On 7/25/07, Martin Jagersand <jag@cs.ualberta.ca> wrote:
>
> There is a 15% off sale on some deep cycle batteries at Canadian tire.
>
> The camping battery in my '94 westy has been weak this season, and
> a couple of weeks ago I suspect one of the cells gave up/shorted (voltage
> dropped from 12.6 charged to 10.5) Right now I have a standard lead acid
> (in fact the old starting battery from my '82 Diesel)
>
> I was thinking to get a real deep cycle this time. The '94 westy takes
> up to two batteries so I can get 1x12V or 2x6V.
>
> Canadian tire has the following offerings:
>
> A regular (consumer grade for your boat, rv etc) battery
> 205 min reserve capacity => 205/60*25 = 85 Ah for $119 hence cost $0.71/Ah
>
>
> Or an "Renewable energy grade" Excide 6V battery (Should presumably be
> more
> tolerant of cycling for instance for people who solar power their cottage
> and cycle
> the battery every night. But who knows, maybe it's just a relabeled golf
> cart battery...)
> 150Ah at 6h rate, $85, Hence cost for 2 batts $170 gives $0.88/Ah

Compared the pictures on Canadian Tire and Exide web sites. The Canadian
tire
battery has the same shape and looks (except label) as this golf cart
battery:
 http://www.exide.com/products/golf_car/exide_golf_car.html

Third option is an AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat -- one of those supposedly new
> better technologies)
> 100Ah at a fishily long 100h discharge rate. $212, gives $0.47/Ah
>
> Which one would you buy?
> Any other place I should look?
> (particularly a place that might have a retail outlet in Edmonton?)
>
> The smaller 85Ah one is probably enough to run the fridge (compressor
> type), lights etc for a nights
> camping, but the shallower cycling of the 150Ah alternative might give
> much better longevity?
> Is the premium price of the AGM worth it?
>
> Thanks,
> Martin
>
> PS: If you want to see the choices go to http://www.canadiantire.ca/ type
> "deep cycle" in the search field
> --
> Martin Jagersand
> University of Alberta
> http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~jag/ <http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/%7Ejag/>

--
Martin Jagersand
University of Alberta
http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~jag/