Trojan T-105's versus Crowns

[LBW399]

Any major difference?

Crowns are $50 bucks cheaper each, down here in New Zealand, so saving me $100 total.

I am planning on getting x2 of these 6V, 225 AH Golf cart batteries to run for my 12v electrical system.

No inboard engine (sailboat is only 23 feet), hence no alternator, purely solar, planning on 100-120 solar watts in total. Just want power to use laptop few hours per day, and recharge iPad, and interior lighting, and exterior nav lights at night...thats about it.

So, yeah anyway, any major difference, any major reason I should pay the $50 bucks more per battery for the more "known" Trojan brand rather than the Crowns?

Thanks in advance for any guidance / input.

[FlyingCloud1937]

I would say under the conditions...buy the cheapest true deep cycle bats you can find.

No battery will survive it's rated life time, under the conditions you propose. And it's doubtful a high quality bat would be any less forgiving.

So you may expect a couple of years, then the bats will start falling on their face.

Soon you won't recognize them as being who they are.

Lloyd

Originally Posted by Kiwi399

Any major difference?

Crowns are $50 bucks cheaper each, down here in New Zealand, so saving me $100 total.

I am planning on getting x2 of these 6V, 225 AH Golf cart batteries to run for my 12v electrical system.

No inboard engine (sailboat is only 23 feet), hence no alternator, purely solar, planning on 100-120 solar watts in total. Just want power to use laptop few hours per day, and recharge iPad, and interior lighting, and exterior nav lights at night...thats about it.

So, yeah anyway, any major difference, any major reason I should pay the $50 bucks more per battery for the more "known" Trojan brand rather than the Crowns?

Thanks in advance for any guidance / input.

[LBW399]

Originally Posted by FlyingCloud1937

I would say under the conditions...buy the cheapest true deep cycle bats you can find.

No battery will survive it's rated life time, under the conditions you propose. And it's doubtful a high quality bat would be any less forgiving.

So you may expect a couple of years, then the bats will start falling on their face.

Soon you won't recognize them as being who they are.

Lloyd

Thanks for your reply.

A couple years only huh.

[FlyingCloud1937]

Yes,

It's sad but batteries do require a certain regime to maintain their health.

2 years is about the time limit for lead acid, that are abused...then it's on their face.

"Batteries Don't Die, They're Murdered"

I wish I could take credit for that quote, I have only been using it for 30 some odd years. The actual quote came from a 1928 publication on Battery Men. I have the first edition print

Lloyd

Originally Posted by Kiwi399

Thanks for your reply.

A couple years only huh.

[LBW399]

Originally Posted by FlyingCloud1937

Yes,

It's sad but batteries do require a certain regime to maintain their health.

2 years is about the time limit for lead acid, that are abused...then it's on their face.

"Batteries Don't Die, They're Murdered"

I wish I could take credit for that quote, I have only been using it for 30 some odd years. The actual quote came from a 1928 publication on Battery Men. I have the first edition print

Lloyd

Ok, thanks, but I am not planning on 'abusing' them.

[Pete7]

I disagree

I think your usage and charging with solar will do very nicely, this is close to what we have with 220AH bank and 125w of solar. Needs a bit of a hand during the winter but keeps up with our demands during the summer.

Providing you don't go below 50% (12.2v) they should last 5 years. Are the Trojans worth $100 more perhaps, perhaps not. Go for the Crowns and if you get 5 or 6 years great. If not next time fit Trojans. We use Varta Hobbys because the Trojans won't fit in the built in battery box. I got 5 years from the last set and the previous owner 7 years from a set. They are also £60 cheaper than Trojans.

Don't know if you can find a date code on them which might help the decision.

