Very interesting Report on Leisure Batteries

[mowbotman]

http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/battery-technology.php

 

[Jaws]

And amazingly, things have moved on even further since that was written is 2012.
After donkeys years of stagnation in battery development, with the advent of more and more electric cars ( and motorcycles ) people ib the field have really had their thinking caps on !!

 

[Jim]

I was sent a press release the other day about a 120 AH battery that can be used down to 5% (wow) and charges from 5% to full in just 2 hours. (Big Wow) The catch,...it costs almost £2500.00 For that, I'd want a 25 year guarantee!

 

[jonandshell]

The above report is flawed and incorrect in its assumptions.

 

[jonandshell]

I was sent a press release the other day about a 120 AH battery that can be used down to 5% (wow) and charges from 5% to full in just 2 hours. (Big Wow) The catch,...it costs almost £2500.00 For that, I'd want a 25 year guarantee!

Ours go down to 20% and charge in 4 hrs and they are only £120 each!

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[laird of Dunstan]

Lots of useful and interesting information there, having a a rethink about solar panels now

 

[chaser]

Well I can't argue with experts in this field but in my experience you can get battery's charged up down to about 6v , we have tractors and diggers here that don't charge, so they are run till they are flat then charged with an aldi charger and they last for years, sometimes we have to hook them up to a full battery to get the charger to start , but we have a jcb that's had the same battery for about five years on this regime, I went to it yesterday , hadn't been started since January and it struck straight up

 

[chaser]

Btw, anyone who has a flat battery that won't charge, have a try at hooking it up to a full battery with jump leads , and then try your charger on it, you might just be surprised , before you chuck it away.

 

[eddie]

It is an opinion, an interesting read, but it remains an opinion.

For example the reference to alternator heat sensors when decrying Sterling equipment questions

It then goes on to say, "Other features included in this system include alternator temp sensing, battery temp sensing". Why is there is a need to monitor the Alternator temperature? The reason is there is a risk of it being burnt out by the strain of the B2B. To run an Alternator to the very brink that it can overheat and be damaged IS pushing things to the MAX.

The newer b2b units don't have a alternator temperature sensor and the advice was not to fit the alternator sensor when installing the older ones.

Air flow of a vehicle is different to the "Noair flow" of an engine tucked down in an engine room, on a boat.

We have fitted hundreds of Sterling B2B's and have never seen a damaged alternator as a result of one being fitted, so I would like to know where the evidence is? But as In my opening paragraph I said that it is an opinion nothing else, and not read as fact.

Overall interesting but written by some one who loves Schdaudt equipment but doesn't rate Sargent or Sterling equipment.

I am happy to have "perhaps" a slightly shorter" battery life for a faster charge regime and more usability to be honest. So my German made 100 amp multi stage charger will easily handle charging my battery bank.

 

[Lenny HB]

This speel by A&N has been discussed on most Motorhome forums time & time again including this one. Their raving about about Bosch S5 batteries is unfounded there is no long term evidence to back up there opinion. I doubt if there are more than a handful of Motorhomes that have used these batteries as a leisure battery and until there is meaningful evidence I will stick with what I know works.
My current van has Banner AGM batteries, my personal preference is Gel batteries, both have good & bad points & I don't want to start another debate.

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[eddie]

They would be better explaining why the Germans love mixing wet lead acid batteries and GEL batteries in parallel lol

 

[angusboy]

that eddie is clever

 

[Gaston aires]

Very interesting article. But I still have the original Exide G 80 gel batteries and they are still working after 9 years. Think I will stick to what I know.
Phil

 

[IanF]

Ours go down to 20% and charge in 4 hrs and they are only £120 each!

Hi jonandshell -Can I please ask which batteries you are using-----sounds very good indeed at that price
Ian

 

[Jaws]

A point missed by almost everyone who is not in the know, is that gel batteries do require a completely different charging system to standard lead acid jobbies
A 'normal' battery is charged with a varying voltage and set amperage ( which does actually vary in the real world ) while a gel requires a completely stable voltage and varying amperage
Using a non gel type charger on a gel unit will work, but it will greatly reduce the life expectancy of the battery ( and I mean about about 80% less ) as a standard lead acid charger may have voltages going up as high as 16v ! ( gels tend to max at ABOUT 14.2v )
This is why most modern HM's have either a switchable system or, if gel fitted as OEM equipment might only have a gel type charging circuit
It is also why any decent solar panel regulator has different settings ( or indeed as mine, detects and auto switches between types

This from:
http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/articles/battery-articles/battery-basics.html

A very helpful and basically 'sound' page of info..

