which batteries?

[rick retiree]

Once again I appeal to the good members of this forum for advice. I have to update my batteries tomorrow or miss some sailing. Need 2 batteries to supply Xantrex 1200 Inverter that I intend to install,and one house battery. The mistake I made in buying my existing batteries was that I went by crank amps and not amp hours which I didnt know a thing about and the good people at Sams Club werent of any help. Dont need for airconditioning just micro and coffee pot. My X is powered by a Yamaha 50 that puts out I'm guessing 10 to 14 amps. Thanks Guys

[Frank C]

Walmart actually sells several sizes of "marine" deep-cycle batteries, and they are marked with those words. I trimmed lip of the factory battery locker by a half-inch (26X) and two of the Gp-31 batts go in there with room to spare. They are 115 amp hours each ($62 each), so the pair provides about that amount of usable electricity at the point of 50% drawdown.

I'm sure Sam's Club must sell the identical batteries. Just look for Marine and deep cycle printed on the side of the battery. At about $1 per amp hour, there's simply no less expensive alternative. Even if you replace them after two years, they're still less costly than anything else.

I think my only problem now is that I might have too much capacity, making it difficult to comply with the "use it or lose it" rule. It's damaging to a battery to go deeper than 50%. But my recent reading indicates that it's also damaging to repeatedly apply a "shallow discharge". . .
and then top-off a deep-cycle battery too soon. I figure I'll need to alternate them to permit going deeper, and I have a Link monitor that will help judge status. With periodic 3-stage conditioning they should last another six years.

[Mork]

My Yamaha 50hp gives off just over 8 amps, according to the manual.

[kmclemore]

I measured my Tohatsu 50 using my on-board Xantrex Link 20 and although it's supposed to put out 10 amps it really only puts out around 8.

C'est la vie.

[Night Sailor]

If you are going to replace batteries consider spending a little more to avoid having this problem again. Get two Optima spiral cell, sealed, blue top or yellow top batteries. I have used Optima for all my vehicles, boats and travel trailers for the last 10 years and they have been absolutely trouble free, and are still as good as new. Even if completey discharged they can come back 100%, and have ten times the cycling of other wet batteries., and they are lighter, smaller, and give a more even voltage flow over the life of the battery while discharging. Other sealed batteries are bigger, heavier, and don't hold the charge during storage as long as an Optima does.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

I usually use those green batteries from WM...forget what they are called, but they are supposed to be a compromise between a deep cycle and a starting battery. They seem to hold up for quite a few years and WM usually puts them on sale a few times a year which makes the price pretty low. I think the expensive batteries last a bit longer, but they will crap out eventually too. I used to have a pair of die hard marine batteries in my keel boat. They did great for close to 6 years but then went bad. I can buy those cheapo WM batteries for about half that price which will last probably 4-5 years...seems like a better price performance tradeoff.

[They Theirs]

Deep cycle battery “best bang for the buck”…. 220 amp hr pair…. Two 6-volt golf cart batteries wired for 12 volts… Sam’s Club for $49 bucks each. Some rated for 700 recharges from 50% discharge and claim to handle 80% discharge without harm. Heavy thick plates capable of the Deep cycle use make them last with regular care, and the Golf Cart T-105 make them readily available. I like them, RV folks like them, great price.

[Robert]

whatever batteries you choose, the quality of their service depends on how well you treat them. Lead Acid batteries like to be stored charged. A proper charger in addition to your outboard is an excellent investment even if you only top off your batteries occationally, they will last longer.
..
Look up the manuafacturer (or the maintenance specifically for your chosen type of battery) recommended maintenance and follow their advice as best as practical for your situation.
..
I selected a IOTA charger because it provides a regualted output even without a battery, and it comes with a multistage automatic charging mode.

[aya16]

Count on changeing deep cycle batterys every two years. Even after the first year it wont be the same as new. If the draw from deep cycles on your boat are almost maxed out when new you wont Like how they are
when they get a year old . Replaceing deep cycles in the motorhome and boat have left a good size hole in my wallet over the years. I decided to buy a small generator I was able to get along fine with only one deep cycle in the motorhome instead of the three I used to carry. The large generator in the motorhome was over kill to run at long periods. so a small 2000 then a 1000 generator was bought and I run the 1000 for many hours when in the motor home, It runs everything except the micro wave and air.
The two thousand will run the micro wave. Best part the 1000 will run all
day on a gallon of gas. about 7 hours. And weighs less than one deep cycle battery

How does this apply to the mac? well the 1000 is light and I have used it
on the Mac before. It works great.


Try to get along with out microwaves and electric coffee makers.
Although I have a micro wave and a 110 volt fridge on my mac. I never use them when moored. At a slip is a diff. story.
also the fridge on my boat will keep cold if I toss a bag of ice in it, and use it like a cooler.

As far as batterys I use the optima like above blue top deepcycle.
Two of them, they will start the engine just fine so I have no starting battery

[kmclemore]

My favorite charger is the BatteryMINDer by VDC Electronics. I've used them for *many* years now, for charging the boat, my antique cars and even my generator's battery. They work flawlessly and they virtually eliminate sulphation. For example, the battery in my Sunbeam Alpine has got to be over 11 years old now and still cranks like new.

Now, these chargers will take forever to charge your batteries up from that 50% mark, but once you've charged them with a standard charger, put them on this maintainer and IMHO you'll have batteries that live far longer. They also have an AGM/Optima model.

See my previous posting about this here.

The BatteryMINDer PLUS is a 3-mode charger/maintainer/conditioner that extends performance and life of all types and sizes of 12 Volt lead acid batteries. These include maintenance-free, marine, deep cycle, sealed, gel, and all popular brands of AGM dry-type, valve-regulated batteries, such as those made by Interstate, Exide, Optima and Odyssey.

The BatteryMINDer PLUS automatically dissolves harmful power-robbing sulphation using safe, U.S. patented high-frequency pulse technology3. Guaranteed to significantly increase your battery’s life and performance, or you get 100% of your money back within 1-year. This guarantee is in addition to our five (5) year “no hassle” warranty.

[pokerrick1]

NO!! It's which doctor (sic) - - - what batteries?

Rick