Keeping Batteries Charged

Yes, get a battery switch to stop any draws during storage, use it whenever you are disconnected from power.

A fully charged battery will not freeze. most should be charged about once a month to be safe.

You have a good plan with the solar charger, Battery Tender has well controlled solar chargers, but they are a bit pricey. Just Google "Battery Tender Solar", and choose the one that fits your needs.

Wuwee trackrig you must be in the yeast of Washington. Spokane. Myself I am a yelk eater but would not turn down meecemeat. I rate moose right behind grizzly as being hazardous to a person's health. Time is proof and your system must have close to open-circuit bleed -zero. I would pay particular attention to temperature compensation values of regulated maintenance charging. Higher antimony cyclable flooded batteries self-discharge significantly faster than 1% antimony engine starting batteries. But a chilled battery loses it's appetite. The difference between 50F and -10F can be a real eye opener. At -59F we lost batteries sitting in a shed in Ennis MT. Had to breathe through a wad of cloth. Yuk. I'll stay here. Cold and Old does not rhyme worth a ****.

allen8106 wrote:

Trackrig wrote:
Why don't you install a battery disconnect switch for about the same amount of money?Bill

I had considered that but charging will keep the batteries warm and much less likely to freeze. I know from experience what happens when a battery freezes, they die.

If a battery is fully charged and then you use the disconnect so nothing so what ever is drawing any charge from them, they will not freeze and they'll be just fine next spring.

The big Nodwell in my signature is only used for three weeks of moose hunting every Sept. When I come back from a hunt, they're fully charged, I turn the disconnect and they start 453 diesel next Sept without a problem.

The last set in the Nodwell lasted seven years and these are on year three. Winter temps here hit -60F every winter.

Bill

Are you adding solar just for storage or while in use?

How far are you with the solar installation? Depending on what you have installed, you may have the charging solution right there. If it's not underway, you'll need at least 40W->60W of solar to keep the batteries charged. It might even be better to use a 100W panel and a controller, saving the 100W panel for portable/fixed deployment in the future. The smaller solar panels sell at a premium for what they put out.

Trackrig wrote:
Why don't you install a battery disconnect switch for about the same amount of money?Bill

I had considered that but charging will keep the batteries warm and much less likely to freeze. I know from experience what happens when a battery freezes, they die.

Why don't you install a battery disconnect switch for about the same amount of money?

Bill