down in mexico that's all we use for solar application.
18 - 24 huge 6 volt "Rolls" batteries hooked in series to create either 12 or 24 volts.
Rolls Battery
Batteries
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Bobby T.-26X #4767
- Captain
- Posts: 906
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:48 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Oceanside Harbor, CA
The biggest reason I wouldn't do it (2-6volts) is that batteries do go bad. When one of them does, you're stuck with 6 volts. When one of my paralleled 12volt batteries goes bad (my house bank is 3 paralleled AGMs), I can simply disconnect it...
When I was implementing control systems for offshore oil production, we used huge cells in the 1-2volt range. When one of these went bad, we didn't loose so much... But, 6 volts are a bigger chunk...
Another think to think about is what happens if you need to replace one on a trip? I can find another 12v, even if its not the one I would prefer, anywhere and flooded cells are pretty cheap...
When I was implementing control systems for offshore oil production, we used huge cells in the 1-2volt range. When one of these went bad, we didn't loose so much... But, 6 volts are a bigger chunk...
Another think to think about is what happens if you need to replace one on a trip? I can find another 12v, even if its not the one I would prefer, anywhere and flooded cells are pretty cheap...
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Bobby T.-26X #4767
- Captain
- Posts: 906
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:48 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Oceanside Harbor, CA
I know they are bit more expensive but I've long had good luck with the West Marine gel cells in Alaska.
In my Bristol Boat over in Western Alaska I could show up for my 5 week season year after year after long cold winters and both V8 diesels would crank instantly.
For my M (140hp) I'm thinking a 4D gel for my starting and an 8D for my house, obviously mounted elsewhere than the OEM location.
I very much dislike the standard Mac battery location as a battery place as it seems to be the closest thing my M has to a bilge, often with a bit of water there. Although I ordered a Blue Seas switch panel with (I thought) a breaker for each item and multimeters my dealer left most all my house wiring dangling into the salt water bilge from the house battery terminals. First trip out we lost the VHF as poorly butt-spliced submerged ocnnectors were already turning green and falling apart. It's a spider web of spaghetti and fuses doen in that hole. That's going to get replaced by a bulkhead mounted plastic commercial electrical breaker box with the Blue Seas panel of my dreams and NO more wires in the bilge.
That OEM/dealer battery location under the steps looks like a good place for a bilge pump (I've put a tiny one there already) and I'd like to pour a mix of expoxy filler into the two dimple/depressions in that space and let it flow around the corner into S1 to sort of level out the bottom there, though if I'm clever I'll do it two batches jacking up one side of the trailer then the other so I've got a low spot for the bilge pump. (raises another question, how many bloody bilges or bilge-like spaces does the M have?)
In my Bristol Boat over in Western Alaska I could show up for my 5 week season year after year after long cold winters and both V8 diesels would crank instantly.
For my M (140hp) I'm thinking a 4D gel for my starting and an 8D for my house, obviously mounted elsewhere than the OEM location.
I very much dislike the standard Mac battery location as a battery place as it seems to be the closest thing my M has to a bilge, often with a bit of water there. Although I ordered a Blue Seas switch panel with (I thought) a breaker for each item and multimeters my dealer left most all my house wiring dangling into the salt water bilge from the house battery terminals. First trip out we lost the VHF as poorly butt-spliced submerged ocnnectors were already turning green and falling apart. It's a spider web of spaghetti and fuses doen in that hole. That's going to get replaced by a bulkhead mounted plastic commercial electrical breaker box with the Blue Seas panel of my dreams and NO more wires in the bilge.
That OEM/dealer battery location under the steps looks like a good place for a bilge pump (I've put a tiny one there already) and I'd like to pour a mix of expoxy filler into the two dimple/depressions in that space and let it flow around the corner into S1 to sort of level out the bottom there, though if I'm clever I'll do it two batches jacking up one side of the trailer then the other so I've got a low spot for the bilge pump. (raises another question, how many bloody bilges or bilge-like spaces does the M have?)