jc2bg gets it.
Problem is that most any battery purchaser does not know the actual specs of their batteries....for example: "usable" discharge %'s is not typically published.....nor is the estimated life cycles at the "usable" discharge limit.Originally Posted by deanc
If you only check your batteries published amp-hours and Reserve Capacity (RC) minutes specs, you really don't know much about the battery you are buying..... and willjoin those complaining here after it fails if not properly monitoring it with a battery gauge and stopping to recharge everytime when needed. If the TM is slowing or their sonars are resetting they are already too late.
Two batteries that each are spec'ed at 100 amp-hours and 200 RC minutes can prove to be very different batteries.....
one, such a 100 Amphour Interstate flooded battery has only 50 usable Amp-hours, while another such as a Delta premium AGM will safely provide 80 usable Amphours. (The AGM would actually have 160% of the usable capacity of the flooded lead acid.)
The guy with the battery able to be discharged more heavily to only 20% of its' capacity will likely enjoy a much long battery life though the published specs of the two batteries are the same.
Just need to 1) buy enough battery even if they are Interstates and 2) monitor them during the heavier discharge cycles to prevent becoming over-discharged and damaged with permanently sulphated plates. If the TM is slowing or their sonars are resetting they are already too late.