Batteries are getting pricey

[luckydave215]

I replaced my 32V banks today, $4200 for 8 Trojan 8Ds.
And that's with my discount at San Diego Marine Exchange. Ouch!
Those 12v71s sure like it though, they leap to life with about one revolution

 

[Glory]

For $4,200 it's good you happy!

Boating will always be the best lifestyle, it will never be cheap!

JM

 

[Tinman]

The last lead smelter was close at the end of 2013, compliments of the EPA. Another industry gone.Next time may be a solar panel and wind gen. lol

 

[LARRY VALENTINE]

BatteriesRe: Batteries are getting pricey

I hesitate to mention this but two yrs ago I hired two men to drag my huge 8v batteries from the battery room and replaced them with 8v golf cart batteries from Sams wholsale club, not Sams marine. This was at a fraction of the cost of Royce batteries recommended. It took up half of the space in the battery area and I was able to install them myself. My 53 ft Hat ED Motoryacht with 6V92TA's has never failed to start even in winter at Virginia Beach, VA. I have a NEWmar charger and BHS installed so it only takes a few minutes to hydrate all the batteries including house batteries and gen starting batteries. The Battery Hydration System was a great help in prolonging battery life with a minimum of my time in the battery room.. Sorry it cost you so much! Larry Valentine

 

[davidwigler]

8Ds are 12 volts. What did you buy for $4,200 to make 32 volts?

 

[luckydave215]

8Ds are 12 volts. What did you buy for $4,200 to make 32 volts?

Typo......of course I meant 4D

 

[DavidBostonWhaler37]

Yes indeed... TOO expensive.

 

[jim rosenthal]

4Ds are still twelve volts. Don't you need eight volt batteries to set up a 32v system?

I had three Group 24 starting batteries replaced Saturday for a total of about $300, including the guy who came out and did it. What surprised me was the age of the three that came out- TEN years, installed in 2005. These are maintenance-free Deka Gr 24s, dual posts, marine starting batteries. Not deep cycles. And they lasted ten years. Amazing.

 

[TROUBLE]

8 x 4 = 32

Art

 

[luckydave215]

Actually they're 13-2/3 D
8 volt direct replacement Trojans whatever the hell D they are.

 

[Boatsb]

819?

That's the original battery's from the 32 volt hatts.

 

[Boatsb]

Standard battery. I believe the rolls were an available upgrade.

 

[MikeP]

Our 1980 53MY came with Rolls-Surettes on initial delivery in 1980. They lasted 15 years. Successive 819s lasted about 5 years each. 8V195s have been in since '12 and are fine so far...

 

[tom5518]

Re: BatteriesRe: Batteries are getting pricey

I hesitate to mention this but two yrs ago I hired two men to drag my huge 8v batteries from the battery room and replaced them with 8v golf cart batteries from Sams wholsale club, not Sams marine. This was at a fraction of the cost of Royce batteries recommended. It took up half of the space in the battery area and I was able to install them myself. My 53 ft Hat ED Motoryacht with 6V92TA's has never failed to start even in winter at Virginia Beach, VA. I have a NEWmar charger and BHS installed so it only takes a few minutes to hydrate all the batteries including house batteries and gen starting batteries. The Battery Hydration System was a great help in prolonging battery life with a minimum of my time in the battery room.. Sorry it cost you so much! Larry Valentine

Golf cart batteries? That's like sending in a boy to do a man's job.

 

[q240z]

Well...I had a set of 8 GC "boys" doing man's work (starting, house, and inverter) for 7 years before I sold my 32v Connie, and last I heard they're still on the boat!. Maybe the GF lead and the acid don't know they're not supposed to last that long?

 

[tom5518]

Well...I had a set of 8 GC "boys" doing man's work (starting, house, and inverter) for 7 years before I sold my 32v Connie, and last I heard they're still on the boat!. Maybe the GF lead and the acid don't know they're not supposed to last that long?

Golf cart batteries work and they may work well for a long time if they are properly maintained. I just don't like them on a boat from a safety standpoint. You can probably come up with a million times that they have worked fine, but I don't like cheaping out over things that can cause fires and explosions. I am sure you can relate to that.

A thread from back in the day that Quentin even participated in:

http://www.samsmarine.com/forums/showthread.php?18782-Another-battery-fire-in-a-sail-boat.&

 

[Boatsb]

When Fishing you may drift and stop and start engines many times. The gc batteries are not made for starting. Just like the deep cycle marines. Starting batteries don't discharge as well as deep cycles. Use the right tool for the job or deal with the consequences.

I got longer life out of batteries using the boat (running it) almost 100 days a year than when she sat at the dock more. It's the number of cycles and the depth of charge and discharge that matter. Start batteries need to be used or they loose lifetime.