Trojan 27 TMX Batteries 12 volt

[cereal tiller]

Am considering using these,or are the T105 6 Volt pairs a better choice?

 

CT

[BruceinSanity]

We've had a bank of four of these for two and a half years now, with a topping up system fitted. I top them up every month, seem to be performing ok. We got them from PB Batteries.

 

Edit to correct iPad spilling chucker.

Edited June 16, 2014 by BruceinSanity

[cereal tiller]

We've had a bank of four of these for two and a half years now, with a topping up system fitted. I top them up every month, seem to be performing ok. We got them from PB Batteries.

 

Edit to correct iPad spilling chucker.

Thanks Bruce.

 

What is your daily Amp/hr requirement and what equipment do you run from the bank of four?

 

CT

[bottle]

As Bruce has not come back yet....

 

It does not matter what he has, it is what you have and use.

 

Do a power audit, work out what you need, how you plan to replace that used and fit a battery bank to the correct size.

 

ie. if you are going to use 100 amp.hrs a day then the minimum battery bank will need to be 200 amp.hrs, to fit in with the guideline of not letting your batteries go below 50% SOC.

It would be better to add 50% to the minimum bank size so 300 amp.hrs, this will help to reduce 'wear and tear' on the batteries and hopefully extend their working life, of course you could fit 400 amp.hrs but everything is a compromise of cost etc.

 

As to size of charger then this article by Gibbo will help with that decision. There is no hard and fast rule just a decision to be made.

[BruceinSanity]

As Bruce has not come back yet....

 

It does not matter what he has, it is what you have and use.

 

Do a power audit, work out what you need, how you plan to replace that used and fit a battery bank to the correct size.

 

ie. if you are going to use 100 amp.hrs a day then the minimum battery bank will need to be 200 amp.hrs, to fit in with the guideline of not letting your batteries go below 50% SOC.

It would be better to add 50% to the minimum bank size so 300 amp.hrs, this will help to reduce 'wear and tear' on the batteries and hopefully extend their working life, of course you could fit 400 amp.hrs but everything is a compromise of cost etc.

 

As to size of charger then this article by Gibbo will help with that decision. There is no hard and fast rule just a decision to be made.

Yeah, sorry to be slow coming back, I've been boating

 

We don't have a mega load; fridge, lights, water pump, occasional computer screen but much less now we've got iPads. In addition, at this time of year, the 160 watt solar panel means the net load is minimal during the day.

 

I'd go with bottle's advice to decide your own requirements. What I will say is that the Trojans seem much more robust than common or garden leisure units, a good deal heavier for a start, presumably because the plates are thicker.

[dmr]

Big cells make good batteries and so a pair of six volt Trojans are going to be better than a a pair of 12 volts, and less cells to top up too.

 

............Dave

[cereal tiller]

Yeah, sorry to be slow coming back, I've been boating

 

We don't have a mega load; fridge, lights, water pump, occasional computer screen but much less now we've got iPads. In addition, at this time of year, the 160 watt solar panel means the net load is minimal during the day.

 

I'd go with bottle's advice to decide your own requirements. What I will say is that the Trojans seem much more robust than common or garden leisure units, a good deal heavier for a start, presumably because the plates are thicker.

Thanks Bruce

 

The reason for asking about the Trojan's Performance is i am considering making a solar powered boat next winter.

It will be an Inflatable approx 8 feet long and powered by 2 electric out board motors.

 

2 or 3 12 volt Trojans would likely be capable of propelling this small craft for an hour or so.

 

CT

[ditchcrawler]

Thanks Bruce

 

The reason for asking about the Trojan's Performance is i am considering making a solar powered boat next winter.

It will be an Inflatable approx 8 feet long and powered by 2 electric out board motors.

 

2 or 3 12 volt Trojans would likely be capable of propelling this small craft for an hour or so.

 

CT

Whatever batteries you use, a I think even the cheapest would do what you want have to be recharged and if you go out for an hour around tea time I think unless you have a lot of solar you will struggle to recharge them. Go out just after breakfast and you will probably be fine.

[cereal tiller]

Whatever batteries you use, a I think even the cheapest would do what you want have to be recharged and if you go out for an hour around tea time I think unless you have a lot of solar you will struggle to recharge them. Go out just after breakfast and you will probably be fine.

The batteries could also be charged when it would be attached to the narrow boat either by connection to the larger boat's battery bank or by the 240v charger..

 

The Solar boat would have a 220 watt panel built into it's own canopy so there would be some self-recharging when detached from the Narrowboat.

 

Am still thinking it through,Trojan batteries seem to be among the best around and the 12 volt type would be easier to load/offload when required.

 

The Solar boat would be useful when moored on islands or away from from towns when a shopping or pub trip would be deemed necessary.

 

CT

 

CT