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 Post subject: Dry Cell Battery
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 3:12 pm 
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Group N

Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 7:29 am
Posts: 447
Location: Up North
Car Model: ST205
I am looking for a dry cell battery that will suit my needs, (I want to start building the enclosure for it so need the dimensions)

Other than the normal operations of the car, I will be running quite a good sound system, I dont want to go too over the top, there will only be a radio, and a couple of small amps to power.

Any recommendations as to which battery to use and where best to install it, right at the back of the boot, where the back seats used to be? somewhere else?

cheers

Nial

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 Post subject: Re: Dry Cell Battery
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 7:56 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 12:44 pm
Posts: 4067
Location: drinking devil fuel
Car Model: ST205
There are a million different examples out there
Hawker is probably top of the line but do get spend
Banner is a good mid-top supplier
The most common I imagine would be Optima

Our boats have used Hawker (reconfigured forklift array, second hand when we acquired, still going 10 years later) and Banner. All have performed impressively but would be seriously overspeced for car use being very ,much in the traction battery class
Never used Optima so I have no idea. The yellow series appears to be de-facto in the serious audio install world

Or there's the new trouser tenting lithium ion batteries but what they give in the groin they take away (and more) in the wallet :(


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 Post subject: Re: Dry Cell Battery
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 8:14 pm 
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WRC
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Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:51 pm
Posts: 1397
Location: Austria
Car Model: None
Hi,

Optima is like the mercedes of battery, but expensive too

http://www.optimabatteries.com/us/en/

greetz

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 Post subject: Re: Dry Cell Battery
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 8:23 pm 
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Group B
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Joined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 3:13 pm
Posts: 3679
Location: Bournemouth
Car Model: None
I take it you mean a gel battery ?

In theory, the varley red top is designed specifically for automotive use as this has a unique set of application problems - namely wide temperature range, high surge currents out, 'fast charge' voltage level only with curent limit mich higher than normally used to charge batteries.

In practice, I have been using normal 'leisure battery' type gel ones in my cars for the last few years with no issues. I have a ready supply of these secondhand near end of life (once capacity is too low to last a full day in our electric vehicles). Since they don't get discharged very much they still last quite a while when they are otherwise scrap. (my pug has had the same one for about 3 years now). I'm using 60AH ones mostly, type 12TLG60 http://secukbattery.co.uk

I've been running a small 20AH gel type in my 185 so it stays in the engine bay. The only issue I find is the voltage isn't that stable when idling (varies with alternator output) so relies on the injector deadtime vs voltage setting being accurate. All part of making it difficult to get a stable idle with cams / big injectors / link G3.

Bear in mind gel batteries tend to be very fragile electrically. If you let it go flat, it's scrap. Avoid buying secondhand for that reason.

As for location, electrically wise it wants to be as short a cable run as possible. Within the engine bay is ideal. Weight distribution wise, CofG is towards the front as standard so would be aided the most by moving weight as far back as possible. Moment of inertia wise (resistance to turning and stopping turning i.e. turn in understeer, exit oversteer) the further from the CofG the greater the moment of inertia. Like everything, it's a trade off.

The other advice for safety, is to put a fuse as close as possible to the battery, as ANY cabling between battery and fuse shorting to ground will catch fire. For round terminal batteries, you can get terminal connectors with fuses built in (look at gtfours relocating battery section). Not sure about screw in type ones.

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 Post subject: Re: Dry Cell Battery
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:13 pm 
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Group N

Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 7:29 am
Posts: 447
Location: Up North
Car Model: ST205
Thanks for the advise :)

By the looks of it the Optima Yellow looks like it suits what I want it to do the best.

Just need to decide where to mount it. Probably within the depths of the roll cage where the rear seats used to be.

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 Post subject: Re: Dry Cell Battery
PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 2:26 pm 
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WRC
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Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:51 pm
Posts: 1397
Location: Austria
Car Model: None
Hi,

you find also mounting brackets on ebay for the different optima batterys, just go for a search

on page 17-18 you can see how i did it, excuse the links ain't work better any more

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2908&start=240

greetz

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 Post subject: Re: Dry Cell Battery
PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 2:37 pm 
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Clubman

Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2008 7:29 am
Posts: 56
Location: southend-on-sea
Car Model: ST205
hi , you cant go far wrong with a yellow top, ive had mine for about 10years now in two different cars and was used to run a big system back in the day,these batteries were built to last 1000+ recharges from flat.


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 Post subject: Re: Dry Cell Battery
PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 2:42 pm 
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WRC
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Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:51 pm
Posts: 1397
Location: Austria
Car Model: None
Hi,

damn, 10years are great :shock: :lol:

greetz

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 Post subject: Re: Dry Cell Battery
PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 3:02 pm 
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Club Staff
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Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 12:44 pm
Posts: 4067
Location: drinking devil fuel
Car Model: ST205
Sunny wrote:
excuse the links ain't work better any more

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2908&start=240

greetz


I have fixed the funky tagging on that page Sunny


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 Post subject: Re: Dry Cell Battery
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 12:09 pm 
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Clubman

Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2008 7:29 am
Posts: 56
Location: southend-on-sea
Car Model: ST205
hi all post revival,

i think my yellow top has finally died, I've not been using there car much but i just can't seem to get life back into it.
so I'm now on the look out for a replacement I'm thinking of relocating to the boot but not sure what battery to go with.
I've been looking at the varley red top race battery but am unsure what size id need for our cars any help would be great.


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