how do you decide which battery is best suited for

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cranky

Senior Member
anyone heard of a benton bx 2 charger?

a1 radio R855 but no stock

there are articles about this charger on this site...

http://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/showthread.php?t=19733

i have done some research because i am concerned about the batteries in the boat which stand for long periods of time...and been using the hawkins charger...up until now....the information i have received from the the battery supply is if you leave the battery standing for long periods of time you will get a build up on the plates...so before you recharge you should lift the battery and shake it to try loosen the build up....then charge it with a charger/conditioner.

what i found very interesting was the lady (michelle) at deltec in pinetown was very helpful...when i told her that the batteries are not deltec batteries they are 115 anp/hr delcor batteries...she told me its not a problem bring in the batteries and she will test them and charge them with their CTEK charger...when i told her i am using a hawkins charger she informed me that she would do research on the chargers and find out how they operate...before i came in to test the battery...now thats called service.
 
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cranky

Senior Member
i have done plenty research on all the batteries and chargers...at the end of the day the important thing is the budget...what can you afford

if you can only afford a deltec 105 AH battery it will give you years of service if looked after and kept charged.

if you have the addtional funds to buy a delcor 115 AH battery because you have a slightly bigger budget then these batteries will also last for years.

a deltec us 130 Ah battery will give you a little more lasting power if you can afford them and according to supplier should last longer because of the new technology in the plates.

optima batteries are in a different league so i am not gona comment about them.

the important thing is how well you look after them...if you dont look after and maintain the battery it will not last period no matter how much money you spend.

chargers...

i believe the old technology of "smart chargers" 3 stage units were great in their time and still offer reliable service...but as mentioned by fishton...could have problems if the voltage is unstable in campsites etc...the last thing you would want is a battery boiling in your boat and releasing highly flamable gasses...and yes deep cycle batteries do have a drain...to release gasses.

i must admit after reading all the info about these multistage chargers...i do believe the new technology of the 7 and now 8 stage chargers could be the way to go in the future...but buy what you can afford...you get what you pay for but sometimes if its all you can afford then so be it...there are a variety of multistage electronic chargers around ranging from around R600 - around R2000...my advice would be to speak to the company you get your battery from as to which charger they advise...because it could make a warranty claim invalid if you use the incorrect charger.

just another point...i have also been advised by one of the battery suppliers that it is not always good to charge your batteries all the time connected in series ie 24 volt...every now and again you should disconnect the batteries and charge them indivdually...with the same charger.

i have not been able to get hold of hawkins to hear their comments yet but will post once i have spoken to them.

just for the record i am not an agent nor do i sell any of the products mentioned.

at the rate technology is advancing we could be installing solar panels on our boats to charge batteries sooner than you think



 
 
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cranky

Senior Member
deltec in pinetown (old main road) have an instrument which can determine the condition of your battery and charge...without putting a heavy load onto the battery like other battery shops...

just had all my batteries charged and checked...i had a bad battery and try to recover it with a ctec charger but was unsuccessful...it is extremely important to keep your batteries fully charged at all time...because no matter what charger you use once it goes past a certain point the the battery is gone.

they are selling the deltec deep cycle 105 amp/hr for just over R1000 ex vat and american batteries 130 amp/hr batteries for around R1400 ex vat

something i didnt know until i spoke to her...on the label on the battery there is a label indicating the cranking ability of the battery...if it is a true deep cycle battery there is no cranking ability and it is advisable not to use it for starting your motor...however some of the deep cycle batteries do have cranking abilty...as i have mentioned before i am not a battery specialist so if you have any queries contact michelle at deltec.

thanks michelle for the great service (which included charging all my batteries x7 and testing each one and then trying to recover the 2 damaged ones) and all the valuable information about batteries and chargers...and for taking the time to show me each battery and what it is capable of...
 
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barryfish

Senior Member
would like to know on the Hawkins bought one recently. I first go one of them "modern" small ones, after 24 hrs not charged. Too small on 115ah. got a Hawkins and done in 2hrs.
 
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Fanie

Sealiner
It is important to get the right type of battery for your application. The right battery for it's application will give the best service, while they can be very disappointing and expensive in the wrong application.

Personally I prefer the SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) batteries for anything and everything except motor starting, especially near water. They are truely maintenance free, robust, work in any orientation, spill proof and have good service life properties. I also build my own chargers for them so the higher than LA battery voltage is not a problem.
 
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