[Rhodes22-list] Battery Advice

Leland LKUHN at cnmc.org
Thu Apr 5 11:36:13 EDT 2012


Mary Lou,

Stan installed the battery box/tray for one of my batteries on the port side
of the water tank underneath the flat hinged door supporting the foot of the
port v-berth.  I don't consider it easily accessible either and it takes up
space that could be used for storage.  I like that the battery's heavy
weight is positioned forward.

My other battery is under the settee as soon as you enter the cabin.  Very
easy access.  With the motor and two batteries on the port side my boat
lists a little even with most of my other storage on the starboard side in
an attempt to balance it out.

Lee
__________________________________________________________
I thought I'd put in one reason to consider AGMs for R22s. The location of
the battery may vary considerably from boat to boat. Ours is wedged between
the water tank and the bulkhead that supports the v-berth. We have it tied
down but there is no room for a battery box or tray in there. It's also not
all that accessible for maintenance. 
So no-spill, low maintenance were important to us. We're on our second AGM,
our 3rd battery in 14 years. The first was a wet cell that died early maybe
from lack of maintenance. We charge from shore power and use a charger that
accommodates an AGM - I think we're on our second charger.

Mary Lou
1991 R22 Fretless
Rock Hall, MD



Leland wrote:
> 
> 
> Rummy,
> 
> Just when I thought I knew more than I needed to know about batteries.
> 
> So for my purpose would I best be served getting a dual purpose battery
> for the one connected to the motor?
> 
> I like the idea of AGM long lasting maintenance and spill free--might be
> worth the extra cost.
> 
> The guy at West Marine who knew nothing about batteries did show me a $30
> solar panel controller.
> 
> It's all so confusing that I should probably just take the "What me
> worry?" attitude and ignore my batteries for another seven years.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Lee
> 
> p.s.  Last night I was admiring my neighbor's new $10,000+ canvas job
> (just the cockpit not sail covers) on his Catalina46 and even though he
> had three windows in the top I asked if it were difficult to view his sail
> shape.  He switched on the giant monitor on his helm pedestal and showed
> me a beautiful view of his deck from the masthead camera.  No problem
> seeing his sails.  Didn't ask him if he paid extra to get AGM batteries.
> 
> ____________________________________________________________
> Lee,
> Correction on one point. AGM batteries will last longer than lead acid
> batteries. They cost more, but I like the maintenance free part. I use
> only agm  batteries in our SeaDoo and it has more cranking power than a
> lead acid battery.  I have two deep cycle batteries on Rum Runner and only
> use shore power for  charging. I know from personal experience that
> without a charge controller,  solar panels can easily overcharge a
> battery. You can also buy "dual purpose"  batteries which allow for deep
> discharge and also give you cranking power for an  electric starter. It
> all depends on how you use your boats power.
>  
> Rummy
>  
> 
> Leland wrote:
>> 
>> Rob,
>> 
>> Great website with an incredible amount of information.  It's amazing
>> what I know and don't know about batteries now.  :)
>> 
>> Looks like I can forget about checking amps.
>> 
>> Looks like my battery gave a "false capacity" because it was dead.
>> 
>> To summarize, I should ensure my voltage remains between 12.06 and 12.42,
>> approximately.
>> 
>> Thanks!
>> 
>> Lee
>> 
>> ___________________________________________________________________________
>> Lee,
>> If you had 13.4 volts on a battery not being actively charged, something
>> doesn't sound right with that battery.  A fully charged battery should be
>> around 12.7 volts. But then you did say your battery was dead.
>> 
>> State of Charge 	12 Volt battery 	Volts per Cell
>> 100% 			12.7 			2.12
>> 90% 			12.5 			2.08
>> 80% 			12.42 		2.07
>> 70% 			12.32 		2.05
>> 60% 			12.20 		2.03
>> 50% 			12.06 		2.01
>> 40% 			11.9 			1.98
>> 30% 			11.75 		1.96
>> 20% 			11.58 		1.93
>> 10% 			11.31 		1.89
>> 0 			10.5 			1.75
>> 
>> 
>> Much more on batteries, should you care to read.  I agree a group 27 deep
>> cycle is appropriate for our boats.  Gel and AGM might require less
>> maintenance, but they are costly. - rob
>> 
>> http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm#Top
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Leland wrote:
>>> 
>>> 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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