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Date:         Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:38:38 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Auxilliary batteries
Comments: To: camping.elliott@gmail.com
In-Reply-To:  <1300125769.19053.25.camel@TheJackUbuntuNetbook>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 02:02 PM 3/14/2011, Rocket J Squirrel wrote: > > > life expectancy of the battery with the same autonomy as acid type. > > > Is that a good assumption? > > > > Gilles, try a different word for 'autonomy' or give us the word in > > French... > >"Off grid"?

Ah - the same freedom to be self-sufficient in the van as I would obtain using flooded-cell batteries.

Better cycle life, better lifetime cost, better usable energy per pound, better discharge rate per pound, better charging rate per pound. All these are true *but* only with the initial investment of some hundreds of dollars in equipment to regulate charge and keep track of discharge; and potentially some more hundreds for an alternator capable of maintaining high charge rates for extended periods without destroying itself (or alternatively additional cooling air supplied to the rear of the existing alternator).

Without these things the cycle life will be short, charging times long, lifetime expense high. This is true whether flooded-cell or AGM/gel batteries are used, but it is much more true with AGM or gel; so if you don't intend to do it properly it is much better to stick with flooded cell batteries. A number of people on the list discovered this some years ago when there was a vogue for Optima AGM batteries.

Yours, David


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