into an AGM or gel that
has been over charged. Flooded batteriers (with HydroCaps) may simply need
a little water now and then. No I don't use the HydroCaps personally as my
boat is a Laser II. ;-) I do most of my sailing as crew on friend's big
boats (or borrow theirs).
--
Ken Heaton & Anne Tobin
Cape Breton Island, Canada
kenheaton AT ess wye dee DOT eastlink DOT ca

Len wrote in message ...
Op Thu, 6 May 2004 07:19:34 -0300, schreef "Ken Heaton"
:


Anyone familiar with such problems that (maybe) arise from using the
charger as a power supply during float-charging?


I suspect that your charger sees a lower battery voltage when you are
using
it as a power supply. As a result it comes out of float and goes back
to
either bulk or absorption voltage levels, boiling the electrolyte out
of
your "maintenance free" batteries. Many maintenance free batteries
actually
have caps that can be removed by careful prying, they come off in
groups
of
three. Check yours and see if your electrolyte level is way low.
Adding
some distilled water to refill and then charging will get some capacity
back. Next time buy flooded batteries and "Hydrocaps" for them.
http://www.solar-electric.com/hydrocaps.html

Everyone , thanks for your replies.
Ken, I think you hit it spot on.
Do you use the hydrocaps yourself ? Seems like the ultimate solution.

Thanks again, Len.

Very complicated topic. Check this out:

www.batteryfaq.org. If you ever get through and understand all of the
information there, give me a call.

Charles

====

Charles T. Low
- remove "UN"
www.boatdocking.com/BDPhoto.html - Photo Contest
www.boatdocking.com
www.ctlow.ca/Trojan26 - my boat

====

Len wrote in message ...
I experience a very short battery-life and I want to know the cause
before I install anything new...

Hmmmm. After about 5 years of continuous use, I haven't had
any problems as described in this thread. Perhaps my charging
system is a bit smarter so it doesn't overcharge the batteries.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Ken Heaton" wrote in message
...
Comments below:

"Doug Dotson" wrote in message
...
I think that a liquid lead-acid battery plus hydrocaps may be
about the same cost as a gel or AGM.

Doug
s/v CAllista

Perhaps true but if your charger keeps coming out of float and into
absorption when a load onboard starts up your AGMs or gels are going to be
quickly destroyed. You can't put electrolyte back into an AGM or gel that
has been over charged. Flooded batteriers (with HydroCaps) may simply
need
a little water now and then. No I don't use the HydroCaps personally as
my
boat is a Laser II. ;-) I do most of my sailing as crew on friend's big
boats (or borrow theirs).
--
Ken Heaton & Anne Tobin
Cape Breton Island, Canada
kenheaton AT ess wye dee DOT eastlink DOT ca

Len wrote in message
...
Op Thu, 6 May 2004 07:19:34 -0300, schreef "Ken Heaton"
:


Anyone familiar with such problems that (maybe) arise from using
the
charger as a power supply during float-charging?


I suspect that your charger sees a lower battery voltage when you are
using
it as a power supply. As a result it comes out of float and goes
back
to
either bulk or absorption voltage levels, boiling the electrolyte out
of
your "maintenance free" batteries. Many maintenance free batteries
actually
have caps that can be removed by careful prying, they come off in
groups
of
three. Check yours and see if your electrolyte level is way low.
Adding
some distilled water to refill and then charging will get some
capacity
back. Next time buy flooded batteries and "Hydrocaps" for them.
http://www.solar-electric.com/hydrocaps.html

Everyone , thanks for your replies.
Ken, I think you hit it spot on.
Do you use the hydrocaps yourself ? Seems like the ultimate solution.

Thanks again, Len.

I think you have proved my point. If golf-cart batteries are $75 ea. Then
4 plus the hydrocaps is $400. Golf-carts can be found for a little cheaper,
but not much. I only use real Trojan maroon case golf carts.

Doug
s/v CAllista

"Jeff Morris" wrote in message
...
I wish that were so, but a dozen hydrocaps is under $100. Replacing my 4
golf
cart batteries with AGMs will be about a $400 premium.



"Doug Dotson" wrote in message
...
I think that a liquid lead-acid battery plus hydrocaps may be
about the same cost as a gel or AGM.

Doug
s/v CAllista

Len wrote in message
...
Op Thu, 6 May 2004 07:19:34 -0300, schreef "Ken Heaton"
:


Anyone familiar with such problems that (maybe) arise from using
the
charger as a power supply during float-charging?


I suspect that your charger sees a lower battery voltage when you are
using
it as a power supply. As a result it comes out of float and goes
back to
either bulk or absorption voltage levels, boiling the electrolyte out
of
your "maintenance free" batteries. Many maintenance free batteries
actually
have caps that can be removed by careful prying, they come off in
groups
of
three. Check yours and see if your electrolyte level is way low.
Adding
some distilled water to refill and then charging will get some
capacity
back. Next time buy flooded batteries and "Hydrocaps" for them.
http://www.solar-electric.com/hydrocaps.html

Everyone , thanks for your replies.
Ken, I think you hit it spot on.
Do you use the hydrocaps yourself ? Seems like the ultimate solution.

Thanks again, Len.