Breambucket Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Hey guys i did a quick search and i couldnt find anything personally but i was wondering on opinions and a battery to suit my new 54lb 12v watersnake I dont mind going over kill either but i dont want to spend a fortune in the process as well so any input would be greatly appreciated Thanks Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike82 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 For this application you will need a good quality deep-cycle battery to handle a regular discharge and re-charge. The 'size' will vary on boat size and amount of use you require. Something around 100 Amp hour would be ideal/most bang for your buck and probably give you around 4-5 hrs continuous running at half speed in a small vessel. A standard "wet" deep cycle battery is the basic and cheapest option. AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt) Deep-cycle batteries are the most cost affective maintenance free style battery and will give you a longer service life . Gel batteries will take a more punishment and give you a longer service life than AGM but are more expensive. Some things to keep in mind are: The weight of the battery, the way different battery types "like" to be charged, don't sit them on concrete for any amount of time, any battery shouldn't be Discharged below 30% of it's capacity, warranty, and you generally get what you pay for. Look into buying a charger/maintainer to match the battery you buy, that way when you get home you can just plug in the charger and let it go till next time you go out and know that the battery will be in its most optimum condition. It will extend the life of the battery no end. Hope this helps. Mick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewgaffer Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 For this application you will need a good quality deep-cycle battery to handle a regular discharge and re-charge. The 'size' will vary on boat size and amount of use you require. Something around 100 Amp hour would be ideal/most bang for your buck and probably give you around 4-5 hrs continuous running at half speed in a small vessel. A standard "wet" deep cycle battery is the basic and cheapest option. AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt) Deep-cycle batteries are the most cost affective maintenance free style battery and will give you a longer service life . Gel batteries will take a more punishment and give you a longer service life than AGM but are more expensive. Some things to keep in mind are: The weight of the battery, the way different battery types "like" to be charged, don't sit them on concrete for any amount of time, any battery shouldn't be Discharged below 30% of it's capacity, warranty, and you generally get what you pay for. Look into buying a charger/maintainer to match the battery you buy, that way when you get home you can just plug in the charger and let it go till next time you go out and know that the battery will be in its most optimum condition. It will extend the life of the battery no end. Hope this helps. Mick. Top advice aquaman As you say Breambucket not only needs a good quality battery charger to charge his deep cycle battery but he also needs to have a charger good enough to maintain and top up the battery and hold it there when required Cheers jewgaffer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlayerOne Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I run a 100Ah (AGM type) on mine...its heavy but does the job well! ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusterOz Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 (edited) I run a 100Ah (AGM type) on mine...its heavy but does the job well! ..... Hi Guys, What sort of run-time do you get with a 100Ah? I have a 36lb Minn Kota Riptide, not sure what current it pulls flat out - probaby 30Amps or so? Is anyone using the (red) Ultimate range of deep cycle AGM SLA batteries? I like the idea of being sealed as no acid spills or terminal corrosion! Cheers BusterOz Edited September 17, 2011 by BusterOz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I am running twin Ultimate batteries on my 80lb minn kota and it lasts all day 24volts I use a C-TEK charger and while expensive it works a treat and I leave it on most of the time. Cheers Swordfisherman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V-LOCK Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 AGM in 100Ah are much better with deep cycle than wet cells as the fibre glass matts between the plates prevent buckling of the plates leading to shorting and losing that cell. Gell cells are tougher but don't like hard discharge as much as AGMs. If you decide to go with two 50Ah cells in parallel, to make each lighter to lift or fit better in holes, there a few points to consider: - Keep cables as short as possible with positive to motor off one battery, negative to motor off the other - this helps cells stay equal and resistance the same. - Buy both the same type, brand and preferrably maufacturing batch to get better ballance - Ocasionally charge each separately and with a cable disconnected to reballance resistance and charge to max. (one battery may trip charger to trickle or off prematurely before other ids fully charged. GENERAL RULES - Recharge fully every time. Also do it ASAP as leaving a battery in discharge