Battery Replacement

[Air Mobility]

I need to replace my original 2003 Excide batteries. The Trojan T105's are now priced at $140.00 ea. US Batterry sells a T-105 replacement(US2200XC) with very similar specs (size, wt, amp/hr etc) for $96.25. Has anyone used these? Any recommendations?
Thanks
Air Mobility #158
George Fisher

[Richard Thabit]

Look at the section for golf cart battery replacement for comments on other 6 volt batteries. I used interstate batteries last season and so far they are holding up well.
Richard
"Three Sheets"

[Triumph]

I used the T-105's. Be careful of the height of anything else you buy. There is not a lot of extra clearance for a taller battery than the T-105's.

[nybor]

I need some advice. My twin 4Ds are now 8 years old. I am going to do the Nigel Calder test method to see if they are still within operational limits. By the way, if you don't know about "the test", let me know and I will summarize it in another post.

Anyway, the question is: HOW DO YOU REMOVE/LIFT them out of the cabin and then off the boat? I was thinking of cutting them up with a acetylene torch, but worried about damaging the cushions located nearby from the torch flames.

thanks in advance
Dave
NYBOR

ps. I haven't measured it, but has anyone replaced the 4D with 8's?

[saileagleswings]

The easiest way is to get two strong kids to pick each battery up by its rope handles and carry the battery out. Using the main halyard or spinnaker halyard to lift each battery up to the deck will also work. Easier than you might think. Once at deck level slide the batteries down a ramp to the dock. Reverse the procedure to get the new batteries into the battery compartment.

I don't think there is any chance that a 8D battery will fit.

[jking]

Hi,
The batteries lift out easily by tilting them at an angle of about 30 degrees. No need to cut anything, it does seem unnatural at first but nothing leaks out. I replaced my with 4Ds from NAPA $220 each, except the terminals need a terminal adaptor for $7 each battery to change them from the truck type back to a terminal.
Jan

[KenKrawford]

Go with golf cart batteries and never face this problem again.

[ps23435]

We replaced the two large house batteries on Slip Away (#437) last year. After reading about how others removed the two large batteries using ramps and slings and halyards, my wife and I were able to just lift them off. As described, after removing the wood braces in the battery compartment we were able to tilt and lift the batteries using the rope handles. We covered the deck, ladder and cockpit deck to prevent any dings and slowly and carefully lifted them one step at a time up to the cockpit then again, slowly up to the main deck and off the boat. Not easy, but not impossible either (and we aren't in great shape for weight lifting!). As to replacement, we also went with the golf cart batteries because of availability (Sam's Club) and ease of handling. Our final installation required some modifications to the bracing and the cabling (to connect the 4 batteries vice 2). See http://catalina350.net/phpBB3/viewtopic ... =826#p3237.

Good Luck!

[nybor]

New question. As I mentioned I installed three batteries instead of the two. My question is how to hook up the third to the other two. Any thoughts?

thanks
dave

[BillBerner]

Just hook 'em up in parallel. + to +, - to -
Good 2 go.

[jking]

Hi,
Hook the third battery in parallel with either battery 1 or battery 2. The two batteries which are in parallel should preferably be of a similar age, type and size.
Jan #303

[nybor]

thanks. I did purchase three new 4GLs so all are the same age (3 months old).

I guess by adding the third in parallel to one of the two "mains", you would then have one main at x amp hours and the other at 2x amp hours. I assume this would not be a problem for the solar/wind/Charles converter. The only other way I could think of would be to tie all three + together and all - together. I THINK that would then look like 2x for either main (1 or 2)???
I am getting a headache!!!

thanks
dave

[jking]

Hi, I am an electrical engineer who works in the solar industry. You can get solar chargers which charge both battery banks and keeps them electrically isolated.
Don't tie all three together. You keep one separate so you can use it as a starting battery if you accidentally drain the other battery bank and the engine will not start.
Jan

[nybor]

Thanks for the suggestion. I do have a Blue Sky 3000i that has the capability of charging a start battery. However, I added the third battery for more amp hours. So isolating one of them would defeat this objective.

I do have TWO (Leigh is reading this and will shortly respond that his boat has THREE!) Yamaha generators (used in parallel to run the ac). So, if the batteries did die, I could start the engine by running one or two generators and charge the batteries.

Maybe the best thing is to add a FOURTH battery - definitely NOT a 4GL and isolate this one as the start battery. My solar/wind would then keep it charged.

thanks
dave