Battery supplier for heavy duty batteries

[BogMonster]

I'm not really sure what the correct section is for this as it isn't really electronics and it isn't really engines so thought it might as well go in here - please move if required...

Can anybody recommend a good supplier of marine batteries? The company's Nelson 42 launch needs a new set, they are HD type 451 6 volt batteries 810CCA, need to get 8 of the things for the twin 24 volt Volvo diesel installations.

I've obviously Googled it and sent off a couple of enquiries but wondered if there was any "well known supplier" I ought to be getting a quote from? I imagine it'll cost an arm and a leg whatever... any thoughts as to what a "good price" would be? I've no idea what the last lot cost and they aren't the sort of thing where any prices are on the supplier websites I've found so far.

Thanks

[chewy]

Can't you just get normal HD 12v batteries and wire them in series to get your 24v?

[bedajim]

I use these guys for work, farm equipment and the rib, but they are based just down the road from me.


http://www.energy-batteries.com/

Jim

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by chewy

Can't you just get normal HD 12v batteries and wire them in series to get your 24v?

I haven't looked but I suggested it to start with and apparently it wouldn't fit with the battery storage containers in the boat. A couple of 648 tractor batteries would probably be a darn site cheaper...

[codprawn]

Many industrial sized ups units use 6v batteries - I had some huge exide ones once - about 200amp. They are quite cheap surplus. Usually just 1 goes and they throw the lot away.

Also milk float or forklift batteries. Many industrial cells are 2v so you could make something up.

http://www.wbpowersource.co.uk/products.php

Rolls are some of the best marine batteries. They do 2v and 6v in various sizes. not cheap though.....

http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/rolls_mar...BP&country=GBR

http://www.rollsbattery.com/

[doggypaddle]

dont use a milkfloat or forklift type for starting, the 2v forklift cells that are comparable size to a car battery have a massive capacity, in AH but they dont have much cold cranking capacity. They are designed for capacity not high current applications like starting.
Sure a big forklift battery will supply 800 amps fpr starting no problem but the size compared to say a 663 with 900A CCA it would be masive.
We supplied a set of TLF19 cells to a railway preservation society(assuming for carriage lighting) and they complained they were faulty as they wouldnt crank over big diesel, we then supplied some 663 truck batteries which were 1/4 the size and they winged the motor over at a fair old pace!
if they wont go for 4 sod off big SLI rated batteries then they will have to bite the bullet and buy the 6V ones at mega bucks each.

[codprawn]

I know what you are saying they are designed for more constant use but there is a world of a difference between a 300 or 400hp diesel in a Nelson and a train engine!!!

Remember a milkfloat or a forklift will draw a heavy current when climbing hills or working hard.

[doggypaddle]

Originally Posted by codprawn

I know what you are saying they are designed for more constant use but there is a world of a difference between a 300 or 400hp diesel in a Nelson and a train engine!!!

Remember a milkfloat or a forklift will draw a heavy current when climbing hills or working hard.

the loco engine wasn't a really big one only a class 08 shunter size , and TLF19 cells are massive! Each cell is the size of a truck battery.
dont forget milkfloats are typically 72 or 96 volts at 400 amps thats 51HP,
My point was that to get the CCA of a decent SLI battery you need a disproportanetley large traction battery, it would probably sink the boat!!
as the voltage goes up the internal resistance of the cell becomes less important because the current drops by the square root of the voltage.
I think typically starting batteries are always short and fat where as traction cells can be 4"x6" x36"tall the length of the cell increases the internal resistance.
whats more i dont care if i never see another one after 3 years working for Motive Power supplies and LA batteries my back couldn't take lifting another battery of 36X30KG cells. dont miss wearing oxfam terylene trowsers either(cheap and acid proof) your knob would be dangling out of jeans after one battery fitting
It was always amusing seeing the look on peoples faces when you start welding a batery up with the oxyacetylene, especially if they had the old one explode

[codprawn]

I remember once trying to save an old battery by refilling it with acid. I paid £5 for the acid and thought - bargain a new battery for a fiver. Needless to say it didn't work and my brand new trousers looked like moths had been at them!!!

When are they going to come up with something better than lead acid I wonder. My back isn't too clever either after shifting numerous big UPS units.

[doggypaddle]

Originally Posted by codprawn

I remember once trying to save an old battery by refilling it with acid. I paid £5 for the acid and thought - bargain a new battery for a fiver. Needless to say it didn't work and my brand new trousers looked like moths had been at them!!!

When are they going to come up with something better than lead acid I wonder. My back isn't too clever either after shifting numerous big UPS units.

batteries must have been realtiveley expensive in the 70s and 80s,
I can remeber getting up to similar antics, draining acid out, flushing cells out and refilling with fresh acid after charging with only water in them which supposedly dissolved lead sulfate off of the plates.
The most sucessful bodge fixing a battery involved cutting up no less than 3 633 truck batteries and making one good one up by welding the buzz bars back together. the battery ended up somewhat longer than it was originally with plastic packing between the cells and somewhat uglier,
Of course that sort of repair was easy when the batteries had pitched in lids, these were plastic cased! The battery went on for 3 years on the benford dumper and everyone named it Frankenbattery