Hi, I charged up my 120ah deep cycle battery after a session last Tuesday. Battery used for my leccy and just wanted to know does the battery lose its full charge when not in use for a few weeks? Was planning on going out for a fish this saturday and wasnt sure if i needed to charge it up again.
thanks
smoked
(when Im dead) my biggest FEAR is that my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.........
G'day smoked,
Yepo batteries sure do lose charge from being full and just sitting around after a few weeks. I always tend to chuck my leccy battery on the night before i go fishing to ensure its at maximal charge. so it wouldn't hurt to put yours on. i've got one of the smart chargers that when it gets to full it trickle charges so you don't blow it up.
good luck fishing on saturday mate
fisho
Lead acid batteries will lose around 3-4% of charge per month.
sweet thanks guys, gonna hit the brissy i think staying away from goldie while classic is on. meant to be blowing 15knot northerlys. was gonbna head out to the mouth but might stay inside.
smoked
(when Im dead) my biggest FEAR is that my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.........
That is assuming it is good condition. As the battery ages it gets worse.....lots worse.Originally Posted by foxx510
If the battery is new ish.....it should hold up OK for week.
If you have a good quality multistage charger you cant hurt it.
If you are using a crude old type battery charger you need to be carefull you don't stew it. buy charging it too much.
cheers
The deep cycle is pretty much brand new. I got one of those Calibre 3.5amp, 3 stage chargers. Was told a slower charge the better.
cheers
smoked
(when Im dead) my biggest FEAR is that my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.........
Everyone will tell you something different it seems. I read somewhere that troo small a charger on a large deep cycle battery might never fully charge the battery properly.
3.5 amp is probably the max current the charger delivers in BULK charge mode, which typically BULK charges a battery until it reaches 80% capacity. What current does it deliver after that for the remaining 20% capacity?
3.5 amps is a bit small for a 120 AH battery, but there is no way you will over charge it with that charger.
The conventional wisdom will say that for best results you should be looking for a charger at least 10 to 15 amps for that size battery. ( arround 1/10 AH capacity in charge current)
A good quality multistage charger of that size should give you a reliable overnight.(14 hour) full charge.
Your 3.5 amp charger will problay take two full days ( 48 hours) to charge the battery from near flat and 24 hours to recharge from the recomended 50% charge point.
The anti low charge rate people will try and tell you you will never get a full charge with that small charger......Personaly I think that is a bit of an extreeme view of the facts.
A volt meter and a hydrometer will tell you the truth.
cheers
just to add another question here,
did you charge the battery in ur boat smoked or do u take it out...?
what does everyone else do...?
i have been taking mine out but wondered if i was doing more harm than good
Yella, I made a tray for my battery with marine ply screwd 25mm angle to the ply in the shape of battery then bolted 2 threaded rods to tighten the battery down. Carpeted the ply and its now locked on the centre of the boat from behind the front seat and next rib back. I started to take the battery out after trip wipe it down then put on charge. Lately i have just wiped it down where it is now and whack it on charge from there. I leave the hatches off while on charge. Im not sure ifs this a good thing to do but i did it anyways. I can see it being a problem..... or is there??
Here are some pictures of how i have my battery stored on boat,
cheers
smoked
(when Im dead) my biggest FEAR is that my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.........
Old mate i bought the battery off told me a 8 to 10 amp charger, anything lower wont hurt it, it would just take alot longer for it to charge.
any advice on a better charger? brand? store? price?
cheers
smoked
(when Im dead) my biggest FEAR is that my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.........
I'm using a Projecta 7-stage 16 Amp charger (variable current selection of 2, 4, 8, 16 amp). I swear by this thing. It charges up really well and has battery recondition modes as well which will help preserve older batteries or ones that have been run down quite low. I think it cost about $250 off memory but I think its worth all that and more.
I know I might seem a bit fussy .... But i'd be getting that battery in a battery box and strapping it down a bit better.
If somehow a battery of that size got the terminals shorted the fault current would be in the inn the area of 1000 amps....... and you have aluminium all arround ithe battery.
At least some sort of heavy insulating cover.
As you have probaly found out batteries are very heavy.......if there is some sort of accident or even a solid landing off a wave at an odd angle that battery could come free.
I learned my lesson of securing batteries from "COL" who copped a battery in the back when he pranged his rally car.......he ran his car into a bridge post.....all would have been fine if the battery hadn't got free.......the straps across the top held.... the 1/2 inch rods held....but the two welded on long 50 x 5mm straps pulled thru the floor......he is lucky to be walking. copped him in the small of the back and did serious damage even thru the seat back.
as for taking the battery out of the boat for charging.......makes no difference as long as you can isolate it.
And ventilate it
with these modern chargers the batteries don't vent anywhere near as much as the crude old ones... so there isn't the need to open the filler caps and there isn't anywhere near the acid fume problems.
cheers
Back 30 years ago (bloody hell!!) I had a CB radio in my bedroom and would talk to other kids from school etc. It ran off a car battery that I wrapped up in plastic and placed in the bottom of my wardrobe. I had a battery charger next to it which remained connected and I would turn it on from time to time.
I was totally unaware of the explosive gas given off by the charging up until (when meant to be sleeping) I turned the CB radio on one morning around 3am am KABOOOM. I blew the wardrobe door off its hinges. The gas had been building in the plastic and there must have been a spark.
Now, for my question..... Can a similar risk exist if charging today's batteries in a closed storage area in a boat?
- Darren
P.S. Mum and Dad were not impressed!
Possibly, if using a single stage charger and you dont keep an eye on it. With a multi-stage charger with float mode, it would be unlikely that you will have a problem, assuming the charger is working correctly.
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