Is a red top battery man enough to start a KAD 44 ?

[RMC]

I was somewhat surprised to see (admittedly two) small 55 AH Optima red tops used as starter batteries for a 500kva diesel powered (MTU 10V 1600) generator. I understand the diesel engine is a 10 cylinder 17.5 Litre beast.
One 'red top' should be fine for my Bukh DV20!

 

[Tranona]

But surely I covered that, with knobs on, in my phrase " ...... its total capacity is appropriate for your usage / charging regime."?

Richard

Read what you wrote again. You only referred to a single battery and that statement you made does not cover the peculiarities of the OPs system. That is what I was attempting to clarify.

 

[zoidberg]

World of difference between a Beta 14 and a big 3.6l Volvo! Why an Optima rather than a Red Flash though?

I met a fellah whose business it was to do contracted maintenance on large installed emergency gensets. Most of the batteries used for starting were Optima RedTops, with some BlueTops, and most of which were replaced on a 'time' basis regardless of condition. These had been used solely to do the contract-required monthly startup, for about a year.

He had more than a few, and had stress-tested each of them. I got 6 for the price of one new retail....

I'm hoping they'll do the business for me.

 

[Tranona]

Sounds like a good deal. You can carry spares with you!

 

[CLB]

Not really.
Plenty of trucks have a single battery.
The starter motor's spec will probably recommend CCA and Ah.

Volvo only seen to recommend an Ah capacity, and not a CCA, which is an odd thing to do IMO. Anyway, they recommend 140Ah as a starting battery, which is way bigger than an optima red top. Having said that, an AGM optima is better at delivering starting currents that a SLA battery, so you have to take that into account.

Personally, I think a single, good condition, well charged optima red too will start a 3.6litre diesel. The trouble will come when the battery is past its best. It may then struggle.

 

[RichardS]

Read what you wrote again. You only referred to a single battery and that statement you made does not cover the peculiarities of the OPs system. That is what I was attempting to clarify.

Errrr ..... I've read it several times over and I can't see it. My phrase was correct no matter how many batteries the OP has or what peculiarities his system has.

Never mind, I chose "Don't Care" so let's not.

Richard

 

[Tranona]

Errrr ..... I've read it several times over and I can't see it. My phrase was correct no matter how many batteries the OP has or what peculiarities his system has.

Never mind, I chose "Don't Care" so let's not.

Richard

Sorry you can't see it but you only refer to a battery and its capacity in the singular. You probably know what you meant to say, but another party reading it would not get that. How can your phrase MEAN it does not matter how many batteries if you only refer to a single battery? You are making an assumption that the reader knows the setup under discussion which is why I clarified it.

 

[RichardS]

Sorry you can't see it but you only refer to a battery and its capacity in the singular. You probably know what you meant to say, but another party reading it would not get that. How can your phrase MEAN it does not matter how many batteries if you only refer to a single battery? You are making an assumption that the reader knows the setup under discussion which is why I clarified it.

" ........ appropriate for your usage / charging regime" would include a system (a synonym for regime) with 10 batteries which might be configured any way the OP likes.

Richard