[C320-list] FW: Battery charger/inverter

[Jeffrey Hare]

Darrell, 

   This is probably due to differences in equalization between the cells.
The ones with less water probably run slightly hotter than the others.  If
you have a charger with an equalization mode, you might be able to fix that
somewhat. Just keep water above the plates at all times and you'll be ok.
If the plates get exposed even for a short time, the exposed parts will
probably be damaged permanently.

For reference, I have a similar situation.  My forward battery, forward most
set of cells is always lower than the rest.  My shore charger doesn't have
an equalization mode.

-J

-----Original Message-----
From: Darrell [mailto:dgray at n-sea.org] 
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 2:23 PM
To: catalina at thehares.com; C320-List
Subject: Re: [C320-list] FW: Battery charger/inverter

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
> offers free email to everyone.  Find out more about what's free from AOL 
> at
> http://www.aol.com.
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
>
>