[C320-list] FW: Battery charger/inverter

[bruceheyman at cox.net]

Darell,
How do you have the batteries paralleled?  Through a switch?
Bruce
Somerset 671 SoCal
---- Darrell <dgray at n-sea.org> wrote: 
> Hi Jeff,
> 
> My 4D's have been paralleled as a house bank for a couple years now and I 
> have a good 3 stage charger. When I check the fluid level in the batteries 
> about every 2 months, I find three cells on one battery lower than the rest 
> ( never dangerously low) Both batteries were replaced at the same time. The 
> battery that is a little lower is the one wired to the charger. Could that 
> be the reason it looses more fluid?
> 
> Darrell
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jeffrey Hare" <Catalina at thehares.com>
> To: <kmielen at iwon.com>; "'C320-List'" <c320-list at catalina320.com>
> Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 11:07 AM
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] FW: Battery charger/inverter
> 
> 
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> >  I'm entering my 6th season on my 4Ds.  They're still ok, but I haven't
> > decided what I'll replace them with next year.  It helps their life
> > substantially having them in parallel however.
> >
> > Consider 6v golf batteries only if you're going to be nearly religious 
> > about
> > equalizing them every year, and keeping all the extra connections clean. 
> > If
> > you don't, you'll be hard pressed to match the power output of a pair of
> > conventional parallelled 4Ds given that you'll have nearly double the
> > electrical connection losses.  :)   It does help reduce the equalization
> > requirements if you keep them on shore power charger and fully charged for
> > long periods of time.
> >
> > -J
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Karl Mielenhausen _/) [mailto:kmielen at iwon.com]
> > Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 11:43 AM
> > To: C320-List at catalina320.com
> > Subject: [C320-list] FW: Battery charger/inverter
> >
> >
> > Paul,
> >
> >
> >
> > Bert was right on with his recommendation for a 40 amp charger... you want
> > 10% of your battery bank capacity in Amp-Hrs.
> >
> > Here is something else to think about...Before you replace your marine,
> > lead/acid 4Ds (which a really a hybrid starting/deep cycle battery, at
> > approx 205 AH), consider switching to golf car batteries (220 AH). Others
> > have suggested going to AGM's but I found that a tad pricy.
> >
> > Here is a link to some reference material...
> >
> > http://www.yachtsurvey.com/boat_battery_basics.htm
> >
> > A true (lead/acid) deep cycle battery can tolerate being discharged 80%
> > whereas the hybrid (lead/acid) batteries should only be discharged 50%. 
> > You
> > must be doing something right, however, having gotten 6 years of life on
> > your last pair!!
> >
> > Also, four golf car batteries are also easier to handle than the 2 4D's. 
> > Of
> > course, you may want to add a starting battery. This will give you the 
> > added
> > confidence to run the house bank way down and still be able to start the
> > engine.
> >
> > There are several of these conversions photographed on the C320IA 
> > website...
> >
> > http://www.catalina320.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=StartingBatt
> > Shelf
> >
> > http://www.catalina320.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album86
> >
> > http://www.catalina320.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=6-Volt-Batte
> > ries-and-Solar-Panel
> >
> > http://www.catalina320.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album31
> >
> > Good luck and keep us informed of your progress.
> >
> >
> >
> > Karl Mielenhausen
> >
> > 2000 C320 Hull#690 "Silver Lining"
> >
> > New Bern, NC
> >
> > http://pages.suddenlink.net/kmielen/
> >
> > From: PDCatalina320 at aol.com [mailto: PDCatalina320 at aol.com]
> >
> > To: c320-list at catalina320.com
> >
> > Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2007 01:58:55 EST
> >
> > Subject: [C320-list] Battery charger/inverter
> >
> >
> >
> > I am about to replace my 2 4D's since they are now 6 years old. I hear it
> > is also a good time to replace the 25 amp flyback charger.  A
> > inverter/charger like the xantrex Freedom 10 sounds nice but will my 4 awg
> > wires  to the batteries take the  50 amps charging that the freedom puts
> > out?  I don't want to pull larger wires. Or is it better to just get the
> > xantrex truecharge 20  and do the inverter seperate.  Any info will  help.
> > Thanks                                Paul,    850
> > Sobrante<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now
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> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > 
> 
>