OPTIMA Yellow Top Batteries (Deep Cycle)

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caprihorse
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Recommended Charging Information:

Alternator: 13.65 to 15.0 volts
Battery Charger (Constant Voltage): 13.8 to 15.0 volts; 10 amps maximum; 6-12 hours approximate

It means, when you kill your battery with winch, 100% discharge 70km/h to charge it fully back.
Darshan
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[quote=caprihorse;12477]Recommended Charging Information:

Alternator: 13.65 to 15.0 volts
Battery Charger (Constant Voltage): 13.8 to 15.0 volts; 10 amps maximum; 6-12 hours approximate

It means, when you kill your battery with winch, 100% discharge 70km/h to charge it fully back.[/quote]

Good info! I was wondering about the same math for a couple of days. Thanks.

I have a fridge (Waeco 32 up) which as a built in battery and also has a low voltage cut off within the unit so that it cuts off when the vehicle battery has just enough juice to start the vehicle. Though i have not run into any issues even after leaving the unit switched on in the car for a couple of days, i keep worrying that one of these days i will run the vehicle battery down.
I am sure that the short drives that i do from home to office is not going to charge the vehicle battery to full. So what is the solution? Is there one? i do not have any plug points in the parking of my home or in office.
Any suggestions would be welcome.
I know that i would need an yellow top down the line coz the deep discharging that i am doing on stock battery is eventually going to kill it. But that is something i will deal with when it is dead.
Wasif Ahmed
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You can leave your car with the engine running when you park at your office for a couple of hours each day or you can go for a dual battery setup...one for the car and one deep cycle battery exclusively for the fridge.

The way you describe your current treatment of teh battery be assured it wil not last long......please buy jumper cables and keep them with you at all times
Darshan
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"please buy jumper cables and keep them with you at all times" That is the first thing i did. :051: Like some one else who bought a fire extinguisher because her car was over heating :005:
Now, even if i had a dual battery setup, how would i go about charging the second battery if i don't drive around much. Maybe it should be setup as a removable unit and then plug it at home to charge it.
Darshan
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Actualy, does anyone know the weight of the yellow top?

Edited: Never mind, i found it in the specs..around 20KG
Wasif Ahmed
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If you wire the two batteries together and get a higher output alternator things will be fine....alternately get a battery tender and hook it up each night to charge the battery

check the link below.

http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/s ... 010-a.html
Paul
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Hi guys

The car alternator will produce way more than 10 Amps. So will the battery get hurt?????

Regards
Paul
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caprihorse
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[quote=pwood;12542]Hi guys

The car alternator will produce way more than 10 Amps. So will the battery get hurt?????

Regards
Paul[/quote]
Is this the question if alternator produces more then 10 A?

Typical passenger car and light truck alternators are rated around 50-70 A, though higher ratings are becoming more common, especially as there is more load on the vehicle's electrical system with other loads, like additional lights or winches. Efficiency of automotive alternators is limited by fan cooling loss, bearing loss, iron loss, copper loss, and the voltage drop in the diode bridges. At partial load efficiency is between 50-62% depending on the size of alternator and varies with alternator speed.

Higher Amps, will not damage the battery, as there is other electronics, which controls the max. loading current. In pure theory, if you would drive constantly on 200 km/h for hours, electronic current limiters should not allow to overcharge your battery with high current. Additionally any car system is designed in balance between alternator and battery. If you bring a huge battery in your car (in terms of AH), alternator will not be able to charge it. If you bring extremely undersized battery, it may be quickly overloaded with high Amps and may burst.
Paul
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Hi Capri

No, i realise the alternator produces about 60 - 100 A depending on it application/type.

My question was regarding your comment of 12 hour charge time because of the 10A charge limit.

IS this actually a limit of the battery?

Regards
Paul
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caprihorse
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[quote=pwood;12555]Hi Capri

No, i realise the alternator produces about 60 - 100 A depending on it application/type.

My question was regarding your comment of 12 hour charge time because of the 10A charge limit.

IS this actually a limit of the battery?

Regards
Paul[/quote]
No, however battery can accept only a certain max current, otherwise it may explode. Your mentioned number is theoretical max. value for some alternator. But the real efficiency is about 50-60%. Actually to know, what is the current charge to the battery, it should be measured directly on the + wire to battery with wireless ampermeter.
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