Balancing 6x 6v Batteries

[towpathrider]

I am about to order 6x 6v t105 trojan batteries and will need to connect them in a series parallel arrangement in order to get 12v. I've read through a few posts and the smartguage article on battery balancing, but i'm not sure how to connect these properly. Has anyone done this?

 

Thanks.

[bottle]

Wire them in pairs (series) and then treat them like three 12v batteries and wire the 'three' batteries in parallel.

 

Take off's should be at opposite corners.

[jonesthenuke]

As per comment above and see recent post on "How to connect 5 domestice batteries"

Started by DaveR, Feb 23 2015 09:51 PM

[nicknorman]

Diagram 3 on page 9 of this useful document

http://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/TRJN0109_UsersGuide.pdf

shows how to connect 4, for 6 you just add another pair and take the connections off at the diagonal.

Edited February 26, 2015 by nicknorman

[GUMPY]

When I did my 8x6v on the barge I had a long conversation with Gibbo on how to connect it the best way.

Ended up with diagonal links between the batteries as well as straight this was to ensure full load sharing between all batteries.

Can't find a diagram (sold the boat 3 years ago) but its something for you to think about.

[Jambo]

We did exactly this, bought a hydraulic crimper and went for method 3: http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/batt_con.html

[towpathrider]

Thanks for the responses, what I wanted to do was method 4 from http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/batt_con.html, (I'd like to avoid the additional two terminal posts from method 3) I couldn't figure out how to do this with 6. I'll have a go at a wiring diagram and post it up.

[nicknorman]

Thanks for the responses, what I wanted to do was method 4 from http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/batt_con.html, (I'd like to avoid the additional two terminal posts from method 3) I couldn't figure out how to do this with 6. I'll have a go at a wiring diagram and post it up.

I wouldn't bother with all that faff. You've effectively only got 3 batteries to parallel. Provided you use stout interconnect cable (the spec of which depends on the max current expected), crimp them properly and keep the connections clean and tight, it will be just as good as one of Gibbo's cats cradles.

[towpathrider]

So, this is acceptable?

 

[Loafer]

I wouldn't bother with all that faff. You've effectively only got 3 batteries to parallel. Provided you use stout interconnect cable (the spec of which depends on the max current expected), crimp them properly and keep the connections clean and tight, it will be just as good as one of Gibbo's cats cradles.

 

Agreed!

[AKULA]

I now use 6 t125 and I have to say I miss my 4 250 ah gel batts

[Loafer]

I now use 6 t125 and I have to say I miss my 4 250 ah gel batts

 

Why?

[nicknorman]

So, this is acceptable?

 

I can't see your image.

[dmr]

I wouldn't bother with all that faff. You've effectively only got 3 batteries to parallel. Provided you use stout interconnect cable (the spec of which depends on the max current expected), crimp them properly and keep the connections clean and tight, it will be just as good as one of Gibbo's cats cradles.

 

Good Grief Nick, you can't say stuff like that, Gibbo was almost a God on this forum, if you carry on like this he might come back just for the argument!

 

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

[nicknorman]

Good Grief Nick, you can't say stuff like that, Gibbo was almost a God on this forum, if you carry on like this he might come back just for the argument!

 

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

What do you mean, "almost a God". No, he WAS God, and I therefore treat him with the same degree of scepticism* as I do the (alleged) real God!

 

 

 

*I'm struggling for the right word. Scepticism implies a distrust of anything he says, which is not what I mean. What I mean is that whilst a lot of what he said was valid, that didn't extend to absolutely everything. Therefore one has to examine each element and either accept (mostly) or refute it (occasionally) but certainly not take everything at face value without thinking about it. There must be one word for that but it's late...

Edited February 26, 2015 by nicknorman

[by'eck]

So, this is acceptable?

 

 

Image not available to others as you have posted private dropbox link. Plesse make it shareable to all.

[towpathrider]

This one should work. Apologies.

[towpathrider]

am planning to use 70mm (500A) crimped interconnect cable. Max current expected is 3000w peak from inverter (1600 constant) = max 250A @12v. I know there are others on here using cable such as this: I know that proper tinned battery cable is preferable to some but looking at the cables included with my inverter (Victron easysolar 1600) they appear to be fine strand un-tinned cable as with the welding stuff.

 

Any major criticisms to using the welding cable?

[nicknorman]

The layout is fine.

 

I too have used the welding type cable. It has more stands of thinner copper making it very flexible and easy to route. I don't see why it should be more problematic than the more rigid stuff, in fact it seems to me less likely to transfer unwanted force to battery posts and terminals.

 

Obviously tinned is best, however presuming you don't use tinned it will still last many years, how many depending on the location. If it is in a damp cruiser stern, maybe it would be worth the extra for tinned but ours is in our trad stern, therefore dry and a bit warm, so I decided just to use normal untinned cable. You can help prevent damp/corrosion by putting adhesive heat shrink over the cable insulation to crimp junction, and putting a bit of Vaseline / silicone grease into the little hole in the eye end of the crimp after you have finished crimping and heat shrinking.

 

Ps 70mm is fine too, for that max current.

Edited February 27, 2015 by nicknorman