The 31T-1000 Crown looks like a Delphi / Varta battery with different labels, think that happens a lot in the battery world:

http://www.barden-ukshop.com/varta-p...ries-311-c.asp

Pete

[LBW399]

Originally Posted by Pete7

I disagree

I think your usage and charging with solar will do very nicely, this is close to what we have with 220AH bank and 125w of solar. Needs a bit of a hand during the winter but keeps up with our demands during the summer.

Providing you don't go below 50% (12.2v) they should last 5 years. Are the Trojans worth $100 more perhaps, perhaps not. Go for the Crowns and if you get 5 or 6 years great. If not next time fit Trojans. We use Varta Hobbys because the Trojans won't fit in the built in battery box. I got 5 years from the last set and the previous owner 7 years from a set. They are also £60 cheaper than Trojans.

Don't know if you can find a date code on them which might help the decision.

The 31T-1000 Crown looks like a Delphi / Varta battery with different labels, think that happens a lot in the battery world:

Varta Professional Deep Cycle Leisure Batteries

Pete

Hey thanks mate. Still bemused how he got that I was going to abuse the batterys - maybe because I don't have an inboard, and therefore no alternator.....well I could hook up the tohatsu to charge the batteries each time I use it - but anyway, he has an opinion and I respect it.

However, I am buying hard panels that will be fitted on the stern in specially made brackets that I will be able to 'tilt' towards the sun thoughout the day.

The mitigating circumstances is when I am off the boat due to work commitments.

[MechMan]

Kiwi,

I have 225ah batteries on a boat I bought new 4 years ago. I thought they were stuffed after a year or so after sitting uncharged in transit for so long, because I couldn't the the specific gravities up, even with a fancy high amperage charger. A couple of years ago I put a 120w solar panel on and now the the gravities are well up. I notice I can run my fridge 24 hours on my Auckland marina with the SG in the green.

The solar panel is the most cost effective way to go in my opinion, and should work very well for you in the NZ sunshine with your reqirements.

[LBW399]

Originally Posted by MechMan

Kiwi,

I have 225ah batteries on a boat I bought new 4 years ago. I thought they were stuffed after a year or so after sitting uncharged in transit for so long, because I couldn't the the specific gravities up, even with a fancy high amperage charger. A couple of years ago I put a 120w solar panel on and now the the gravities are well up. I notice I can run my fridge 24 hours on my Auckland marina with the SG in the green.

The solar panel is the most cost effective way to go in my opinion, and should work very well for you in the NZ sunshine with your reqirements.

Good one MechMan. Yes I have done a lot of research on solar, and I am not skimping on the quality of panels, nor how I am fitting them, and it is great to hear your feedback that it is working well for you and then you can even charge your fridge no problems, which is a luxury I will be doing without due to space. But thats ok.

We do have our share of sunless days here in Kiwiland, so to hear that yours are working well is another good thing.

Not sure whether you are a native Kiwi or spending time down here, but either way, enjoy your time here and thanks for your input. Cheers.

[FlyingCloud1937]

Originally Posted by Kiwi399

Hey thanks mate. Still bemused how he got that I was going to abuse the batterys - maybe because I don't have an inboard, and therefore no alternator.....well I could hook up the tohatsu to charge the batteries each time I use it - but anyway, he has an opinion and I respect it.

However, I am buying hard panels that will be fitted on the stern in specially made brackets that I will be able to 'tilt' towards the sun thoughout the day.

The mitigating circumstances is when I am off the boat due to work commitments.

Kiwi,

Just trying to save you some money from experience.

Now your 100-120 watt panels are going to give you about about 30 amp hrs per day average.

You will be using between 30-50 amp hrs per day. Lets say worst case of 50, to fully charge the batteries back to full will require about 62.5 amp hrs. Now if you have loads on the battery during the day the solar panel will be supplying those loads instead of it going back into the batteries as charging amp hrs.

Now add day in day out deficits, and your bats will begin to sulphate.

Your OP didn't say anything about using a portable generator.

Batteries are designed to be discharged, and then fully charged after use. Anything else will shorten the bats life.

