[Rhodes22-list] Battteries

Bill Effros bill at effros.com
Sat Apr 14 12:30:05 EDT 2007


Wally,

They do make 12 volt Golf Cart Batteries.

Golf Cart Batteries are designed similarly to "Deep Cycle Marine Batteries".

Nobody uses the batteries on sailboats the same way golf carts use their 
batteries--nor do we recharge them the same way for fear of blowing out 
the electrical circuits on our boats at the same time.

Trojan, 6 volt golf cart, and other high end batteries are not worth the 
extra cost to anybody with a Rhodes-22.

I read the same stuff you read.  It doesn't cost that much to test out 
the theories, and I did so for years.  I have been swapping out 
batteries of all different types and costs, and I have the electrical 
monitoring equipment on board to compare one battery set with another.

The best batteries I have ever had in the boat are the Kirkland 
batteries that Stan originally installed.  They were better 
electrically, and obviously they cost less than the West Marine, AGM, or 
any other brand or type I tried.

1 12 volt is more than enough.

2 is complete redundancy.

I have 2 -- at $50 each--so for $100 I have 0 electrical anxiety for 6 
years at a time.  Cheap at the price.

I never have to recharge my batteries using shore power.  I burn less 
than 10 gallons of gas a year.  My batteries stay on board, summer and 
winter, hooked up and ready to go.

My batteries are hooked up in parallel with no switch.  If one starts to 
fail, the other brings it back up.  A dead short on one will not short 
out the other.  (yes, I tried)

Most of these world cruisers have more dollars than sense.  They don't 
know what they're talking about 9/10s of the time.

Golf cart batteries on boats are just plain silly.  The monstrously 
expensive boat batteries are not inherently more reliable than 
"ordinary" batteries.

When R-22 newbies ask about batteries, the best advise to give them is 
to take what Stan provides.  2 is more than you'll ever need.

