Perhaps Capacity is Not King
I don't want to derail the current "charging AGM batteries" thread more than I already have. During the course of that thread I was shopping for AGM batteries, trying to determine which ones could ...
Forum Discussion
Well, it is done.
I got a group 27 Northstar AGM for the engine compartment rated at 90 A/h and 930 CCA. It has a 4 year replacement warranty.
Batteries plus rebrands this battery calling it the X2 power. I had asked them if they wanted to price match or beat it and the guy said what are they warrantying them for, I said 4 years, he said we will warranty it for 5 years, so no price match.
http://www.northstarbattery.com/1.0.1.0/191/NSB_AGM_27_(SES-542-86).pdf
And I got a single group 31 Crown flooded deep cycle rated at 130 A/h , as my single house battery.
I still need to fabricate a better method to secure the single Crown down. I could use a 8 inch tall 2x4 as a dummy battery to reuse my old method for 2 27's, but Obscure the caps, and I don't want to increase the work required to water this battery.
I took a SG baseline reading after trying to charge it, but the schumacher just kept going into float within 30 seconds, twice, after loading it with my 18 amp air compressor to drop the voltage below 12.8.
1.280 across all cells except one that was 1.275. at 64f.
I put my clamp on DC ammeter over the ground cable to the 12.6v Crown when the fridge kicked on. It agreed with my battery monitor at 3.2 amps.
When i turned my battery switch to both, bringing the AGM northstar into the loop, the draw from the Crown dropped to 0 and all the current was flowing from the AGM which was at ~12.9v.
I have no fear of cycling the Northstar, in fact I probably am going to cycle it the day before I do a longer drive. While I can currently direct all the schumacher current into the Crown, I cannot direct it all into just the NorthStar Unless I physically move it and use the alligator clamps, it is the Crown or split between both.
I don't know who said anything about cycling a starting battery. Just because it is in my engine compartment does not mean is is a starting battery. I have not owned a pure starting battery in 12 years. My engine requires a 650 CCA battery, and I've had a 600 CCA Marine wally world -27 battery in there for the last 7 years
As far as programming my Amp hour capacity for my battery monitor and being misled by % remaining. I always ignore the % remaining figure. I always look at the amp hour from full figure and do some math in my head.
I'm going to pull an estimated 60 Amp hours from the new Crown tonight.
Perhaps the title of the thread should read, perhaps capacity is not king for everyone.
I guess we'll see how my strategy of less capacity works out.
I got a group 27 Northstar AGM for the engine compartment rated at 90 A/h and 930 CCA. It has a 4 year replacement warranty.
Batteries plus rebrands this battery calling it the X2 power. I had asked them if they wanted to price match or beat it and the guy said what are they warrantying them for, I said 4 years, he said we will warranty it for 5 years, so no price match.
http://www.northstarbattery.com/1.0.1.0/191/NSB_AGM_27_(SES-542-86).pdf
And I got a single group 31 Crown flooded deep cycle rated at 130 A/h , as my single house battery.
I still need to fabricate a better method to secure the single Crown down. I could use a 8 inch tall 2x4 as a dummy battery to reuse my old method for 2 27's, but Obscure the caps, and I don't want to increase the work required to water this battery.
I took a SG baseline reading after trying to charge it, but the schumacher just kept going into float within 30 seconds, twice, after loading it with my 18 amp air compressor to drop the voltage below 12.8.
1.280 across all cells except one that was 1.275. at 64f.
I put my clamp on DC ammeter over the ground cable to the 12.6v Crown when the fridge kicked on. It agreed with my battery monitor at 3.2 amps.
When i turned my battery switch to both, bringing the AGM northstar into the loop, the draw from the Crown dropped to 0 and all the current was flowing from the AGM which was at ~12.9v.
I have no fear of cycling the Northstar, in fact I probably am going to cycle it the day before I do a longer drive. While I can currently direct all the schumacher current into the Crown, I cannot direct it all into just the NorthStar Unless I physically move it and use the alligator clamps, it is the Crown or split between both.
I don't know who said anything about cycling a starting battery. Just because it is in my engine compartment does not mean is is a starting battery. I have not owned a pure starting battery in 12 years. My engine requires a 650 CCA battery, and I've had a 600 CCA Marine wally world -27 battery in there for the last 7 years
As far as programming my Amp hour capacity for my battery monitor and being misled by % remaining. I always ignore the % remaining figure. I always look at the amp hour from full figure and do some math in my head.
I'm going to pull an estimated 60 Amp hours from the new Crown tonight.
Perhaps the title of the thread should read, perhaps capacity is not king for everyone.
I guess we'll see how my strategy of less capacity works out.
