Jan-09-2014 01:02 PM
Apr-08-2020 09:07 AM
NRALIFR wrote:
Thanks for the update on how your VMAX batteries are doing, Eric. Sorry it went sideways. I’m always interested to read about others experience with this brand, since it isn’t quite as well known.
Just speaking for myself, when I was in the market for a new battery, I was able to find enough information on the VMAX website, plus anecdotal and credible evidence elsewhere (not in the same place, of course) that these batteries were worth risking some money on. Plus, they seemed competitively priced.
Anyone who is truly curious about their quality, and yet skeptical of reports by average owners like us (nimrods? :W ) that lack the scientific evidence they so clearly demand has the same options we did. Buy one and put it through a stress test, then tell us why it’s a POS, or not. They aren’t prohibitively priced. Or, use the company “Contact Us” page to request the kind of data you require to make a purchase decision. I’m afraid you’re never going to get the level of documentation and logs you desire from me on a battery. That may seem strange, or even negligent to you, but that’s the way it is. I don’t need any new obsessions, thank you.
Eric, I see that you bought the same VMAX battery I did, which is the SLR-125, rather than one of the “MR” models. SLR = solar, and MR = marine. I reasoned that my usage more closely matched the usage of a solar battery bank, than a marine battery that probably needs to also start the boat motor. I’m not a boat guy, so I admit to not knowing jack about how their battery banks are arranged. Was that your reasoning as well?
I don’t have any solar panels on my camper like you do, so recharging when we’re dry camping is via a Yamaha 1000 generator. The maximum short-duration output mine typically sees is <50 amps, although I have occasionally asked it for as much as 100 amps. Running the microwave on the inverter is the heaviest load mine sees. The SLR battery seems to be able to handle it just fine. Other than that, my battery usage is very much like yours.
:):)
Apr-08-2020 05:14 AM
Apr-07-2020 06:12 PM
landyacht318 wrote:
Ok, I'll apologize for the nimrod comment.
Sorry.
Thanks for additional info on how your batteries were used in their life so far. Hope they go another 6 years for you.
Apr-07-2020 05:58 PM
Apr-07-2020 04:42 PM
landyacht318 wrote:
Still going, vs still going strong.
One requires No data, experience or knowledge, only pride and ego and ignorance,
The other requires only Data, for points of comparison
YOur rope comment only proves my point about a fragile ego, even though my nimrod comment was directed at battery neophytes on Automotive forums.
Haw haw.
Glad your batteries are still working, but without offering any information on how they've been used, about how many cycles over the subsequent years, and to what depth of discharge, even as a round guestimate, your 'still going strong' report, is basically worthless.
I too saw when these batteries came on the market years ago and wondered about their quality, and your report nearly 6 years later satisfies none of my curiosity.
So give a guesstimate, how many cycles did they accumulate in those 6 years, and to what depth?
My last AGM battery lasted 6 years, but it accumulated well over 1200 deep cycles, about 100 of those well below 50% and many thousands of engine starts and cycles to 90% or higher are not counted towards that ~1200 figure.
I had a nimrod on an automotive based forum say he gets 6 years out of his starting battery for 1/5th the price, implying I am an idiot for having an expensive AGM battery I insure reaches full charge regularly, and he could not seem to realize there is a difference when one is cycled deeply, providing hundreds of KWH over its life, and the other likely never passes 1KWH.
A battery owner on an rv forum is expected to give some information on how the batteries are cycled, you provided NONE just a 'still going strong' claim with Zero evidence that they are still indeed strong.
Apr-07-2020 04:26 PM
Apr-07-2020 04:04 PM
Apr-07-2020 03:57 PM
landyacht318 wrote:
How many deep cycles accumulated in those years? To what average depth?
How are you determining they are 'still going strong?'
Not saying they are a good or bad battery.
On automotive forums, the nimrods there( concerning batteries) will say their battery is 'still going strong' for X years now, then the next day, it fails to start their engine and their 'still going strong' claim was obviously absurd.
If they had a voltmeter wired to their battery and observed it every engine start in those subsequent years, they would have not said still going strong, but that the voltage held every engine start has been declining in a mostly linear manner, but lately it seems to have dipped further, then one day it failed to start.
Regarding deep cycling, one could observe voltage held under X amount of load, with X amount of AH removed from the battery, and compare it to when teh battery was newer, and see the trend, how well capacity is being retained, but without this data all one can say is that it still meets their needs, whether their needs draw the battery to 90% state of charge, or 60%.
My most recently AGM replaced battery, still holds a very surprisingly high voltage, when powering normal overnight loads. It was also my engine starting battery. The day before I got a new battery it almost failed to start my warm engine in mild ambient temps when fully charged. Now it is in my workshop being light cycled and still maintaining over 12.7v when I turn everything off.
If I did not have the starting voltage data and the slow cranking, and judged its health solely by the voltage held in my workshop's evening loads previous to that, my regular overnight loads, I could make the 'still going strong' claim, but the ~180 amp load of my starter motor tells a very different story, as does the fact that amps never can taper to the level it is considered full.
Without Data, all it is is opinion, and perhaps wishful thinking with a whole bunch of fragile ego involved.
The Vmax tanks do seem to be pretty heavy for their group size, but I hardly trust amazon reviewers to have any inkling about battery performance other than it works or it does not. If it fails early most are completely oblivious about what a proper full recharge entails.
If it has not failed yet, it is 'still going strong' without anything to support that claim.
Apr-07-2020 03:27 PM
landyacht318 wrote:
How many deep cycles accumulated in those years? To what average depth?
How are you determining they are 'still going strong?'
Not saying they are a good or bad battery.
On automotive forums, the nimrods there( concerning batteries) will say their battery is 'still going strong' for X years now, then the next day, it fails to start their engine and their 'still going strong' claim was obviously absurd.
If they had a voltmeter wired to their battery and observed it every engine start in those subsequent years, they would have not said still going strong, but that the voltage held every engine start has been declining in a mostly linear manner, but lately it seems to have dipped further, then one day it failed to start.
Regarding deep cycling, one could observe voltage held under X amount of load, with X amount of AH removed from the battery, and compare it to when teh battery was newer, and see the trend, how well capacity is being retained, but without this data all one can say is that it still meets their needs, whether their needs draw the battery to 90% state of charge, or 60%.
My most recently AGM replaced battery, still holds a very surprisingly high voltage, when powering normal overnight loads. It was also my engine starting battery. The day before I got a new battery it almost failed to start my warm engine in mild ambient temps when fully charged. Now it is in my workshop being light cycled and still maintaining over 12.7v when I turn everything off.
If I did not have the starting voltage data and the slow cranking, and judged its health solely by the voltage held in my workshop's evening loads previous to that, my regular overnight loads, I could make the 'still going strong' claim, but the ~180 amp load of my starter motor tells a very different story, as does the fact that amps never can taper to the level it is considered full.
Without Data, all it is is opinion, and perhaps wishful thinking with a whole bunch of fragile ego involved.
The Vmax tanks do seem to be pretty heavy for their group size, but I hardly trust amazon reviewers to have any inkling about battery performance other than it works or it does not. If it fails early most are completely oblivious about what a proper full recharge entails.
If it has not failed yet, it is 'still going strong' without anything to support that claim.
Apr-07-2020 02:31 PM
Apr-07-2020 02:26 PM
Apr-07-2020 11:02 AM
Aug-29-2018 11:30 AM
MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
TANX for the review, did they come with vmax and float value suggestions?
Aug-29-2018 11:15 AM