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Battery Bank - low budget

  • 09-02-2011 8:58am
    #1
    mchammer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 225 ✭✭


    I want to build up a battery bank for charging with a 12v generator/alternator. Can anyone recommend somewhere to acquire 12v Lead Acid batteries with a suitable amp hour rating ata reasonable cost? Should I just go to the scrap yard and try to revive old ones or is there a supplier for this kind of thing?

    Thanks in advance
    MC


Comments

  • #2
    quentingargan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,627 ✭✭✭quentingargan


    mchammer wrote: »
    I want to build up a battery bank for charging with a 12v generator/alternator. Can anyone recommend somewhere to acquire 12v Lead Acid batteries with a suitable amp hour rating ata reasonable cost? Should I just go to the scrap yard and try to revive old ones or is there a supplier for this kind of thing?

    Thanks in advance
    MC

    Batteries are specifically designed for different purpose. Car & Lorry batteries have high output for what is called "cold cranking" but are not designed to be left for any period of time at a low state of charge.

    Leisure batteries or deep cycle batteries are probably what you want. These are used for fork lifts, golf buggies etc. They all have a chart of depth of discharge -vs- number of cycles. Some cheap ones can only last 200 to 300 cycles if discharged to between 50% and 80%.

    I don't know from your post what the use is. If they are for emergency backup lighting, then a couple of hundred discharges might be plenty in a lifetime, but if you are living off-grid and constantly discharging and then recharging, you want a battery designed for solar / wind charge use.

    Living off grid for last 8 years, I've never had satisfaction with secondhand batteries. I did get a cheap set of forklift batteries that were the wrong size and they lasted well.

    Q


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