Battery Questions for 25D owners

[barfwinkle]

Hello to all

Just a quick question about batteries. Will the battery shelf on the 25d hold two Group 27 batteries in their battery boxes? I currently have a Gp 27 and Gp 24 on the shelf and it sure is tight.

TIA

[rtbates]

The two 27's in Seraph w/o a box leave about 1.5-2" of space side to side and several inches fore-aft. So depending on how much the box is larger than the batteries it just might fit.

good luck

randy 25D Seraph #161

[barfwinkle]

Hi Randy

Could you please tell me the type of batteries you use and how they are installed? Are the Gels AGM? And how do you protect the termials from coming in contact with foreign materials and shorting across the terminals?

If Gels or AGM have protection for the post then when I put new batteries on, they would work.

Thanks

[rtbates]

They are old fashion wet cell group 27 type. They sit side by side fore-aft in the port cockpit locker on a shelf mounted outboard. I take no pre-cautions to protect the terminals as the batteries sit quite high. They are strapped down.

Randy 25D Seraph #161

[Daniel VanWinkle]

My 2 cents on the topic: My two group 27 wet cells don't fit the shelf on my 25D but they can be stapped down tightly. I prefer to house them in battery cases with lids. This captures any spill and keeps the terminals protected.

dwinvan@aol.com
CD 25D Bali Ha'i
Toms River, NJ

[barfwinkle]

My two group 27 wet cells don't fit the shelf on my 25D but they can be stapped down tightly. I prefer to house them in battery cases with lids. This captures any spill and keeps the terminals protected.

Hello Dan

I am somewhat confused. Do you keep one battery on the shelf and the other somewhere else? Or just "force" them both onto the shelf? Have you trimmed off the small lip on the shelf?

I am considering AGMs (if indeed my current batteries are bad) and then I think the only concern would be the terminals. So one could do away with the battery box maybe!!!

Thanks for the reply.

[Daniel VanWinkle]

Hi, sorry for the confusion. Yes the lip on the after edge of the battery shelf was removed. About 4" of the after battery extends out over the end of the shelf. This does'nt appear to make straping it down unstable. I would like to extend the shelf so that all the battery is sitting on it though. It's been on my "to do" list for several years. Wouldn't be hard to to: add a piece of 3/8 or 1/2"plywood using biscuits and expoxy glue to join at the edge, some polester tape for reinforcement and a support brace underneath, scribed to the curve of the hull and "tabbed on" with some epoxy and cloth. Maybe this year! dvw

[barfwinkle]

Thanks Dan

[Mark Yashinsky]

For your shelf, if you have sufficient height, why not just lay down a new, larger piece of wood, covering the old (and well glued and screwed to) the old shelf??? Would probably be a lot easier and faster.
If you are planning on going the AGM route, one important item: AGM's (and Gel's) are VERY particular about charging VOLTAGE. You must have a regulator that you can set or program the max voltage (or battery type) that is sent to it. If you give it the higher flooded deep cycle voltage, the battery will be cooked down the road. Same thing if you want to hook a shore battery charger to it. On the other hand, the AGM will recharge quickly, if your charging system is up to it. They will accept what ever charging current your charging system will give it. Yes, it is possible to over heat your charging system. Do a search in the archives for AGM, Gel, Flooded deep cycle. Merits and issues have been discussed in great detail, along w/ owner's systems for them.

[barfwinkle]

Thanks for the comments Mark.

Last week I talked with the folks in technical support for Wind and Sun in Arizona and asked the alternator question specifically. They told me that IF I installed a smart staged battery charger (120v) that I would have no problems and that the alternator should cause no problems. I am considering Concorde PVX 1080T batteries, but will certainly wait unitl I know for sure that the current batteries are dead in the water.

Thanks again and Spring is just round da corner.

[Mark Yashinsky]

did you go w/ Concorde's Photovoltaic (Sun Xtender) line rather than their Marine/RV battery (Lifeline) line??? They have the standard sizes like GPL-24T and GPL-27T in the deep cycle type.
As for charging from the engine, it was probably figured that your alternator could not put out enough to hurt the AGM's. FYI, have two seasons on two Lifeline GPL-27T's under my belt. They are being fed by a Balmar system (smart regulator too) that include a 100A alternator off the Yanmar 20hp engine. When the regulator ramps the alternator online to recharge the batteries, you can hear the engine labor. Usually, after a number of minutes, the regulator is happy w/ the charge of the batteries and backs the load off the engine. BTW, two winters of not removing or attempting to charge the batteries (ok, been having the stereo on, while working on the boat) and they are still fully charged.

[barfwinkle]

Mark

I haven't gone with anything yet. I am just checking them out. The only reason I am considering the 1080 or 980 Ts is because I am just looking and they seem to be "about" the size of the Gp27s. I will not be able to upgrade the alternator as I assume the 1GM would have a difficult time with the additional load. I dont know that, I am just speculating.

Is there a web site for the concordes you are talking about?

Thanks

[Mark Yashinsky]

The main Concorde site is http://www.concordebattery.com/ that has the aircraft batteries and has links to all their other sites, but the short cut to Lifeline is http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/ .

[barfwinkle]