TWL: RE: RE: RE: RE: 6V Battery Questions
<snip>Check the West Marine or Boat US Catalogs for a more detailed
explanation.
<unsnip>
As I recall (at a Chuck Hawley session a coupl' 'o' years ago), the primary
difference is the capacity of the batteries, and that he was warning all us
unwashed unwary souls against low-end starting batteries, whose plates are way
too thin, so they don't have much in the way of capacity and they tend to die
young.
How you care for your batteries is a lot more important than what kind they
are, although thick-plated deep-cycle batteries are pretty key if you're going
to 1) leave the dock for more than a day at a time and 2) use them for more
than your GPS.
Sealed batteries are great if your batteries are back behind the engine and you
can't get to them to check water levels. They're also great if you plan on
chasing down a killer storm to get flipped in.
Old-fashioned lead-acid batteries are great because you can beat 'em up, and
they keep coming back for more. Just add water.
Sealed batteries are lousy if you have a high-output alternator and a smart
alternator that's just smart enough to be dangerous. Overcharge them and they
boil dry and they're just as dead as those cheap, thin-plated models that Chuck
Hawley's been keeping us from.
Let any battery go flat and stay flat, and it'll also die young, and an
expensive long-life battery is once again no better than a cheap thin-plater.
Keep 'em charged, keep 'em topped up with water (lead-acid) and don't
overcharge them (mostly sealed), and you'll be surprised how long you'll keep
them.
On my sailboat, my starting battery is Group 27 Delco automotive. It's got a
1993 datestamp on it, and I was going to replace it when I got the boat 2 years
ago, but I can't because it still works great. This is a battery that West
Marine would have tsk-tsked me out of the store for even considering.
Doug Hoople
Bomar
1963 Stephens Bros. 50 FDMY
Sausalito, CA
Jerry,
You can be sure that if I were to venture far from home, I'd replace that Group
27 before I went. In the meantime, my starting bank and my house bank are
completely isolated. If I need redundant starting charge, I just turn on the
dedicated parallel switch, so reliability's not an issue. That's on my sailboat
mind you, and this is the trawler list, so I think I'm guilty of straying off
topic. Apologies, listees...
<Jerrysnip>I feel a little better with that extra reliability.
<Jerryunsnip>
<Dougsnip> On my sailboat, my starting battery is Group 27 Delco automotive.
It's got a 1993 datestamp on it, and I was going to replace it when I got the
boat 2 years ago, but I can't because it still works great.
<Dougunsnip>
Hi Jerry:
Ummmmm.... not really. There are some differences but I don't think it has
much to do with wet environments or other vague "nautical" properties <G>
Joe
-----Original Message-----
From: Jerome A. Schroeder [mailto:jschroeder1@uswest.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2001 11:54 AM
To: Arild Jensen; Krogens@topica.com; Trawler-World List Mail
Subject: TWL: RE: RE: RE: 6V Battery Questions
Seriously. Marine batterys are designed for a wet, nautical enviroement.
You are asking for serious trouble if you use land batteries. Check the
West Marine or Boat US Catalogs for a more detailed explanation.
Jerry
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-trawler-world-list@samurai.com
[mailto:owner-trawler-world-list@samurai.com]On Behalf Of Arild Jensen
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2001 11:25 AM
To: 'Jerome A. Schroeder'; Krogens@topica.com; Trawler-World List Mail
Subject: TWL: RE: RE: 6V Battery Questions
-----Original Message-----
From: Jerome A. Schroeder [mailto:jschroeder1@uswest.net]
Subject: TWL: RE: 6V Battery Questions
Get Marine batterys. Period.
Jerry
And what exactly defines MARINE BATTERIES ???? - as
opposed to other
use.
< grin >
Arild
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
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I've got 2 old fashioned LA batteries also (marine grade), and foolishly let
the water run down. Simply topping them off with distilled water, and using
a portable battery to start the engine got me started again.
So much of boating is playing the odds. Lets suppose that a automotive
electrical system is (numbers off the top of my head) 90% Reliable and a
Marine one 95%, and I spend most of my boating time within a few miles of a
Shucks, it doesn't really matter much. But, I often head for far away
places with strange sounding names. Eg. Canada. Miles from any Shucks or
even a Wal Mart. I feel a little better with that extra reliability.
Regards,
Jerry
Old-fashioned lead-acid batteries are great because you can beat
'em up, and
they keep coming back for more. Just add water.
On my sailboat, my starting battery is Group 27 Delco automotive.
It's got a
1993 datestamp on it, and I was going to replace it when I got
the boat 2 years
ago, but I can't because it still works great. This is a battery
that West
Marine would have tsk-tsked me out of the store for even considering.
Doug Hoople
Bomar
1963 Stephens Bros. 50 FDMY
Sausalito, CA
Whats the matter Jerry, don't you think we have stores up here. Heck almost
every igloo has a retailer loccated in it.
John Tones
Victoria BC Canada
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jerome A. Schroeder" jschroeder1@uswest.net
To: doughoople@earthlink.net; "Trawler-World List Mail"
trawler-world-list@samurai.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2001 6:39 PM
Subject: RE: TWL: RE: 6V Battery Questions
SNIP> But, I often head for far away places with strange sounding names.
Eg. Canada. Miles from any Shucks or even a Wal Mart. I feel a little
better with that extra reliability.<
There's a Wal Mart in Princess Louisa Inlet?
Jerry
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-trawler-world-list@samurai.com
[mailto:owner-trawler-world-list@samurai.com]On Behalf Of John & Judy
Tones
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2001 9:09 PM
To: Jerome A. Schroeder; doughoople@earthlink.net; Trawler-World List
Mail
Subject: Re: TWL: RE: 6V Battery Questions
Whats the matter Jerry, don't you think we have stores up here.
Heck almost
every igloo has a retailer loccated in it.
John Tones
Victoria BC Canada
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jerome A. Schroeder" jschroeder1@uswest.net
To: doughoople@earthlink.net; "Trawler-World List Mail"
trawler-world-list@samurai.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2001 6:39 PM
Subject: RE: TWL: RE: 6V Battery Questions
SNIP> But, I often head for far away places with strange sounding names.
Eg. Canada. Miles from any Shucks or even a Wal Mart. I feel a little
better with that extra reliability.<