If you're committed to a large house bank, then I think that you'll get better performance from the 4Ds.
But on my boat, I pulled the house bank out altogether. The plan is to run the house loads off of the traction bank, using a DC to DC converter. Using a converter with 300W of 13.2V output gives more than 20A of house capability. I've also addded a 32Ah AGM to act as a buffer against peak loads and to provide power when the traction batteries and converter are shut down completely. I have to admit that my boat electrical is fairly minimal, no TV, no A/C, no microwave, etc. so my electric head is my highest demand (16A) and that's only for a few seconds at a time. The lights and the tillerpilot draw much less. Right now the little AGM is my only 12V power source and it works well for day trips. I want to add the converter before I spend a long weekend at Catalina with this boat.
With that setup, I've only got one charger (48V) and I can run that from shorepower or my portable Yamaha EF2000iS generator. I'm just trying to simplify my systems....
Fair winds,
Eric
Marina del Rey, CA
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Ben Okopnik <ben@...> wrote:
>
> Hi, all -
>
> I'm completely revising the (badly designed/installed by the previous
> owner) house bank aboard my boat, and am trying to make some good
> decisions about the components that I'm using. So far, I've ordered a
> 65A/1kW battery charger, and have decided to go with AGM batteries (all
> my experience up to this point, quite a few years of it, has been with
> FLAs - specifically Trojan GCs.) A very knowledgeable friend has
> recommended PowerTech AGMs, which he has aboard his boat and which he
> tell me are comparable to LifeLine AGMs.
>
> Given the size of the battery comparments aboard, the two options I've
> come down to are (costs are from Defender Marine, just for comparison):
>
> 1) 4 6v GC2s
> A/H: 374
> Weight: 70lbs x 4 = 280lbs
> Cost: $275 x 4 = $1100
>
> 2) 2 12v 4Ds
> A/H: 396
> Weight: 129lbs x 2 = 258lbs
> Cost: $450 x 2 = $900
>
> Size-wise, the 4Ds fit the battery compartments just a little better
> than the GC2s. Now, I realize that by going with the big batteries, I'm
> losing the flexibility of being able to replace anything smaller than
> 1/2 the entire system at a time... but other than that, is there any
> other reason *not* to go with the 4Ds? At the moment, they look like the
> winner in every category (and I'm a big, strong guy who can shift a
> 130lb weight relatively easily.) Also, any other AGM-pertinent advice
> as well any other factors that pertain to noodling about a house system
> would be appreciated.
>
>
> --
> Ben Okopnik
> -=-=-=-=-=-
>
No comments:
Post a Comment