Big Battery Maintainer

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by red-beard

The only time there is a problem is when they are "out of sync" with each other. Or if they have different capacities. Or the cables connecting them have different resistance. Or if they are different ages.

I design large battery banks using 200AH, 12V batteries, up to 48VDC and up to 96kWh (40 batteries). You need a good equalizing system and to have it run weekly. Anything much bigger, these days, and you are better off with the extremely large single cell units (1000-2600 AH, 2V cells), strung in series.

A couple of 12V-200AH batteries, if they are the same age, charge and the charging connection is equal, shouldn't be a problem.

In other words, Randy would be better off running two identical deep cycle? Like Optima yellow tops?

[ian c2]

Theyll never be perfectly in balance even when new .
The “driving” battery only really starts the camper , then alternator kicks in and all charge is directed to “house” battery to run fridge , memories in tv etc.
by design the “house battery will allways draw more and will never be equal .
It has a much harder life than the engine battery .

Red-beard : do you ever work on “black-start” and ups units for GE lms-100 batteries by any chance ?

[red-beard]

I was a Field Engineer for GE power systems, but about 30 years ago...

What do you need?

[ian c2]

I don’t need anything , just saw what you wrote and figured you had to have been involved at some point in some way .

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

In other words, Randy would be better off running two identical deep cycle? Like Optima yellow tops?

Used two Optima blue top deep cycles (for trolling) and another blue top (cranking), for years....I seem to remember yellows... but I got da blues . Red tops in the 911...

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by ian c2

I don’t need anything , just saw what you wrote and figured you had to have been involved at some point in some way .

Yep! But a long time ago...

[RWebb]

I'm pretty sure the starting battery has a higher capacity than the deep-discharge house battery.

we'll see what happens when the big maintainer gets here...