pirky Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 (edited) Hi All My battery on the boat has given up and I am looking to source a new one. I am a bit of a non-starter in the engine and battery department but BELIEVE I need a leisure, or deep cycle battery because I only use it for the electronics on the boat and do not have a means to recharge it on board so allow it to run low before taking it home and recharging it. The one I have at the moment is a sealed "low maintenance" lead acid battery. Anybody tell me I am on the right track?? Anybody have a source of good but economical batteries ??? Dave Edited August 18, 2010 by pirky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Dave - why don't you have a cheap solar panel from Maplins in the cuddy to trickle charge it in the daytime? I am not 100% but even leisure batteries dont like being totally discharged (something like 80% max). If you know anyone with a Halfords trade card, they are worth a look, the discount can be 40% on batteries! I got my last battery from Motorist Discount Centre near Winton\Wallisdown they have a few branches: http://www.mdc-auto.co.uk/ I wanted a specific Varta Traction battery as I use mine for cranking and electronics. MDC were cheaper than all online and anywhere else, they ordered it in specially for me. HTH Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirky Posted August 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Hi Rob Thanks .......I already have the solar trickle charger in cuddy but all it appears to do is provide some action for the battery ..... not really noticeably charge it even over a long period. The battery I have was never fully discharged ..... I just waited until it registered "poor" on the tester I have ..... then took it home for re-charge. This time it discharged very quickly and does not seem to want to hold a charge again ...... still trying at the mo. Thanks again Rob.......I will take a look at the sites you mentioned.... ATB Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plaicemat Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Dave, I use an 85ah leisure battery on Stingray for electronics, bilge pump, bait tank, radio and pay about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wedger Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Dave, Some of the modern, programmable battery chargers can reinvigorate a tired battery. I would have an ask around to see if you can borrow one. I have one here at work but can't let it out as we use it almost daily for our fencer batteries. You could drop your battery off if you have no luck closer to home. T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
great white Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 we tend to see two opposing views at work some use the latest state of the art gel batteries at over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirky Posted August 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Thanks Guys.....one and all !! At the moment I am trying to slow trickle it to encourage it to hold a charge.....so no panic. Terry... your source at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve m Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Hi Dave I have a halfords trade card so if you get stuck PM me. Im not sure of the cost of the battery but will find out tonight on the way home. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Dave - I am guessing Terry's source is somewhere near Oxford - I work in Oxfordshie 2 days as week - it might work out!!! Alos, I have a biggish solar panel you are welcome to try once you get that batt charged or a new one! Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve m Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Hi Dave Been in to Halfords tonight Hal leisure battery HLB678. 70 ah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsplace Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 We recently got an 88Ah jobby from these guys, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirky Posted August 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 We recently got an 88Ah jobby from these guys, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsplace Posted August 18, 2010 Report Share Posted August 18, 2010 Oops!! Sorry! http://www.performanceleisure.co.uk/boat_batteries/ There ya go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirky Posted August 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Thanks Jason..... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 just to pick up on an earlier point in this post my understanding is that - 1. normal batteries can stand 20% discharge 2. leisure batteries 50% in both cases though, the battery's life cycle starts to get used in the period between use and recharge (which is why you should always give any new batteries you have lying around a little trickle every month to avoid any deterioration. this is also why small solar panels can be very useful to battery life on boats that aren't used much. equally deterioration will occur if the above discharge levels are exceeded. again a generalisation, but leisure batteries usually have more thinner plates, and can weigh more per Ah than normal ones, as well as costing more - so the equations can be quite interesting re which and what capacity for small boats. for my money I go to the Silver 'normals' which seem to give the best of both worlds - and a 4 year warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsplace Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Without a charge circuit or other means of getting a decent charge into the battery ie. a LARGE solar panel, a normal car type cracking battery may well be a false economy. This type of battery typically has a life of 50 to 75 charge/discharge cycles meaning you can discharge down to about 80% just 50 times before your battery has completely had It. So ie on a 100 Ah battery this gives a total of just 1000 amp hours over its lifetime. Leisure batteries however can be safely discharged down to around 50 percent and have a cycle life of around 250 cycles on the cheaper ones. So for a 100 Ah battery this would give approximately 12500 Ah during its lifetime. Please note these numbers are just theoretical as total capacity is modified by your usage characteristics and other factors including peukerts law etc. If you're charging with the engine rhen a normal battery is at much less of a disadvantage than if you can't keep it topped up on the boat. Leisure batteries havethe same number of plates but are both thicker and heavier than the plates in a normal battery. With the solar charters, they are great but buy the biggest you can afford as the 10 quid 1 watt jobs will only actually charge your battery by around 0.3 amp hrs given a whole day in direct sunlight so say your electronics draw totals of 1 amp and you are out for 5 hours it will take 15 days of full sunshine to replace the lost power! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Leisure batteries have the same number of plates but are both thicker and heavier than the plates in a normal battery. I had always been led to believe that the leisure plates themselves were thinner, and that this was why if you hit a leisure battery with maximum draw (such as for cold starting etc) you ran the risk of buckling the plates. Probably another old wives tale and I was guilty of perpetuating it. Agree all the rest completely - which ever battery used it should be charged as soon, and as fully, as possible to maximise it's life cycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niggle Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 This thread is a bit like a Duracell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirky Posted August 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Pity my batteries arn't as small light and easy to carry ... I reckon it is the fact that I only have a SLOW trickle charger on board and tend to let the battery drop to "POOR" before I face the slog of getting it off and home for a charge.....And even though it is a slow 2-3 amp charge at home....it has b*****ed the battery Now ......I was given that battery and know it was not a new'n .... but the dilemma is ......will a new one go the same way with the same charging regime ??? If so I want a lower Ah battery that is smaller and lighter so the continual transportation is less of a fag !!!! I do have a 7Ah i use for my plotter so will experiment methinks.... May thanks to all who responded......I will keep you posted on the outcome in due course..... The end ....... Maybe Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wedger Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Not quite................. Try this opinion from Sterling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirky Posted August 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Oh my word ..... now I am completely confused !!! Thanks Trev Cheapest leisure with sealed removeable caps it is........or is it ??? Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.