is bad for it, Trickle monthly in off season - DON'T FORGET IT OR IT WON'T CHARGE UP NEXT SEASON or WEEK. - Spend more on your charger to get a Pulse Width Modulator (PWM) type as this also works as a desulphator to break up crystaline deposits that shorten battery life. - Don't disharge below 50% DOD as it shortens the battery life. So for 100 Ah calculate on only pulling 50Ah 16Amps @ 12V for under three hours total. - consider getting a simple meter like a "Watts Up" METER TO SHOW VOLTAGE RESTING AND UNDER LOAD WITH CURRENT RATE AND POWER USED. Minimum have voltmeter (even if only cheap hand held) and Amp meter in line. I know all this due to extensive research into wheelchair battery systems and for my electric boat motor system (5KW (8HP) inboard for two ton yacht). Batteries are great if you look after them and will be cheap in the long run. Ignore maintenance and they will fail and be expensive. Happy clean motoring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongy Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Why shouldn't you leave the batteries on concrete floor for any amount of time ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike82 Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 (edited) Why shouldn't you leave the batteries on concrete floor for any amount of time ???? Never got a 100% answer as to exactly why, but it causes sulfation which basically shorts the plates of the battery which is irreversible. Edited September 23, 2011 by aquaman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V-LOCK Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Never got a 100% answer as to exactly why, but it causes sulfation which basically shorts the plates of the battery which is irreversible. Sorry but the people in the Electric Vehicle Association say that is an old fallacy. Perhaps in Europe where garage floors get so cold it may be some truth but in Australia it aparently does no harm. Sulphate crystals buil up from the base of the battery and that may be where it started from but our concrete slabs are not cold enough to be any real effect. Better to have your battery evenly supported on a slab than propped up on timber and potentially distorting the cases. Most important it to keep a trickle charge going through a quality charger to prebvent sulphation as much as possible. Under those conditions, off the grid people have no problems and battery banks last 10 years, on concrete slabs... Have a read of an article giving one version of old reason and current thoughts. Storing Batteries on Concrete? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike82 Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Sorry but the people in the Electric Vehicle Association say that is an old fallacy. Perhaps in Europe where garage floors get so cold it may be some truth but in Australia it aparently does no harm. Sulphate crystals buil up from the base of the battery and that may be where it started from but our concrete slabs are not cold enough to be any real effect. Better to have your battery evenly supported on a slab than propped up on timber and potentially distorting the cases. Most important it to keep a trickle charge going through a quality charger to prebvent sulphation as much as possible. Under those conditions, off the grid people have no problems and battery banks last 10 years, on concrete slabs... Have a read of an article giving one version of old reason and current thoughts. Storing Batteries on Concrete? Well there you go. Myth busted! Sulfate crystals dont so much "build up from the base of the battery", they tend to "stick" to the plates and enter the pores in the lead then as they crystallise they break off small particles as they expand. The particles then settle on the bottom of the battery. Maybe i'm guilty of being sceptical but I will still not be sitting batteries on concrete..... Cheers for the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusterOz Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 I am running twin Ultimate batteries on my 80lb minn kota and it lasts all day 24volts I use a C-TEK charger and while expensive it works a treat and I leave it on most of the time. Cheers Swordfisherman Thanks Swordfisherman, Did the "research" and ended up buying the Ultimate UL-100 for less than $400 , weighs nearly 30kgs! I'll give her a run as soon as the Sydney weather clears up! Got her sitting across a Power Tech Plus MB-3620 charger that utilises a four stage charge system -interestingly she was fully charged ex the store, so has a good shelf life! Cheers, BusterOz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusterOz Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Well there you go. Myth busted! Sulfate crystals dont so much "build up from the base of the battery", they tend to "stick" to the plates and enter the pores in the lead then as they crystallise they break off small particles as they expand. The particles then settle on the bottom of the battery. Maybe i'm guilty of being sceptical but I will still not be sitting batteries on concrete..... Cheers for the info. Yeah, I thought that post was a bit odd and was thinking cold concrete sucking the heat out of the battery which I reckon could lead to overcharging? Cheers, BusterOz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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