Thread: Deep cycle alkaline batteries

Er
You must mean either
Calcium or AGM

I do not think they make a alkaline 12volter for cars yet. But it would certainly make the rabbit run a long time.
Regards Philip A

Originally posted by PhilipA
..... it would certainly make the rabbit run a long time.
Regards Philip A

And even better for the fluffy bear with the drum!

Pity I did not have the fluffy bear when I needed that panel beating done.

Hi James, as above, I think you are either getting mixed up with some other type of battery or the “ guy “ who told you about it was having a lend of you.

Now to your set up. You are far better off setting up your system so that your cranking battery is isolated while you are camping.

Next, by isolating your cranking battery and using your auxiliary battery for all camping power, you can get a standard wet cell deep cycle battery. These work out to have the cheapest a/h per dollar invested ratio and should your cranking battery die, you can still jump start your vehicle from the deep cycle without damaging it, just don’t do it on a regular basis.

It may be a pain having to rewire all your sockets but you end up with a better set up and a protected cranking battery.

Also, if your vehicle’s cranking battery is continually discharged, you are going to dramatically shorten it’s operating life.

Cheers.

Drivesafe is 100% spot on re the batteries.
As a relative "old timer" to all this, I can say that I have tried a number of 2nd battery charging/switching options and they have mostly failed over time. (and, once or twice completely had me stuffed- I hate walking and asking favours..).
I have gone back to basics now and just have a marine switch on/off and a deep cycle battery and switch the main battery off after 30 min after setting up camp, you get into the habit of this and it is no hassle.
Never failed yet and I have re- used it a couple of times now in different 4wd's.
I would keep that feature if I were you- its not at all primitive- it works- you dont call an axe primitive-- KISS
(Keep it stupid simple) no, make that Keep it simple stupid..
Not that I am callin ya stupid :roll:

Hi All

Maybe he got the type wrong - but the point is that it is a deep cycle that can survive cranking duties.

What drivesafe says is logically the best thing. I am no auto-elect and will be paying somebody to locate and move the the cig lighter and 12v plug leads from the cranker to the aux and to swap around the switch so it is the cranker that gets isolated. Now it should not take the right person very long to do but I will be thousands out of pocket before my car gets back on the road. I might leave it as is and make the adjustment next year. It's getting near to that hundred dollars or so being the hundred that breaks my bank.


Looking forward to posting next week or so that my car is back and passed its pit inspection It's been a long long saga.

I really do not know what the big fuss or why people discourage the use of deep cycle batteries as a starting battery, it all comes down to Cold cranking amps (CCA). The larger CCA the better. Coming from the land of snow (Canada) I use to run a 900CCA Deep cycle marine battery in a V8 Dodge. It was the best damn starting battery I ever owned, especially for winter when you might have to crank the engine for several minutes before the damn thing would start.
The main difference is that a deep cycle can handle being totally discharged and recharged (and is almost encouraged) when compared to a "normal" starting battery.