What is the available AMPS?
Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2021 12:31 pm
Hi folks,
Some two years ago I followed the general advice in the Forum and upgraded to 4 Golf Cart AGM Batteries + a Starter 12 Volt AGM which has been in place for 6-8 years. All works well. I am not a techie and just follow instructions as to electrical matters.
The new 6V AGMs - from West Marine and bought at a big sale for about $260 each - have three amp levels marked on them. Each battery says in big letters they are 6V 190 AH Grp C2.
The sales literature says each has 680 CCA (cold cranking amps) and 900 MCA (marine cramping amps). On the advice of the electrical guy who installed them, I also added a Zantrex Lite meter and can precisely watch the amps in and out. We set the AMP hours at 380 (total) and it fluctuates with that as a base so at 50% used, it shows approx 190 hours accumulated use. I seldom let it get down to less than 70% which occurs whenever I leave the fridge/freezer on overnight and use the diesel heat in the mornings. Around here in the Pacific Northwest, most mornings are 55-60 at this time of the year, so it takes the chill off when we are at anchor which is often.
A yachtie friend around here says I have 760 AH usable capacity and thus twice what I set the Zantrex up with. The other issue is that the Zantrex asks if the batteries are (1) Sealed or (2) GEL or (3) Flooded which I know it is not. I set it at (1) but perhaps it should be (2)? From what the manual says, the difference between 1 and 2 is that the "Boost Charging Voltage" is 14.4V or 14.2V respectively. Should I change it to (2)? Any damage done by leaving it at (1)?
Incidentally I also added two 70W solar panels on the hardtop dodger and am disappointed at the results. Supposedly the best quality panels and made in MA. USA. They work just fine but produce at best 6 Amps and usually 4-5 when no boom shadow is present. Given this is the NW - at 48.00 degrees North, precisely where I am now in Canadian waters, it means at best on a good sunny day it adds about 30amps into the system. Not worth the cost: just run the diesel for an hour!
Look forward to the thoughts and answers,
Cheers all, Geoff, - Taeko 1V C350/392.
Some two years ago I followed the general advice in the Forum and upgraded to 4 Golf Cart AGM Batteries + a Starter 12 Volt AGM which has been in place for 6-8 years. All works well. I am not a techie and just follow instructions as to electrical matters.
The new 6V AGMs - from West Marine and bought at a big sale for about $260 each - have three amp levels marked on them. Each battery says in big letters they are 6V 190 AH Grp C2.
The sales literature says each has 680 CCA (cold cranking amps) and 900 MCA (marine cramping amps). On the advice of the electrical guy who installed them, I also added a Zantrex Lite meter and can precisely watch the amps in and out. We set the AMP hours at 380 (total) and it fluctuates with that as a base so at 50% used, it shows approx 190 hours accumulated use. I seldom let it get down to less than 70% which occurs whenever I leave the fridge/freezer on overnight and use the diesel heat in the mornings. Around here in the Pacific Northwest, most mornings are 55-60 at this time of the year, so it takes the chill off when we are at anchor which is often.
A yachtie friend around here says I have 760 AH usable capacity and thus twice what I set the Zantrex up with. The other issue is that the Zantrex asks if the batteries are (1) Sealed or (2) GEL or (3) Flooded which I know it is not. I set it at (1) but perhaps it should be (2)? From what the manual says, the difference between 1 and 2 is that the "Boost Charging Voltage" is 14.4V or 14.2V respectively. Should I change it to (2)? Any damage done by leaving it at (1)?
Incidentally I also added two 70W solar panels on the hardtop dodger and am disappointed at the results. Supposedly the best quality panels and made in MA. USA. They work just fine but produce at best 6 Amps and usually 4-5 when no boom shadow is present. Given this is the NW - at 48.00 degrees North, precisely where I am now in Canadian waters, it means at best on a good sunny day it adds about 30amps into the system. Not worth the cost: just run the diesel for an hour!
Look forward to the thoughts and answers,
Cheers all, Geoff, - Taeko 1V C350/392.