battery question

[Scott Danforth]

Yes, I know. Would you prefer I call them wet cell batteries?

Flooded lead acid is the term I believe

 

[bruceb58]

Even Odyssey themselves does not have recommendations for battery chargers with temp sensors.

I bought a battery charger on the approved Odyssey list and it doesn't have a temp sensor. Even the Odyssey chargers with their names on it don't have temp sensors. I own one of them for my Harley Odyssey battery.

And what alternator has a temp sensor since that is also charging AGM batteries if you think about it?

 

[wrvond]

NOCO Genius and Promariner are just two smart chargers that come to mind that monitor battery temperature and modify the charge rate accordingly.
What alternator do you know of that is purpose built to cater to the needs of AGM batteries? But just because manufacturers don't build it doesn't mean it wouldn't be a good thing to have.
BTW both my car and my truck monitor battery temperature and will interrupt power going to the battery. I wonder why that would be?
My boat charger does have a battery temperature sensor as well, and the manufacturer goes so far as to specifically state that for maximum AGM battery life the temp sensor should be connected.

 

[bruceb58]

I am going to backtrack and agree with you on temp compensation.

You are correct about the ProMariner. Their Pronautic model does have temp compensation and is on the Odyssey approved list.

After that, I looked at my charger manual(dual pro) and it does have some sort of temp compensation with a sensor built into the leads of the charger where it attaches to the battery.

So which car and truck do you have that monitors battery temperature?

Here is the list of approved chargers.
http://www.odysseybattery.com/docume...V_chargers.pdf

 

[wrvond]

<snip>.

So which car and truck do you have that monitors battery temperature?

<snip>

Both my Lincoln MKS and F250 have battery temperature monitoring. I really don't recall how they do it, I just remember reading it in the manuals. I know I had a car (at some point) that had a mat under the battery that was the temp sensor, but don't remember if it was one of these or another vehicle.

 

[dingbat]

All this talk of temp comp chargers and alternators. barometer pressure, sunspot compensation, etc. has me confused.

Are we discussing power sources for the next space prob or a starting battery for a boat that might get used 12 hours a year?

Fwiw? Most local commercial guys use the battery that's on sale at the local marine hardware store and bungee cords to hold it in place.

 

[jhebert]

What is the board consensus on starting battery type[?] [A]re the AGM's the way to go or not[?]
​Thanks ...for your [replies].

I doubt that anyone can tell you the consensus of the users of this forum. Who would gather that data? Why would any one individual know the consensus?

Instead of any real notion of consensus from replies, you are just getting individual opinions. That is all anyone can offer--not the consensus of all the users.

A lead-acid, sealed, valve-regulated (SVRLA), absorbed glass mat (AGM)battery construction is not a bad choice for boat use for these reasons:

--there should be good immunity to damage of the internal components of the SVRLA AGM battery from vibration and shock loading, which could be a problem in a boat, although, I really don't think boats are too much different than automobiles in this regard, at least automobiles that are driven on the lousy roads we have today in the USA, unless you drive you boat at crazy speeds in big waves;

--if the AGM battery is made with ultra-high-purity lead--and not all of them are, only certain ones--an AGM battery can have a slightly slower rate of self-discharge, and this could help the typical boater who probably does not use the boat every day; the AGM with ultra-high-purity lead will tolerate sitting unused longer without losing as much charge as a battery made with normal lead plates which are usually mixed with other compounds for various reasons;

--the sealed construction should help keep acid fumes out of the boat interior compartments and spaces;

--some SVRLA AGM batteries can accept charging current at very high rates, and this can be useful if you have certain engines that can only produce charging current at higher engine speeds; this feature will let the battery absorb high current when charging; this is the reason the Mercury VERADO has to use an AGM battery;

There are several drawbacks to the SVRLA AGM battery:

--they usually cost a lot more, often as much as double the cost of a good vented flooded-cell lead-acid battery of similar ratings;

--they are very sensitive to being overcharged, yet also sensitive to being undercharged; they really want to have their terminal voltage maintained in a specific manner for best results;

--because of overcharging or undercharging on a chronic basis, the service life is often less than expected, often much less than expected; service life will typically be shorter than a similar vented flooded-cell battery of equivalent quality (and price); the electrolyte in vented batteries can be replaced if lost, whereas in sealed batteries it cannot.

--because they can be shipped with acid in the battery and the battery charged, there are a lot of imported AGM batteries coming from China with dubious quality; the ability to be shipped in the usual shipping conditions has given AGM batteries a boost in sales; conventional vented flooded-cell lead acid batteries cannot be shipped to you or shipped across the ocean with the acid in them and the battery charged. This makes their distribution and sale harder than for AGM and has probably helped AGM batteries become more popular.

 

[jhebert]

...Most local commercial guys use the battery that's on sale at the local marine hardware store and bungee cords to hold it in place.

If that were true, why would anyone want to get the consensus of their opinions? Those guys seem to know little about batteries, so why be guided by them?