# Deep Cycle Batteries



## ApiCutter

Im looking at these batteries and notice theirs lower voltage Batteries (12v 6v and 2v are what im seeing). 
My question is, can you chain the lower voltage batteries together and still get 12v? And how would this effect the amp hours, would it increase?


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## Kim Chee

I'm not an electrical engineer, but I am somewhat knowledgeable in this area. Why would you want to connect smaller batteries to become a larger battery? Yes, you can connect lower voltage batteries batteries together to have a greater voltage than any single battery in your circuit. There are two accepted methods to use: series and parallel. I think you would want to connect them in series for increased voltage. If you are looking for increased amp hours, I believe a parallel connection is what you need. If you google this: (series parallel battery) you will probably find all the information you are looking for in short order.


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## ApiCutter

The reason I want to connect lower Voltage batteries is some of them have higher Amp Hours, It was just an Idea I havent really had a chance to price them.


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## ApiCutter

I was wondering if you know of any good sources for information on "RV" battery equipment Id greatly appreciate it. Any thing to point me in the right direction would be helpful. Ive been doing allot of web searches and turning up a little bit of information, but electrical and wiring is just a foreign language I know enough on how to set up wires and the likes, but not what kind of equipment Ill need.


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## ped

The reason you connect two 6v to make 12v is that they last longer. 6v have thicker plates so they will take more cycles. When you hook up lower voltage in series you make 12v but keep the amp hours the same. When you connect in parallel you keep the same voltage but add the amps. Using 2 6v batteries hooked in series or 4 6v in series-parallel is typical the most favorable approach for RV'ers.

Series:
You get two 200AH 6v and connect a jumper going from the positive of the first battery to the negative of the second one. Then the two open posts will be where you will hook up to. That will give you 12v @ 200AH.

Parallel:
If you get two 12v 100AH you will run two jumpers. One from the positive of the first battery to the positive of the second battery. THe other from the negative of the first to the ngative of the second. Then you simply hook up to it like you would any single battery. That will give you 12v @ 200AH.

http://www.zbattery.com/Connecting-Batteries-in-Series-or-Parallel
http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm


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## ApiCutter

Thanks, great information.


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## ApiCutter

Ive found some great info since I know what to look for now. Pretty help full to me maybe some ealse might benefit from the resources..

Artical on "power surges" 
http://vandwellers.org/poopsheets/surge.htm 

This website Has all kinds of information on RV power sources. Since Im scaling this down, allot of this is quite excessive. Since I wont have microwaves, and power draining devices. where they need 400+ Amp Hours.
http://www.macandchris.com/RVBatteries.htm 


I do have another question. Whats more effiecent DC or AC? Wouldnt an inverter or converter just zap all the juice from your cells?


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## Floater

Thank you Ped! I didn't realize that there could be such a large difference in AH on a 6v deep cycle. I run a single 12v with 114AH and it cost me a pretty penny, but now I'm wishing I had looked for a 6v setup.... is 200AH common for a 6v battery?


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## ped

[/QUOTE]


ApiCutter said:


> Ive found some great info since I know what to look for now. Pretty help full to me maybe some ealse might benefit from the resources..
> 
> Artical on "power surges"
> http://vandwellers.org/poopsheets/surge.htm
> 
> This website Has all kinds of information on RV power sources. Since Im scaling this down, allot of this is quite excessive. Since I wont have microwaves, and power draining devices. where they need 400+ Amp Hours.
> http://www.macandchris.com/RVBatteries.htm
> 
> 
> I do have another question. Whats more effiecent DC or AC? Wouldnt an inverter or converter just zap all the juice from your cells?


 
Microwaves use next to nothing. Their current draw is high when running so it's good to have a bank of at least 2 because of it but since you only run them for a few minutes at a time they won't hardly make a dent in the bank reserve. 800w/12 = 66.66 amps per hour. 66.66A/60 minutes equals 1.11 amps per minute.

You're not flying a space shuttle to saturn so there's no sense in buying ridiculously overkill equipment the salesmen pushed. A couple flooded lead acids, a modified sinewave inverter and a couple hundred watts of solar. $700-800 will take care of all your energy needs.

It's a pet peeve of mine when these guys riding in 6 figure motorhomes with 6 figure bank accounts, portfolio's, medicare and drawing social security keep spouting this crap about "unless you need to cut corners buy the $1,000 inverter to run your $30 microwave and a laptop." It's complete bullshit. Pure sinewave inverters are relatively new on the scene only there for people running serious audio/video recording studios or CPAP oxygen machines. And even then they really aren't needed most of the time. Buying one for vandwelling is beyond absurd.

It's the "I have to absolutely have the best for no rational reason" syndrome.

All their reasoning is just an elaborate rationalization for buying something they never actually needed in the first place. A sales pitch rationale.

AC to DC - again there's inefficiencies in the conversion process but they're very minor (1-5%). Otherwise energy is energy and it doesn't matter. I use 12v products like a fleece heating blanket and small fan. I also use 120v for my laptop, charging camera batteries, etc.



> Thank you Ped! I didn't realize that there could be such a large difference in AH on a 6v deep cycle. I run a single 12v with 114AH and it cost me a pretty penny, but now I'm wishing I had looked for a 6v setup.... is 200AH common for a 6v battery?


 
Yes that's typical. 200-220AH. You have to buy 2 6v to get 12v and they're the same price as a 100AH 12v so it's all equal in the end.


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## Floater

> Yes that's typical. 200-220AH. You have to buy 2 6v to get 12v and they're the same price as a 100AH 12v so it's all equal in the end.


Thanks again! good to know I didn't get ripped off with my battery... Though, 200AH sounds so much better than 114AH...probably because I'm low on power at the moment lol....



