on batteries

I know Doug said he worked in the battery industry and he'll most likely have the most input on this but I thought I'd post it on the board rather than just going the PM to him as it might benefit others as well.


I have one deep cycle battery for my trolling motor that is several years old. I'd like to get another one to have as a spare. I was wondering if there really is a difference between a deep cycle battery and a standard automotive type for one?

Second of all is there anything to look for when selecting a battery such as brand and the like?

I have just purchased two batteries this month from our local Discount Auto Parts Store. One for my truck and one for my son's car. This hot weather is hard on batteries.

thanks for all input and advice.

Rusty <><

Pick up a deep cycle then a standard car battery and you will feel the difference. More plates and longer life on the water. Also it can be charged over and over without a breakdown of cells. BILL

Rusty,
You want ANOTHER Deep Cycle battery? You are planning on spending more time fishing?
Difference between regular auto batteries and Deep Cycle is, DC batteries have more expensive plates and separators that will take punishment, also might have more acid inside the container. Also Marine/Deep Cycle batts aren't as restricted in the size of the container as Auto batts are.
Auto Use; Little drain on the battery under normal use.

Marine Use; Possibly a lot of drain on the battery(s).

Deep Cycle batteries cost more because they cost more to make.

Selecting a Brand; At the Plant I worked at, we produced Sears, Interstate, Ford, NAPA, Cat.4D&8D and I can't recall all the other Brands.

WHERE you buy your Deep Cycle Batt is important! If it's guaranteed then it should be OK!
DO NOT purchase a Optima Batt unless your going to do 4 wheeling or Ocean cruising.
They are a special Anti-Vibration batt and their is no need to spend the xtra money on them in my opinion.

I'm just being silly, but treat your DC batt like your pet or something you have to take care of! Don't neglect it!
Because everyone uses their batteries differently, it is not an exact science about how long they will last.

The Battery Business is a stable business because the cost of materials is not great and very important is the Batteries are recycable.

Doug

Deep cycle batteries have thicker plates and are made to take in and give out power gradually. Car batteries have more, thinner plates, and are made to put out a huge amount of power quickly, then get charged again right away as you drive around. Cold Cranking Amps are a useless measurement for deep cycle batteries, they are only for car starting batteries....look at 'amp-hours' instead for deep cycle batteries. ALL batteries are damaged by being left discharged for a long period of time....but deep cycle batteries take the abuse better. NEVER discharge any battery by more than 50% of its capacity, for best life. Sealed batteries (gel cells) don't spill and never need distilled water added, but they are VERY sensitive--overcharge them a few hours, and they are toast. I agree with Doug on the Optimas -- we use them on our fire engines, but it's expensive overkill for most applications.

I am a renewable energy consultant and writer, and my house runs on a battery bank that weighs over a ton, charged by solar and wind. I HIGHLY recommend this website for battery info:
http://www.batteryfaq.org/

And the book "Secrets of Lead Acid Batteries" by Thomas Lindsay is also excellent (and cheap).....you can get it at my website, under 'renewable energy books'
http://www.forcefieldmagnets.com/

Lastly, from personal experience and talking with hundreds of folks with remote solar power systems -- Surrette and Trojan are the best lead acid batteries out there, and you pay the price for it. Everything else works just fine, and you can get a reasonable price. My new home battery bank (replaced the old one after 12 years of service) cost $1600, and is made up of Interstate L16 batteries.....it was a bargain at that price, and is 1660 amp-hours. I expect 10 years from it, but I also baby my battery bank. Some folks kill their expensive batteries in a year or less, by using too much power and not putting enough back in fast enough.

Cheers -- DANBOB

That was educational! Thanks!
Doug

Woah!!! that was a lot of information in one post.

Thanks, now that's the kind of information I was looking for.


Rusty <><