Batteries
I am going to buy new house batteries. I now have 2 12 volt batteries. Will I be better off putting back 2 6 volt batteries or 4 6volt batteries or just replacing what I have? I plan on doing a lot of...
Forum Discussion
A lot depends on the 12 volt batteries.. One of the issues I have is folks say "12 volt battery" but that is not really enough. here is why
These are 12 volt batteries
Group 24 About 77 Amp hours (One brand is 76)
Group 27, about 95
Group 29, about 105
Group 31 about 130
4D around 200
8D around 260
Now all the above I can pick up and carry at least one.. I have used much larger 12 volt batteries and If I had the CCC I might well get one.. For example for ARRL Field Day one year I borrowed a battery from a battery rebuilder.. This one was big enough that they banded it to a pallet and set it on my rented trailer using a fork lift.. Oh, I might add, an identical battery powered the fork lift.
I also have a much smaller one (Single digit amp hour) I use to run a fan or blower on occasion.
Thus "12 volt battery" without a size reference is ... Kind of useless.
SIX volt batteries: Now here too there are different sizes but
The common GC-2 is 230 amp hours, A Deka G-10 (GC-1) is 210 amp hours and the big trojan's I think 250 amp hours.
So those are all close in size.
Now you have the info to do the math.
Some folks yammer "You need to upgrade your converter" not true.
But the larger the battery bank (Amp hours) the longer to re-charge.. BUT, the slower the recharge (The longer it takes) in most cases the longer the overall battery life.. There is one exception I know of
Lifeline AGM.. and for that one you will need to read the web page
But they recommend a much higher initial charge current than any other battery I have researched including MK/DEKA AGMs. (East Penn battery Company) WHich I have owned and do not recommend.
These are 12 volt batteries
Group 24 About 77 Amp hours (One brand is 76)
Group 27, about 95
Group 29, about 105
Group 31 about 130
4D around 200
8D around 260
Now all the above I can pick up and carry at least one.. I have used much larger 12 volt batteries and If I had the CCC I might well get one.. For example for ARRL Field Day one year I borrowed a battery from a battery rebuilder.. This one was big enough that they banded it to a pallet and set it on my rented trailer using a fork lift.. Oh, I might add, an identical battery powered the fork lift.
I also have a much smaller one (Single digit amp hour) I use to run a fan or blower on occasion.
Thus "12 volt battery" without a size reference is ... Kind of useless.
SIX volt batteries: Now here too there are different sizes but
The common GC-2 is 230 amp hours, A Deka G-10 (GC-1) is 210 amp hours and the big trojan's I think 250 amp hours.
So those are all close in size.
Now you have the info to do the math.
Some folks yammer "You need to upgrade your converter" not true.
But the larger the battery bank (Amp hours) the longer to re-charge.. BUT, the slower the recharge (The longer it takes) in most cases the longer the overall battery life.. There is one exception I know of
Lifeline AGM.. and for that one you will need to read the web page
But they recommend a much higher initial charge current than any other battery I have researched including MK/DEKA AGMs. (East Penn battery Company) WHich I have owned and do not recommend.
