[C320-list] Lithium vs. golf cart

[John Beck]

Get 2 x 200 amp lithium and a 40 amp dc dc and solve all your problems
that’s what I run on Sail on # 518
Jb

On Wed, Feb 22, 2023 at 10:44 PM Jack Brennan via C320-list <
c320-list at lists.catalina320.com> wrote:

> So the four group 24s I have right now are not doing the job, and I’m
> debating golf cart vs. possibly lithium before I pull the trigger on
> batteries.
>
> I’m not an expert by any means; I’m just throwing out some numbers to see
> what other people on the list think as a way to clarify my thinking.
>
> The cost: I can get four good-quality Duracell golf carts, about 450 AH,
> from Sam’s Club for less than $450. Two decent lithium 100 AH batteries
> will cost me maybe a grand, plus I’ll need a 20 amp DC to DC charger to
> move the alternator amps from the start battery to the lithium.
>
> I have 320 watts of rigid solar that can give me 20 AH on a perfect day
> for either golf carts or lithium. The Ahs will of course shrink over time
> with the golf carts as the rate of acceptance slows, but pretty much stay
> at 15 or 20 forever with the lithium.
>
> I also have the standard Hitachi 50 amp alternator on my Yanmar 3gm30.
> That can give me 50 for a short period and then a diminishing amount on
> golf carts as the rate of acceptance slows, but 20 for a longer time with
> lithium if I use the DC to DC charger.
>
> I probably use 80-100 AHs a day while cruising, between the fridge, anchor
> light, my CPAP machine, music,  a movie, etc. Solar will replace that on a
> sunny Florida day with golf carts, but only some of it if it’s cloudy. A
> couple of hours of motoring would fill the gap.
>
> With lithium, as I understand it, it will accept everything the alternator
> and the solar throw at it. So it works really well, cloudy or sunny. You’re
> topped off quickly, especially if you motor some.
>
> So my question is this: Given the limits on alternator and solar charging,
> how much difference does it actually make whether I go with golf carts or
> lithium? Is it just an issue of whether your battery bank is topped off at
> 2 p.m. or 5 p.m.?
>
> I know there are other considerations. You save about 200 pounds of
> displacement with lithium. They also appear to last much longer with proper
> treatment. On the other hand, I could buy three sets of golf carts for the
> price of two 100 AH lithium batteries.
>
> An interesting puzzle.
>
> Jack Brennan
> Sonas, 1998 Catalina 320
> Tierra Verde, Fl.
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> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows
>
> --
Jb