GEL: The Gel Cell is similar to the AGM style because the electrolyte is suspended, but different because technically the AGM battery is still considered to be a wet cell. The electrolyte in a Gel Cell has a silica additive that causes it to set up or stiffen. The recharge voltage on this type of cell is lower than the other styles of lead acid battery. This is probably the most sensitive cell in terms of adverse reactions to over-voltage charging. Gel Batteries are best used in VERY DEEP cycle application and may last a bit longer in hot weather applications. If the incorrect battery charger is used on a Gel Cell battery poor performance and premature failure is certain.

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[funflair]

A point missed by almost everyone who is not in the know, is that gel batteries do require a completely different charging system to standard lead acid jobbies
A 'normal' battery is charged with a varying voltage and set amperage ( which does actually vary in the real world ) while a gel requires a completely stable voltage and varying amperage
Using a non gel type charger on a gel unit will work, but it will greatly reduce the life expectancy of the battery ( and I mean about about 80% less ) as a standard lead acid charger may have voltages going up as high as 16v ! ( gels tend to max at ABOUT 14.2v )
This is why most modern HM's have either a switchable system or, if gel fitted as OEM equipment might only have a gel type charging circuit
It is also why any decent solar panel regulator has different settings ( or indeed as mine, detects and auto switches between types

This from:
http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/articles/battery-articles/battery-basics.html

A very helpful and basically 'sound' page of info..

Possibly this is why some people swear by GEL's and other swear about them. Our MH was designed to use GEL and has the relevant charger and setting including the solar regulator. Same experience as @gillnphil that our standard 2x G80 GEL'S are over 9 years old and still going strong.

 

[Techno]

This is posted nearly as frequently as gassing lately A&N are certainly getting a lot of advertising

 

[funflair]

They would be better explaining why the Germans love mixing wet lead acid batteries and GEL batteries in parallel lol

Eddie, do you mean by fitting GEL as Leisure and wet lead acid for the engine.

I think our receive different charge voltages through the CBE, but I could be wrong...................Again.

 

[laird of Dunstan]

Would a battery isolation switch such as I had on my boat be useful?

 

[Jaws]

If you have a drain problem then yes.. But if not, or you have solar panels fitted, then proly no L o D.
There is also the fact that an awful lot of clocks in control panels have to be reset if they loose feed voltage, so you may end up having to reset the time whenever you use the isolator

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[eddie]

Eddie, do you mean by fitting GEL as Leisure and wet lead acid for the engine.

I think our receive different charge voltages through the CBE, but I could be wrong...................Again.

LOL You'd think so wouldn't you? But know, inside your "blok" is a relay and the batteries are in parallel

They rely on reducing the cable diameter from 30mm2 from alternator to engine battery to boot lace diameter to the Gel's to reduce the charging voltage.

It seems to work well lol

 

[eddie]

Would a battery isolation switch such as I had on my boat be useful?

Help in what way? BYW Love your username

 

[eddie]

Help in what way? BYW Love your username

Ah Didn't see Jaws's post

So "Wot he said"

 

[jonandshell]

Hi jonandshell -Can I please ask which batteries you are using-----sounds very good indeed at that price
Ian

Dyno traction mono blocs, charged by a Sterling Alternator to Battery charger.

7 years old with full capacity.

 

[laird of Dunstan]

Help in what way? BYW Love your username

my missus bought me the title for xmas

the battery isolation switch prevents the starter battery from getting drained whilst using the leasure batteries. If you have ever tried to hand start a 60 he outboard you will know it makes sense

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[Flamenca]

I was interested to read the 'report' related to Bosch S5 and Varta H3 batteries but as far as I can ascertain neither are rated as 'deep cycle' by the manufacturers. Can anyone recommend a specicfic 100Ah 'deep cycle' battery which can be purchased for less than £100. I appreciate that at that price it will not be an 'ultra deep cycle' but I am interested to know what is available within a limited budget.

 

[Abacist]

Just bought 2 DC31 Hankook 125AH deep cycle sealed lead acid batteries for £166 from Battery Megastore delivered to my door in 2 days. These are what Techno100 uses and recommends.

Broken Link Removed

 

[Steve and Denise]

my missus bought me the title for xmas

My parents gave me mine at birth.

 

[manda3000gt]

Ours go down to 20% and charge in 4 hrs and they are only £120 each!

Hi
How do you gauge them as down to 20% ? Voltage reading or battery monitor ? If voltage what are you happy to discharge them down to ?
Cheers

 

[jonandshell]

Hi
How do you gauge them as down to 20% ? Voltage reading or battery monitor ? If voltage what are you happy to discharge them down to ?
Cheers

I use the voltage display on the inverter. It tallies with my multimeter.
20% charge is a no-load voltage of approx 11.6 volts.

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