COACH BATTERIES

[Gardner Yeaw]

GPSGary,

If you deep discharge your lead acid batteries like you suggest you
will destroy them. That type of cycling is for Nicad and other types,
not lead/acid.

Gardner


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "hippieforever3"
wrote:
>
> OK, first my bonafides.
>
> I have an electrical engineering degree and worked in quality and
> reliability in electronics over 30 years. While I'm not the world's
> foremost expert in wet storage batteries. I have had some
experience
> with the quality and reliability of "backup" electrical sources.
>
> ALL known types of rechargeable electrical storage devices
(batteries
> included) have "memory". The ability for the battery to absorb,
store
> and discharge energy is related to how much energy was stored and
> discharged in recent cycles. It's very much like flexibility in
> humans, if you don't slightly over stress your joints occasionally
> over time you lose flexibility. You can reduce failure and extend
> useful life by totally (over) depleting the battery bank once a
month
> or more. A perfect way to do this in an RV type application is to
run
> the air-conditioner until the batteries were clearly struggling
then
> turm on incandescent lights and leave them on for 6-12 hour AFTER
you
> can't see the filament glowing. Switch off all loads and use a good
> REGULATED low charge rate charger, not the alternator and
regulator.
> Actually a trickle charger would be perfect.
>
> Now this is not a very practical routine but the closer you could
> come to the deep, deep discharge and slow full, full charge the
> longer your batteries would last.
>
> In the most basic lead storage battery, the more lead the more
> overall storage capacity so in a crude sense the heavier the
battery
> the more ampere-hours, unless the weight is in the case not the
lead.
> While shear lead volume determines capacity from the standpoint of
> physics, performance is determined by configuration. The thinner
the
> lead plates are the faster they will charge or discharge (cranking
> power). The thinner the plates are the more the battery might be
> prone to failure from environmental factors like temperature and
> vibration. Here is the dilemma preventing you from picking the best
> battery using a scale.
>
> One really good indicator of battery quality is the case and
> terminals. Is the case a heavy thick walled rubber compound or is
it
> a nice thin walled high performance polymer? At the factory the
cost
> differential is at most $2. What they are charging retail is some
> indicator of value. If you can see the plate structure, what does
the
> workmanship look like? Check the materials of the terminals and the
> seals. On almost all batteries the top is a separate piece. Check
the
> joint construction and workmanship. ANY inconsistency or voids is a
> sign of lower quality craftsmanship. Check a couple of different
> sizes and cases from the same manufacturer.
>
> There is absolutely no inherent reason why 6 volt golf cart
batteries
> should be more capable of better handling numerous charge and
> discharge cycles than 12 volt batteries although the design of any
> battery will impact that and it may be a valid argument that
> batteries specifically designed for full charge / discharge
> applications will last longer. There are however 12 volt batteries
> designed for these same cycles and the extra connections in a 6
volt
> system negatively impact reliability and efficiency.
>
> As a general rule you should get better performance and life from
> sealed batteries. Typically they will be newer designs, often made
on
> more modern production lines and there is far less chance that the
> electrolyte will become (even slightly) contaminated or non-
optimal.
>
> Price vs. performance vs. reliability.
> Two $75 55ah 12 volt batteries will be more reliable than one $150
> 100ah battery but take up twice the space. You can limp in on one
of
> the $75 cheapies and with proper care ONE of them will last longer
> than the $150 battery. Will four $37.50 six volt batteries
outperform
> either of the other options ... Nope, if one of those four fail,
> you're walking.
>
> If you're looking at spending $500 or more on batteries, in a none
> emergency replacement, it might be worthwhile to contact the
> manufacturer and get the detail specs and reliability data on the
> models you are considering.
>
> Happy to help if you have questions.
>
> Regards,
> GPSGary
>