You can help by fully charging at least twice weekly, and then every couple of months equalize charge them.

Lloyd

[LBW399]

Originally Posted by FlyingCloud1937

Kiwi,

Just trying to save you some money from experience.

Now your 100-120 watt panels are going to give you about about 30 amp hrs per day average.

You will be using between 30-50 amp hrs per day. Lets say worst case of 50, to fully charge the batteries back to full will require about 62.5 amp hrs. Now if you have loads on the battery during the day the solar panel will be supplying those loads instead of it going back into the batteries as charging amp hrs.

Now add day in day out deficits, and your bats will begin to sulphate.

Your OP didn't say anything about using a portable generator.

Batteries are designed to be discharged, and then fully charged after use. Anything else will shorten the bats life.

You can help by fully charging at least twice weekly, and then every couple of months equalize charge them.

Lloyd

Nope no portable generator.

Main use of my power requirements will be for charging things like Ipads, Kindles. Ipad will be used mostly for navigating coastally as I have Transas-Isailor (not wishing to get into argument of electronic v paper charts) so i expect it to be the longest use per day gadget that will need recharging when sailing. When under the hook or on my mooring it won't be used much.
I might use the laptop a few hours per day at most, but more likely on average about an hour a day to catch up on news and do a couple things I cant do on the iPad, but thats the extent I expect to use the lap top. LED lighting a few hours at night as well.
Just trying to give an overview here of my power requirements - my boat is 23 feet, a "pocket" cruiser, is very simple (but strong) - and it may be harder for those who have many more appliances than me on their bigger boats to fathom how I plan to get away with so little solar power (comparably).

I see this thread has drifted a bit, but all good, and appreciate your tips Lloyd.

[RaymondR]

Hi, I used Trojans T105s exclusively for many years and got good service out of them. A few years ago the local battery supplier talked me into trying a Crown on the basis that they were just as good as the Trojans.

Last year I started replacing the house batteries and swapped out 4 of the old Trojan T105s for new; one set of the old had been in service for seven years. I retained the Crowns and one bank of some other brand the supplier had talked me into trying because they, the non Trojan's, were only 2 -3 years old. The Trojans replaced were 6 - 7 year old.

About half way across the top of Australia both the Crowns and the other brand failed, the Crown shorted and got as hot as hell before I discovered it's failure.

I have now replaced the failed batteries with T105s and will never be induced to a battery experiment again.

[LBW399]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

Hi, I used Trojans T105s exclusively for many years and got good service out of them. A few years ago the local battery supplier talked me into trying a Crown on the basis that they were just as good as the Trojans.

Last year I started replacing the house batteries and swapped out 4 of the old Trojan T105s for new; one set of the old had been in service for seven years. I retained the Crowns and one bank of some other brand the supplier had talked me into trying because they, the non Trojan's, were only 2 -3 years old. The Trojans replaced were 6 - 7 year old.

About half way across the top of Australia both the Crowns and the other brand failed, the Crown shorted and got as hot as hell before I discovered it's failure.

I have now replaced the failed batteries with T105s and will never be induced to a battery experiment again.

Hey awesome mate, this was the direct comparison of someone that has used both battery brands that I was looking for. Of course, it is just one case, but thank you for sharing it.

[leftbrainstuff]

Not all batteries are designed to be fully discharged. Only those with a memory and that list does not include fla or gell.

If you consider 50% discharge to be flat and 85% to be charged, I wont go into the science here as it's been addressed very well in other posts, then you can practically use roughly a third of a batteries capacity and expect reliabilty from your batteries.

[RaymondR]

Not all batteries are designed to be fully discharged. Only those with a memory and that list does not include fla or gell.

If you consider 50% discharge to be flat and 85% to be charged, I wont go into the science here as it's been addressed very well in other posts, then you can practically use roughly a third of a batteries capacity and expect reliabilty from your batteries.

I have found this to be true.