[Rhodes22-list] Battery Advice

[Leland]

David and Geoff,

Went to West Marine and Western Auto yesterday.  I guess it depends on the
individual sales/service person, but the Western Auto staff seem to know far
more about boat mechanics.  We live in a fishing community so I guess West
Marine is for recreational boaters and Western Auto is for working boaters. 
Last month West Marine couldn't figure out what size spark plug wrench I
needed (18mm).  Last night they checked the volts but not the amps on my
dead battery and declared it was a connection problem.  Sounds like
something I would do.

Anyway if you have a 9.9, 4-stroke Mercury you'll need a 12V deep cell with
about 465 amps of marine cranking and 350 amps of cold cranking.  A starting
battery might be better for your electric-start outboard but not for your
motor lift.  Very important is the group size which tells nothing more than
the physical size of your battery.  You want to ensure it fits in the tray
that Stan installed.  Mine was a group 27 (27G).

http://www.mercurymarine.com/service-and-support/storage-and-maintenance/faqs/outboards/?category=electrical
http://www.mercurymarine.com/service-and-support/storage-and-maintenance/faqs/outboards/?category=electrical 

I basically bought the same battery that Stan gave me.  The Western Auto
mechanic told me that if it lasted seven years without maintenance then it
was the right battery.  Like Geoff he said to check the battery
acid/distilled water level once a year.  He said it was impossible to
overcharge the battery with the outboard or solar panels.  If you use a
charger without an automatic cut-off you could overcharge the battery (boils
the acid/water).  Charging the battery if needed is a good idea, but you
need to check the volts and the amps.  My dead battery had 13.4 volts but
hardly any amperage.

Gel and AGM batteries cost more and may not last as long.  Big advantage is
that they're maintenance-free and won't leak.  Just ensure your fluid-filled
battery covers are on tight for those bury-the-rail heels.

Good luck!

Lee





_________________________________________________________________________________
I'd be interested in the same.  Original GBI batteries going into their
seventh year, and the boat has been out of the water for almost two years.
I'll pull the plastic shrink wrap off next weekend and see if the motor will
turn over...

David




On Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 11:35 AM, Geoff Farrell
<geoffreylfarrell at gmail.com>wrote:

> I have the same setup as you do. My batteries stay charged with the 
> solar panels. It's interesting to note that although I stored my boat 
> under a roof from April 15 through Dec 1 my batteries were fully 
> charged when I got the boat out of storage. Seems the ambient light 
> was enough to keep them topped off.
>
> I do notice that my batteries use a lot of water, perhaps because they 
> are constantly being charged by the panels. I was warned by an old 
> salt to check the fluid often, and he was right.
>
>  Recently, I purchased a battery meter that simply plugs into the 12V 
> outlet over the galley. It monitors the batteries during charging and 
> also while they are being used, and seems to work great. I can measure 
> voltage drop while using various combinations of equipment (radio, nav 
> lights, etc.). I have been very pleased that on bright sunny days I 
> can use the VHF radio and my Ipod (for navigation and music) and 
> charge an external portable speaker without any battery drain.
>
> My motor is hard wired to battery 2. When cruising I set my battery 
> switch to battery 1 to keep battery 2 fully charged for restarting the 
> engine. I haven't, however, done any overnighters so my battery use is
> minimal.
>
> I still have Stan's original batteries and so I would also be 
> interested in what the best replacement batteries are for when mine die.

Leland wrote:
> 
> Need some battery advice.  
> 
> Probably should have replaced my battery long ago.  When I need to
> pull-start my outboard in the marina it usually recharges the battery
> enough that I can use the electric start when I'm ready to come in. 
> Didn't happen yesterday.  By the time I unscrewed everything to get to the
> flywheel I was dangerously close to running into the causeway rip-rap.
> 
> Easy answer would be to replace the battery with the one Stan put in. 
> Wasn't sure if there was something better out there now.  I've got the
> electric motor winch which I assume uses a ridiculous amount of juice.  I
> have one battery hardwired to the motor which is linked to a second house
> battery.  Both batteries are linked to two solar panels.
> 
> I've taken zero care of the batteries since I bought the boat seven years
> ago.
> 
> Should I be concerned about the solar panels overcharging the batteries?
> 
> Should I periodically charge the batteries to full capacity?
> 
> Any advice on what battery would be best and what care it needs?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Lee
> 1986 Rhodes22  AT EASE
> Kent Island, MD
> 

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