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I agree with much of what Norm has to say here but would recommend crimping
on connectors and then using adhesive lined heat shrink to protect them. I
feel it's more reliable than soldering unless one is very adept with a
soldering iron. Norm I'm sure is handier with a soldering iron than I.
Regards,
Dave Benjamin
Aboard S/V Entropy
A Freedom 39 catrigged ketch
Grand Marina, Alameda, CA
http://www.optimalsolutions.com/sailinks.html
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> [mailto:]On Behalf Of
>
> Sent: Monday, August 30, 1999 7:13 PM
> To:
> Subject: lv-ab: Bandersnatch's Batteries
>
>
>
> About those batteries...
>
> My suggestion is to combine all your deep cycle house batteries
> into one bank
> for simplicity.
>
> Reduce voltage differences in the bank by making sure all the
> wires are the
> same wire size, all the short jumpers connecting the six volt
> batteries into
> twelve volt batteries are the same length, all the longer wires
> connecting
> the pairs of six volt batteries into the parallel bank are the
> same length.
> The idea being that the voltage drops across all the wires in all
> the battery
> pairs will be the same if all the wires are the same.
>
> The battery wires should have ring terminals soldered on to them.
> You can
> use copper tubing to make your own terminals. Cut short lengths
> of tubing
> and clean the insides with a wire brush. I got my brush from a
> refrigeration
> supply house - they come in different sizes for different size
> tubing - and
> are specifically to clean the insides of copper tubing prior to
> soldering.
> Tin (coat with solder) the inside of the pieces of tubing. Set
> up a propane
> torch burning on your workbench. Hold the tubing in a vise-grip with one
> hand whilst applying solder to the inner surface of the hot
> tubing with the
> other. This way you can tilt the tubing so as to completely coat
> the inside
> with solder. You can use acid core solder here if you wish, but
> be sure to
> wash all the acid off with the wire brush and water after tinning
> the tubing.
> Squash one end flat in a vise and drill to fit your battery terminal
> fasteners. Use brand new wire. I recommend the Ancor battery
> wire sold by
> West Marine because the wire is already tinned making it easy to
> make a good
> solder joint. Use rosin core solder to solder the wire into the
> terminal.
> Acid core solder has more aggressive flux so it removes oxidation
> better but
> the acid wicks up into the strands of wire and eventually will eat up the
> wire. Clamp the terminal by the flat part in a vise, insert the wire and
> somehow keep it held in position straight into the terminal, heat the
> terminal with the torch, and when hot enough to melt the solder
> add solder
> until you fill the tubing almost to the brim. You can cool the
> connection
> rapidly with a paint brush dipped in water. (Some say this
> "crystallizes"
> the solder, but I learned to do this from a very experienced radiator man
> many years ago when radiators were made of copper and were
> actually repaired.)
>
> Clean your battery terminals well. I use a knife to scrape,
> followed by a
> small wire brush. Apply Vaseline/baking soda mixture (described below in
> "hints") liberally to all connections when making them up.
>
> If you wish to go even further to insure equal voltages, you can
> "CrossConnect" the bank, that is - connect together all the
> points of equal
> voltage with jumpers. Imagine a drawing of a battery bank of
> three pair of 6
> volt batteries connected series/parallell to form a 12 volt house battery
> with the positive end of the bank at the top of the page and the
> negative end
> of the bank at the bottom of the page and the 6 volt batteries in two
> horizontal rows with all positive terminals up and all negative terminals
> down. In addition to all the normal connection wires, make up 12 more
> jumpers. Use them to connect all the positive terminals of all
> the upper row
> of batteries together, then all the negative terminals of those
> batteries.
> Then all the positive terminals of the lower row of batteries
> together and
> finally all the negative terminals of the lower row of batteries.
> This way
> you can insure that equal voltage points are as equal as you can get them.
>
> It is a good idea to have a crossover switch (a big red battery "off-on"
> switch) to connect the starting and house batteries together if
> you wish.
> For example, I can start my genset (but not my main engine) with my house
> batteries, then see about charging the 8D with the genset running.
> Conversely, I can operate the house circuits, including the Trace
> inverter,
> from the 8D.
>
> On Bandersnatch we have two pair of golf cart batteries for the
> house bank,
> and one 8D starting battery for engine starting of the 8KW genset and the
> Detroit 6V-53 main engine.
>
> Whenever the genset is running, a 35 amp alternator on the genset
> charges the
> 8D and the Trace inverter charges the house batteries from the
> genset main
> output.
>
> Whenever the main engine is running, I turn on the crossover
> switch between
> the 8D and the house batteries, charging them both with the main engine
> alternator (about 50 amps) controlled by a Heart 3-stage
> regulator. This is
> not a good situation because the 8D needs very little charging while the
> house batteries usually need a lot. Also, I often forget to switch the
> crossover switch off when shutting down the main engine so the 8D gets
> discharged along with the house battery from house loads which is
> not good
> for the 8D as well as having the potential of leaving me with all
> batteries
> flat.
>
> What I will do (when I find that elusive round tuit) is to install a
> "1-2-Both" switch to feed the main engine alternator output to "8D-House
> Battery-Both," expecting to leave it on house battery most of the
> time and
> let genset operation take care of topping up the 8D since I use
> the genset
> almost daily.
>
> For automatic operation I might go with the West charge combiner relay to
> connect the 8D after the house battery gets up to a certain
> voltage because
> it is the house battery that is usually the most depleted. When
> the house
> battery is mostly charged, the main engine alternator will top up
> the engine
> starting battery too.
>
> The best solution might be to mount another, generic, internally
> regulated
> alternator on the main engine just to charge the engine starting battery
> while the big, expensive, alternator/regulator takes care of the house
> battery. This situation would have the most independence and
> (except for the
> mechanical aspects) simplicity. This is the way it is when I am
> using just
> my genset and it works very well.
>
> Some hints for flooded batteries:
>
> The hydrometer is the last word in state-of-charge.
>
> Melt a jar of Vaseline in some hot water and stir in some baking
> soda to make
> a good battery terminal protectant.
>
> Check batteries every month for specific gravity, water, tightness of
> terminal fasteners, cleanliness, and security of tie-downs. I
> discovered a
> dead cell in a 8D during a monthly hydrometer check and was able
> to exchange
> it for a new one while it was still under the 100% part of the warranty
> (Sam's Club) and I could still start my main engine.
>
> Very carefully pour some baking soda/water solution over the
> battery tops,
> wires, and terminals to neutralize the acid that collects there (your
> batteries are in acid-proof tubs, aren't they?). Avoid at all
> costs getting
> any inside - use plain distilled water if you have any qualms about
> contaminating the electrolyte.
>
> Do an equalize charge at least once a month - every two weeks is better.
>
> Keep a record book on all the above.
>
> Any Questions?
>
> Norm
> S/V Bandersnatch
> Moored 79th St Marina, NYC
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