[C320-list] Are 6V Batteries Superior To 12V Batteries For Deep Cycle Applications?

[BAdams3491 at aol.com]

Seems to me we have always thought the answer was yes.   This is from the 
Optima Battery web site:  (_http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/faq17.asp_ 
(http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/faq17.asp) )   

It's popularly believed that 6 volt batteries are better for deep  cycle 
power applications than 12 volt batteries, but it isn't true. This myth  likely 
developed from the fact that golf carts use 6 volt systems. Because golf  cart 
batteries were the only deep cycle batteries widely available for many  years, 
the best way to obtain good 12 volt deep cycle power was to connect two 6  
volt golf cart batteries in series (or more batteries could be connected in a  
combination series and parallel configuration for higher voltages like 24 volts  
or 36 volts.) The effectiveness of that approach owed entirely to the design  
characteristics and quality of the batteries used, not to the fact that the  
batteries used produced 6 volts. 

In reality both 6 volt batteries and 12  volt batteries are simply built from 
2 volt cells; if a battery is built with  three such cells, it's a 6 volt 
battery. If a battery is built with six such  cells, then it's a 12 volt battery. 
To make a 12 volt system by connecting two 6  volt batteries in series is to 
do nothing more than to build a 12 volt battery  with two cases and external 
interconnection. In fact, every cable end connection  results in some 
efficiency loss, so the two 6 volt batteries, because they must  be connected by a 
cable, will be slightly less efficient than the 12 volt unit.  
Comments? 
Bert 
At Ease 
#442