> Microwaves use next to nothing. Their current draw is high when running so it's good to have a bank of at least 2 because of it but since you only run them for a few minutes at a time they won't hardly make a dent in the bank reserve. 800w/12 = 66.66 amps per hour. 66.66A/60 minutes equals 1.11 amps per minute.


That is some good info. I had not thought to break it down like that to figure it out myself. I was always told to forget about it because they consume too much at once...... but a one hour charge to refill the bank after 3-4min. of cooking with an 800w microwave... totally worth it! Especially when it's free energy compared to the cost of, let's say, propane.


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## ped

Not even that. With my 160w of solar for instance I only need like 20 minutes in the sun!!


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## Floater

20 minutes? I wish!... I draw 3A from my panel at about 40v (peak), so it will probably take close to the full hour for me... if I'm calculating it right. It's still seems all too worth it.... now I'm going to have to remodel the van so I can find a place for a microwave  LOL


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## ped

40v? Do you use an MPPT?


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## travelin

the most common six volt batteries used are trojan t105. about 125 each. good batteries.


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## ApiCutter

Microwaves use next to nothing. Their current draw is high when running so it's good to have a bank of at least 2 because of it but since you only run them for a few minutes at a time they won't hardly make a dent in the bank reserve. 800w/12 = 66.66 amps per hour. 66.66A/60 minutes equals 1.11 amps per minute.

You're not flying a space shuttle to saturn so there's no sense in buying ridiculously overkill equipment the salesmen pushed. A couple flooded lead acids, a modified sinewave inverter and a couple hundred watts of solar. $700-800 will take care of all your energy needs.

It's a pet peeve of mine when these guys riding in 6 figure motorhomes with 6 figure bank accounts, portfolio's, medicare and drawing social security keep spouting this crap about "unless you need to cut corners buy the $1,000 inverter to run your $30 microwave and a laptop." It's complete bullshit. Pure sinewave inverters are relatively new on the scene only there for people running serious audio/video recording studios or CPAP oxygen machines. And even then they really aren't needed most of the time. Buying one for vandwelling is beyond absurd.

It's the "I have to absolutely have the best for no rational reason" syndrome.

All their reasoning is just an elaborate rationalization for buying something they never actually needed in the first place. A sales pitch rationale.

AC to DC - again there's inefficiencies in the conversion process but they're very minor (1-5%). Otherwise energy is energy and it doesn't matter. I use 12v products like a fleece heating blanket and small fan. I also use 120v for my laptop, charging camera batteries, etc.
[/quote]


Fuckin Right, This is what I was hoping to hear. You have any recomendations as far as equipment goes solar and battery chargers? Im gonna be getting my batteries in the next couple days and rig it so when Im driving I can charge my batteries off the alternator with an isolator. I have a little yamaha generator. But then Im stuck driving the van for a charge.

I might consider solar, but I dont know. I feel like thats just a head ache waiting to happen.


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## ped

No man solar is the shit. You will definitely love having a panel or two on the roof. I don't even bother with generators now. It's really nice to be able to charge at all times and not have to worry about running the generator or waisting precious gas. Where ever you are you're charging. Not to mention solar will make batteries last alot longer as it keeps them in better shape. Where I got mine the prices went up because the government subsidies ran out or something like that but they're still a pretty decent price.

The downside is in the winter when the sun is low to the south. Charging is cut in half at the winter solstice even at latitudes of 30-33 degrees.

Here's a kit for $229 shipped. I have the same panels but different charge controller. They're top grade 25 year warranty and all that. At this time of year this will give about 35-40 amps a day.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/85-WATT-12-VOLT-RV-SOLAR-PANEL-KIT-/310404423486?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo=SIC.NPJS&its=I&itu=UA&otn=5&pmod=280862970339&ps=63&clkid=8889047095864172918

Here's the panel by itself.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/85-WATT-12-VOLT-SOLAR-PANEL-85W-12V-Polycrystalline-Solar-Panel-/310404433744?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo=SIC.NPJS&its=I&itu=UA&otn=5&pmod=280862970339&ps=63&clkid=8889047095864172922

I did a solar installation write up for Matt but I never got around to submitting it. Maybe I should. But in essence installing it is simple. Plug the panel in to a charge controller, hook charge controller to the battery with an inline fuse. That's it. Then mount it all which is probably the hardest part. In reality it isn't all that hard at all. Five holes and a tube of silicon.


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## ApiCutter

Thanks. I was really thinking of forgoing solar, but this sounds too good of an idea to not do. Especially for the price, those RV pages had me thinking I was gonna need like a 200w solar system. But like you said, that's just the mind set their in, bigger is better... fuckin BS.


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## Floater

ped said:


> 40v? Do you use an MPPT?


no mppt yet...just a cheap harbor freight controller, but it is on the list. You are the second person to ask me that. Why is this recommended for my setup?


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## ped

If your panel is 40v and you're charging at 14.4v the extra 25.6v difference is just being thrown away. MPPT can utilize all that extra voltage and turn it into charging current. One of them would give you about 1.5X more charge everyday.


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## happyearthhomes

Just want to chime in here I run 60watts of panels with a 7amp CC on 6 105 ah deep cycle batteries with a 2k inverter and i run my entire RV off of that A.C., fridge, microwave, fans and everything albeit I never run two large appliances at the same time but i generally keep a full charge off of those panels. I strictly monitor my power levels and run my big appliances very rarely they are also all newer more energy efficient versions


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## Floater

ped said:


> If your panel is 40v and you're charging at 14.4v the extra 25.6v difference is just being thrown away. MPPT can utilize all that extra voltage and turn it into charging current. One of them would give you about 1.5X more charge everyday.


 
Yep, I need to try and come up with the funds to pick one up. For now, what I have works and is a total blessing, but I would really like to fix the bugs and make it as efficient as possible.


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