GEL versus AGM

[BlunderLust]

I watched a video were it was suggested the max DOD of Gel Cell is 80 percent versus 50 percent of AGM and the charge time for both is around 2-3 hours. A max DOD of 80 percent would put the Gel Cell in the league of the LITHIUM batteries.

If anyone has used the GEL Cell batteries does an 80 percent max DOD seem correct? Also, does a charge time of 2-3 hours sound right?

I am thinking I might be using a HONDA or YAMAHA 2000 WATT generator to charge the batteries while boondocking.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Yup even walking past stacks of warranty gel units on pallets, I know just enough to stay the hell away from them for deep cycling. If you wish to intensely mollycoddle the discharge and charge regimens, then they would work. Yotta hear the searing descriptions cruisers have for them. Oh verily I ask, tell me the advantages of a more costly gelled battery over absorbed glass mat in casual deep cycle rapid recharge environments.

[liborko]

For the battery expert you are Mex, you know very little about gel cell batteries. My batteries were manufactured by East Penn and they are sold under dozens of labels including West Marine. There are currently dozens of manufacturers worldwide producing gel cell batteries for solar and marine use including Fullriver, Mastervolt, Deka, Trojan, East penn etc.

[Naio]

Thanks, Phil and MrWizard :).

My 10amp charger does have a gel setting, though I sometimes use a 5amp car charger instead or (rarely) in addition. My batteries have been happy with them for 10 years. But it sounds like I should not try direct charging at higher amperages.

And here I thought I was not giving them ENOUGH amps. I thought they preferred 20amps each.

[MrWizard]

4-6v*180, nice bank 360ampHrs at 12v
90/2 45amps per series pair aka 45amps per 180a of 12v thats a C/4 charge rate

its best to keep the Math and Charge rate respective

just saying my batteries can take 90amps does not compare to a bank 1/2 or 1/4 ampHr size

if Naios batteris are 12v then she has 180ampHrs C/4 = 45amps c/10 18amps
if 6v she has 90ampHrs .. C/4 = 22.5 amps, c/10 9amps

[pnichols]

Naio wrote:
pnichols wrote:

Naio wrote:

Pnichols, my ex650 bro. That's good to know that the 650 dc output is not too much! How many amps is it, do u know off the top?


Naio ... your little ultra-quiet EX650 should be able to dump, maximum, around 35-38 amps into a battery during charge.

Golly! And that's not too much for my 90aH gels? Just double checking, 'cause it seems like a lot.

Naio ... how many amps that your gel battery will draw from your EX650 depends upon not only on what the capacity of the EX650 generator is ... it also depends upon what DC voltage is winding up on the gel battery terminals while the generator is running.

You can adjust how much voltage winds up on the gel battery terminals if you use a proper gel battery charger (or a charger with a gel battery setting) that you then power from the EX650. In your particular situation, I would recommend against using the EX650's 12 volt direct battery charging output terminals because the voltage on these terminals may be too high for your gel battery such the battery would in turn accept too much current too fast from the EX650 .... thus the battery might run too hot when charging this way and hence could go into thermal runaway and destroy itself.

I recommend using a specific get battery charger (or a charger with a gel battery setting) on your gel battery. You then can power that charger from the EX650 or from shore power. 🙂

[MEXICOWANDERER]

The sole gelled battery that I have seen that was manufactured correctly is Sonnenshein. German. The failure rate of gel was so high Lifeline abandoned ship and went to Absorbed Glass Mat.

But I would use gel in a hallway emergency light in a second...

[liborko]

They are four 180Ah golf cart size batteries. Same size as T105.

[Naio]

Liborko, what size are your batteries?

My 90aHs are 10 years old, too. But my charger maxes out at 15amps. I don't think I have ever given them 20.

[liborko]

Tons of misinformation in this tread. I am an actual user of four 6V gel cell deep cycle batteries that are close to 10 years old and working fine. They take up to 90A of charging current from my Prosine 2.0 when discharged to 60%. They are definitely not for any member of "Battery Frying Club" but when handled properly they will outlive AGM anytime. For info you can trust go to gel cell manufacturer websites. Not everything newer is better.

[Naio]

pnichols wrote:

Naio wrote:
Pnichols, my ex650 bro. That's good to know that the 650 dc output is not too much! How many amps is it, do u know off the top?

Naio ... your little ultra-quiet EX650 should be able to dump, maximum, around 35-38 amps into a battery during charge.

Golly! And that's not too much for my 90aH gels? Just double checking, 'cause it seems like a lot.

[pnichols]

Naio wrote:
Pnichols, my ex650 bro [emoticon]. That's good to know that the 650 dc output is not too much! How many amps is it, do u know off the top?

Naio ... your little ultra-quiet EX650 should be able to dump, maximum, around 35-38 amps into a battery during charge. The amount of amps going into any particular battery from the EX650 depends upon how discharged the battery is and depends upon what voltage is being maintained on the batteries' terminals during the charging.

SCVJeff wrote:
Is there a 650 club ? Where do I join .. [emoticon]

Jeff ... if that EX650 is yours, you're in the club ... THAT IS ASSUMING THAT you actually use it on camping trips instead of leaving it at home because you believe all the hype that you have to have, minimum, a more modern (noisier and expensive) Honda or Yamaha inverter generator in order to quietly and efficiently charge RV batteries. 😉

FWIW, here's a link that I've provided a few times in these forums showing just how way-ahead-of-it's-time that little Honda EX650 was (especially note it's noise spec) :

http://www.tappedin.com/hop/html/litegen.htm

PS: I also have a pristine Honda EX1000 sitting in my shed.

[Naio]

Don: Oh, wow, I was far over that!

You folks here know far more about batteries than the top experts I ever found in my home city.

Does this mean I should not run my 300w heater off the 150aH house battery? So far I have not done it more than 5 or 10 minutes at a time...

[Naio]

SCVJeff wrote:
Is there a 650 club ? Where do I join .. :B

:: shows SCVJeff the secret handshake ::

[SCVJeff]

Is there a 650 club ? Where do I join .. :B