Lee,
Correction on one point. AGM batteries will last longer than lead acid  
batteries. They cost more, but I like the maintenance free part. I use only agm 
 batteries in our SeaDoo and it has more cranking power than a lead acid 
battery.  I have two deep cycle batteries on Rum Runner and only use shore 
power for  charging. I know from personal experience that without a charge 
controller,  solar panels can easily overcharge a battery. You can also buy 
"dual purpose"  batteries which allow for deep discharge and also give you 
cranking power for an  electric starter. It all depends on how you use your boats 
power.
 
Rummy
 
 
In a message dated 4/3/2012 9:09:40 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
LKUHN at cnmc.org writes:


David and Geoff,

Went to West Marine and Western Auto  yesterday.  I guess it depends on the
individual sales/service person,  but the Western Auto staff seem to know 
far
more about boat  mechanics.  We live in a fishing community so I guess West
Marine is  for recreational boaters and Western Auto is for working 
boaters. 
Last  month West Marine couldn't figure out what size spark plug wrench I
needed  (18mm).  Last night they checked the volts but not the amps on my
dead  battery and declared it was a connection problem.  Sounds  like
something I would do.

Anyway if you have a 9.9, 4-stroke  Mercury you'll need a 12V deep cell with
about 465 amps of marine cranking  and 350 amps of cold cranking.  A 
starting
battery might be better for  your electric-start outboard but not for your
motor lift.  Very  important is the group size which tells nothing more than
the physical size  of your battery.  You want to ensure it fits in the tray
that Stan  installed.  Mine was a group 27  (27G).

http://www.mercurymarine.com/service-and-support/storage-and-maintenance/faq
s/outboards/?category=electrical
http://www.mercurymarine.com/service-and-support/storage-and-maintenance/faq
s/outboards/?category=electrical  

I basically bought the same battery that Stan gave me.  The  Western Auto
mechanic told me that if it lasted seven years without  maintenance then it
was the right battery.  Like Geoff he said to  check the battery
acid/distilled water level once a year.  He said it  was impossible to
overcharge the battery with the outboard or solar  panels.  If you use a
charger without an automatic cut-off you could  overcharge the battery 
(boils
the acid/water).  Charging the battery  if needed is a good idea, but you
need to check the volts and the  amps.  My dead battery had 13.4 volts but
hardly any  amperage.

Gel and AGM batteries cost more and may not last as  long.  Big advantage is
that they're maintenance-free and won't  leak.  Just ensure your 
fluid-filled
battery covers are on tight for  those bury-the-rail heels.

Good  luck!

Lee

____________________________________________________________________________
_____
I'd  be interested in the same.  Original GBI batteries going into  their
seventh year, and the boat has been out of the water for almost two  years.
I'll pull the plastic shrink wrap off next weekend and see if the  motor 
will
turn over...

David




On Mon, Apr 2, 2012  at 11:35 AM, Geoff  Farrell
<geoffreylfarrell at gmail.com>wrote:

> I have the  same setup as you do. My batteries stay charged with the 
> solar  panels. It's interesting to note that although I stored my boat 
> under  a roof from April 15 through Dec 1 my batteries were fully 
> charged  when I got the boat out of storage. Seems the ambient light 
> was  enough to keep them topped off.
>
> I do notice that my batteries  use a lot of water, perhaps because they 
> are constantly being charged  by the panels. I was warned by an old 
> salt to check the fluid often,  and he was right.
>
>  Recently, I purchased a battery meter  that simply plugs into the 12V 
> outlet over the galley. It monitors  the batteries during charging and 
> also while they are being used, and  seems to work great. I can measure 
> voltage drop while using various  combinations of equipment (radio, nav 
> lights, etc.). I have been very  pleased that on bright sunny days I 
> can use the VHF radio and my Ipod  (for navigation and music) and 
> charge an external portable speaker  without any battery drain.
>
> My motor is hard wired to battery  2. When cruising I set my battery 
> switch to battery 1 to keep battery  2 fully charged for restarting the 
> engine. I haven't, however, done  any overnighters so my battery use is
> minimal.
>
> I still  have Stan's original batteries and so I would also be 
> interested in  what the best replacement batteries are for when mine die.

Leland  wrote:
> 
> Need some battery advice.  
> 
>  Probably should have replaced my battery long ago.  When I need  to
> pull-start my outboard in the marina it usually recharges the  battery
> enough that I can use the electric start when I'm ready to  come in. 
> Didn't happen yesterday.  By the time I unscrewed  everything to get to 
the
> flywheel I was dangerously close to running  into the causeway rip-rap.
> 
> Easy answer would be to replace  the battery with the one Stan put in. 
> Wasn't sure if there was  something better out there now.  I've got the
> electric motor  winch which I assume uses a ridiculous amount of juice.  I
> have  one battery hardwired to the motor which is linked to a second house
>  battery.  Both batteries are linked to two solar panels.
> 
>  I've taken zero care of the batteries since I bought the boat seven  
years
> ago.
> 
> Should I be concerned about the solar  panels overcharging the batteries?
> 
> Should I periodically  charge the batteries to full capacity?
> 
> Any advice on what  battery would be best and what care it needs?
> 
> Thanks!
>  
> Lee
> 1986 Rhodes22  AT EASE
> Kent Island,  MD
> 

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