Bill Effros



TN Rhodey wrote:
> Bill,
>
> Your post has several errors. I don't know enough about battery design to 
> explain in detail. Golf Carts usage runs down the battery almost every day. 
> They are designed to run down to low levels and then quickly recharged. I am 
> not saying they are lighter or cheaper. I am saying they can be run down and 
> recharged (more times) and still live a long life. As you point out they are 
> expensive. There is a reason Golf Courses buy these expensive batteries and 
> it is not just size. Most 12-volt batteries are not built to the same 
> specifications as 6-volt Golf Cart batteries. There are other types of 6 
> volts batteries (motorcycle, old VW) that are dirt-cheap. There is a reason.
>
> The durability is why world cruisers like them. They may not be able to run 
> to Walmart when the battery dies. You ask why don't they make 12-volt Golf 
> Cart batteries? If they used the same technology they would be too big and 
> heavy for Golf Cart. Many cruisers will tell you that Trojan Batteries (6 
> or12 volt) are the absolute best. They have a price tag quite a bit 
> different then Walmart. They are hundreds per and they are not your average 
> battery. My buddy has a solar powered cabin and he swears by them.
>
> For my use the Walmart Marine batteries made sense. If I were cruising 
> around the world I would have something different.
>
> Wally
>
>
>   
>> From: Bill Effros <bill at effros.com>
>> Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Battteries
>> Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:32:01 -0300
>>
>> Wally,
>>
>> The benefits of 6 volt golf cart batteries don't apply to sailboats either.
>>
>> 12 Volt batteries can be built to the same specifications, and they are.
>>
>> Why not just get a 12 volt golf cart battery instead of 2 6s and avoid
>> all the extra exposed wiring in a marine environment?
>>
>> Electric Golf carts can't put back the juice they use.  My boat has
>> never been externally charged--the electricity is self sustaining with
>> solar and engine.  And I use just as much electricity as I want,
>> whenever I want.  It's a no-brainer.  As soon as you start really
>> looking into golf cart batteries you smack your head --
>>
>> They run $300 each!  Got to have 4 of them to replace $100 worth of 12
>> volts that will last for 5 years...
>>
>> now I'm really done with this topic.
>>
>> bill effros
>>
>>
>>
>> TN Rhodey wrote:
>>     
>>> Bill, You ask why don't cars have 2 6-volt batteries...   Cars have a 
>>>       
>> high
>>     
>>> output alternator. The benefits of 6 volt golf cart battery don't apply.
>>> Cars need high output for starting.
>>>
>>> If I had a live aboard I would consider using 6 volt batteries. The big
>>> advantage to the golf cart battery is that they hold up much better when
>>> abused. They can be re-charged faster and last longer than 12 volts. 
>>>       
>> That is
>>     
>>> why cruisers love them.
>>>
>>> Wally
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>>>> From: Bill Effros <bill at effros.com>
>>>> Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>>> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Battteries
>>>> Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:36:10 -0300
>>>>
>>>> Bob,
>>>>
>>>> Stay away from this complexity.  It's simply not needed in our boats.
>>>> Nobody runs out of power on our boats.  The golf cart batteries don't
>>>> fit anywhere.
>>>>
>>>> If you are worried about this, get an outboard with electric
>>>> start/generator.  If your battery runs out, you pull the starter cord,
>>>> start your motor, and it will provide you with enough electricity to
>>>> power your running lights.  That's all you need.  If it's daytime, you
>>>> don't need any power at all.
>>>>
>>>> When a golf cart battery is dead a golf cart can't move.  Not so a
>>>> sailboat.
>>>>
>>>> Your car doesn't have 2 golf cart batteries wired in series.  Why not?
>>>>
>>>> The biggest draw most of us put on our batteries is the stereo system.
>>>>
>>>> I'm done.
>>>>
>>>> Bill Effros
>>>>
>>>> Bob Fletcher wrote:
>>>>
>>>>         
>>>>> In his book "Sailboat Electonics Simplified" Don Casey has an 
>>>>>           
>> extensive
>>     
>>>>> discussin of battery types and configurations.  He seems to endorse 
>>>>>           
>> the
>>     
>>>>> option of two 6 volt golf cart batteries wired in series.  Apparently
>>>>>
>>>>>           
>>>> they
>>>>
>>>>         
>>>>> are rugged and much more affordable than "dedicated" marine batteries.
>>>>>
>>>>> Bob Fletcher
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "John Lock" <jlock at relevantarts.com>
>>>>> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 10:32 AM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Battteries
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>           
>>>>>> At 11:57 AM 4/11/2007 -0400, CORLEYMICHAELSIX at aol.com wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>             
>>>>>>> Got to buy new battery(s) for my 99 Rhodes.  It is set up for and 
>>>>>>>               
>> had
>>     
>>>> 2
>>>>
>>>>         
>>>>>>> batteries before I put it in storage.  Intending to buy deep cycle
>>>>>>> wet  cells,
>>>>>>> debating weather to buy one Group 27 or 2 Group 24s or 2 Group
>>>>>>> 27s.   Have solar
>>>>>>> panels, VHF, digital depth gauge and knot meter, pull  start 
>>>>>>>               
>> outboard.
>>     
>>>>>>> Need
>>>>>>> advice.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>> Strangely enough, I was just reading an article about batteries the
>>>>>> other day!  This article was written from an RV perspective, but I'm
>>>>>> guessing our boat usage is pretty similar.  One very intriguing
>>>>>> alternative was using 2, 6-volt golf cart batteries in series to
>>>>>> produce 12 volts.  Apparently golf cart batteries offer some of the
>>>>>> highest amp-hour ratings available.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> See article at
>>>>>> http://www.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/12volt/12volt.htm   Scroll down to
>>>>>> "Selecting batteries".
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Cheers!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> John Lock
>>>>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>>>> s/v Pandion - '79 Rhodes 22
>>>>>> Lake Sinclair, GA
>>>>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>>>>
>>>>>> __________________________________________________
>>>>>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>             
>>>>> __________________________________________________
>>>>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>           
>>>> __________________________________________________
>>>> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>>
>>>>         
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