ROBDEN

It depends on how much you use the boat. I put some in every 150/200 hours. I use at least two tubes a year, sometimes three or four. Rob....

So the larger bank would be better because the Dod is less?

Two battery banks. One bank 200ah the other 400ah. If 50ah are taken from each bank, when re-charging (everything else being equal), which bank will reach 100% Soc first? Rob....

A while ago, on a VM, went to ask someone to turn their engine off, as it was 9.45pm. It was only as I neared the stern of the boat that I realised it was their heating.(Don't know which one). As I couldn't ask them to turn off their heating we left the next morning.

Whoosh!!!!!!

As an aside, I know a bank should be balanced but does it do any good to swap batteries around like we used to with car tyres?

Unless of course, both meters are a long way out. I may go and buy a few meters until I find one I like. Thanks. Rob....

Just tried another meter. Now reads 12.78v. (original meter reads 12.73v.) Sg reads 12.82v. Rob.... ETA.... Yes interpolated. Jumping between .80 and .85.

Hello. It’s me again. Reading the blurb about Smartgauge installation it states that, “ SmartGauge end of the wires MUST be identical to the voltage at the battery posts”. My battery terminal reading is 12.8v. The terminals on the back of Sg read 12.8v. The display, however, reads 12.93v. What would cause this and does it really matter? I only mention this because of the “MUST be identical” bit. Oh and it’s peeing down outside and I can’t go out and play. Rob….

Thank you. Rob....

I have just been thinking about this myself. I'm about to replace 4x12v=440amps batteries with 4x6v=450amp Trojans. But, could I get away with 2x6v=250amp Trojans? It's hard to do a power audit as I'm not sure how often the fridge cycles and the tv is 240v so the inverter is on as well. Problems, problems. I hate boats!

Heathen!! You men JUS. Mind you, that brown stuff on top may be have been a cheese foam that burnt.

No matter how well a boat is tied/sprung, if a boat passes at any great speed, it will move. It has to move as the water is taken (displacement) from underneath the hull. Pass slowly and the movement is gentle. However pass at a fair lick, and the movement can be quite violent. The only way to ensure no movement when moored is to carry a mobile crane and haul the boat out at every mooring.(Get to work Bizzard). Rob....

Wanting to buy 4x105 Trojans. Best place as in cheapest least expensive. Tanya's? Thanks Rob....

Thanks for your concern but if I have to do charging, topping up and equalising with "cheapos" I may as well put the effort into a good set of batteries and if they will handle some abuse and still be recoverable, so much the better. Rob....

Oh boy! Am I in trouble! In fact I fear for my life. I TOLD suggested to SWMBO that we need Trojans. She said "OK". Now I can't find my life insurance policy. Worried of Llangollen.

Now comes the hardest part That's what I will do but you asked where I found it. Anyway. Now for the hardest part.....having to persuade SWMBO that we NEED Trojans. Rob....

On the live side of an unused fuse holder, for a freezer.

Yes I know. I have a cunning plan! PDAR battery sense(?) wire connects to a point where there is a voltage drop of about 0.6 or 0.7. It then reads it as only 14.2v and 'tells' the alternator to kick it up to 14.9v. When in fact at the batteries it was 14.8/9v and goes up to 15.5v. Rob....

Thanks Dave. I'm pretty sure I can trick the PDAR into giving out 15.5volts. Is that enough to equalise the batt's? Rob....

That's good to know. Thanks for that.

Yeahbut. Thinking about them, I have the room but not sure I could meet their charging requirements. Ccing and no hook up.

It was a gift and was in better condition than mine. Left the voltage as per 'open lead acid' as it supposed to be the fastest charging. This how the original one was set and did well for over 4 years. Using this setting for sealed batteries was brought up on a thread here, a couple of years. It was thought by many on this forum that all would be well and indeed there are a few members that do run like this. It served me well on the last set of batteries. How time flies. Found the invoice for the batt's. Not 4 months ago but 8 months. Now thinking of getting new batteries but haven't decided which to go for yet. Rob....