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

[Robert E. Sloat]

A comment-If 6 volt batteries are better, why does every sailboat
manufacturer equip their product with 12 volts batteries.  And they don't
even offer a 6 volt option.  Their options often are upgrading so they must
have made the decision that the 6 volt thing is not an improvement.
 ----- Original Message ----- 
From: <BAdams3491 at aol.com>
To: <C320-List at catalina320.com>
Sent: Friday, June 16, 2006 3:54 PM
Subject: [C320-list] Are 6V Batteries Superior To 12V Batteries For
DeepCycle Applications?


> 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
>
>