What Optima is the right Optima...

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Geoff Johnson

Fellow Ericson Owner
Good article. It seems to confirm that it is a good idea for someone like me (on a mooring) to leave a small solar panel on the batteries occasionaly to get the charge to 100%.
 
u079721

u079721

Contributing Partner
Float voltage?

Geoff,

I agree about the idea of a solar panel to keep the charge up. But note the requirement for proper float voltage with AGMs (or gels for that matter). It's different from flooded float voltage, and not a big problem, but something you need to check. Any modern charging system should have an adjustable float voltage.
 
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Geoff Johnson

Fellow Ericson Owner
My regulator is a Balmar 3 stage set for AGM batteries. Last summer, I tried alternating a 5 watt solar panel between the two house Group 24's. The voltage at the terminal never really got above about 13.2 volts at a current of .2 amps (I run the solar panel through the shunt for my Link 20).
 
rotorhead

rotorhead

Member II
AGM charging

I am planning to ditch the old charger in favor of an Outback VFX2812m or the FX2012MT. These are modular, and can be racked. It has a solar charge controller for solar panels. The MT series are fully sealed, at the expense of 800W of inverter power.

They are supposed to handle AGM charging with no problem, but still need to read all the features....

here is the link...
http://www.outbackpower.com/pdfs_spec/OutBackCatalog.pdf
Ismael:eek:
 
M

msc1212

Member II
Should you have a second alternator dedicated to the house batteries. If so, where does it go on an atomic 4 in an E35.
 
H

hodo

Member III
rotorhead said:
Any comments regarding Trojan AGM's..???

I am leaning away from 6V golf cart batteries. Fitting them seems to be a hazzle, and if I lose one battery, i lose the bank. If a 12V batteries loses a cell, I can still use the bank.

Ismael:cool:
Click to expand...
If you lose a cell in the 12v battery, it is no different than losing a cell in one of the 2 6v batteries.You would have more capacity in the remaining 2x6v bank. It is cheaper to replace one 6v battery than a 12v battery. I have 2 banks 0f GCs in my 30+ and like them so much I am in the midst of battle installing a set in my 38. That is my HUMBLE opinion.Good luck, and like the cavalry said, Charge!! Harold, S/V Mischief Maker:devil:
 
rotorhead

rotorhead

Member II
GC batteries

Hey Harry,
Check on the pics posted earlier.... Give me some ideas where I can fit the GC's...
Can you give me the brand and model of your GC"s..???

They might fit on the original battery compartment (the one with the battery holder), as it is deep.

Thanks....

Ismael
S/V Erica of Falmouth
"97 E380 hull 24:)
 
H

hodo

Member III
GC batteries

I am using Interstate batteries for my installation, and they are going in the same as strbrdtacks.They are the U 2300UT. Size is 10.250" long, 7" wide, 11.125" high. Hope that helps, I can list the other specs if needed. Good luck, Harold. :devil:
 
S

stbdtack

Member III
battery location....

Harold,
Check the floor where you will place the batteries. I pulled mine up and found the supporting cleats were only fastened with 3 screws each. Since I was more than doubling the weight I pulled them off, cleaned it all up and epoxied them back on with about 10 screws each. Brushed Gel coat on all of it and they havent budged yet. I put rubber gaskets on the access cover in hopes of keeping any Charging fumes away from the bunk cushion.
 
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hodo

Member III
battery location

Hi Ben, thanks for the tip. I hope I get down there this weekend. Did you have to do anything with the bilge pump hose? It looks like it might be a bit tight. Thanks Again, Harold. S/V Mischief Maker :devil:
 
rotorhead

rotorhead

Member II
Ok...I finally decided and bought four group 27 Lifelines AGM's, and one Optima red top as a starting battery. Thank you to all whom contributed to this thread.
 
u079721

u079721

Contributing Partner
Not quite done....

You still have one technical decision to make. Whether to run all four in parallel, or use two each in two separate banks.

I would vote for one big bank, which is what Nigel Calder recommends. It gives you faster changing, and you still have a starter battery as back up should you drawn the bank all the way down. But there are those who say this is risky, since one bad cell could take down all four batteries if you have one big bank, but only half of your batteries if you have two banks.

Your call........
 
rotorhead

rotorhead

Member II
Yep...I agree, that is why I choose the red top, it gives me a lot of MCA's for such a small footprint. As soon as I get the system set, I will take some pictures and post them. The Outback inverter/charger is also on its way....

In the case, I get a bad cell, which is a feasible problem, and should isolate the bad battery..
How do I find if an AGM battery has a bad cell..?, by checking the volts individually...?

The outback comes with a display unit. I do not know all the options, perhaps may serve as a Link 2000.
 
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