6v or 12v?
All else being equal, which is preferable and why? 2 220 AH 6v batteries or 2 110 AH 12v batteries
Forum Discussion
I prefer 12 volt, but "redundancy" is not one of the reasons.
Statistically the greater number of cells, the greater chance of having a failure. So a six volt pairing in series is less likely to fail than a twelve volt pairing in parallel, simply because the cell count is 50% less.
If a cell fails in a twelve volt pair, the remaining battery may be compromised rather quickly.
Here are my reasons for preferring 12 volt cases:
lower voltage drop on high loads
space limitations. My OEM compartment would fit only 3 jars--so a 12 volt form factor gave me 1/3 more capacity
Some long time members may remember I used to have 7 12 volt house batteries. Watering them was a chore, so I went to a lower total capacity with an AGM 12 volt form factor, when it was time to change.
If LI could be reliably charged in below freezing temperatures I would have considered it. Their very best attribute is they do not need to be charged to 100% on every cycle--in fact there is some evidence they do better if NOT taken to 100%
If I had deep pockets I would use the carbon foam jars from Firefly, or the Outback version of those. These share the attributes of LI except they can be charged in freezing weather, and they weigh in at the same amount as lead acid jars. These share the ability to not require 100% recharging--though it should still be a goal.
My ideal battery bank would be 2 volt cells with a capacity of 800 amp-hours wired in series.
Statistically the greater number of cells, the greater chance of having a failure. So a six volt pairing in series is less likely to fail than a twelve volt pairing in parallel, simply because the cell count is 50% less.
If a cell fails in a twelve volt pair, the remaining battery may be compromised rather quickly.
Here are my reasons for preferring 12 volt cases:
lower voltage drop on high loads
space limitations. My OEM compartment would fit only 3 jars--so a 12 volt form factor gave me 1/3 more capacity
Some long time members may remember I used to have 7 12 volt house batteries. Watering them was a chore, so I went to a lower total capacity with an AGM 12 volt form factor, when it was time to change.
If LI could be reliably charged in below freezing temperatures I would have considered it. Their very best attribute is they do not need to be charged to 100% on every cycle--in fact there is some evidence they do better if NOT taken to 100%
If I had deep pockets I would use the carbon foam jars from Firefly, or the Outback version of those. These share the attributes of LI except they can be charged in freezing weather, and they weigh in at the same amount as lead acid jars. These share the ability to not require 100% recharging--though it should still be a goal.
My ideal battery bank would be 2 volt cells with a capacity of 800 amp-hours wired in series.
