Negative positive battery posts unequal size?

[RichardS]

Yes, and some have the terminals at the top

I guess you mean the terminals are at the short end rather than the long side?

My 3 boat house batteries are all at the short end although I have never seen any car batteries like that.

Richard

 

[Quandary]

Do people also realise that batteries can be either right handed or left handed.

Most are RH but one of my cars has a LH battery

RH

............ LH

Are you sure?
I was looking for two replacement deep cycle batteries last week, (battery megastore, Tayna etc. plus the local garage) every one I saw was what you describe as left handed, which is also the way the old batteries are on the boat, I am surprised it is regarded as unusual.

 

[macd]

Indeed, although connecting in series (rather than parallel) is unusual, unless you want 24V.

Not routine, certainly, but plenty of us have 6V Trojans connected in series. Trojan give you the option but most T105 batteries have studs rather than posts.

 

[RichardS]

Are you sure?
I was looking for two replacement deep cycle batteries last week, (battery megastore, Tayna etc. plus the local garage) every one I saw was what you describe as left handed, which is also the way the old batteries are on the boat, I am surprised it is regarded as unusual.

I have RH short side on boat house, LH long side on engine, RH long side on one car, LH long side on another car etc ..... it's a lottery!

Richard

 

[VicS]

Are you sure?
I was looking for two replacement deep cycle batteries last week, (battery megastore, Tayna etc. plus the local garage) every one I saw was what you describe as left handed, which is also the way the old batteries are on the boat, I am surprised it is regarded as unusual.

Perhaps "most" was not quite correct but there seem to be more RH automotive batteries than LH.
Leisure batteries, which don't have to fit an engine compartment layout, seem to depend more on the on the manufacturer.

I have RH short side on boat house, LH long side on engine, RH long side on one car, LH long side on another car etc ..... it's a lottery!

Richard

Certainly not a lottery. In car engine compartment the leads will probably not reach to fit the wrong type. You need what you need.

If you order a battery by specification rather than by application the terminal layout ( and there are more than just the two previously illustrated) is one or the things you will have to specify.

FWIW of the 4 batteries I have at the moment 3 including the leisure battery for the boat , are RH. Only 1, in the old Volvo bless its Swedish socks, is LH

 

[RichardS]

Certainly not a lottery. In car engine compartment the leads will probably not reach to fit the wrong type. You need what you need.

If you order a battery by specification rather than by application the terminal layout ( and there are more than just the two previously illustrated) is one or the things you will have to specify.

Of course ....... not a lottery in the sense that the battery you need to buy is a lottery ...... but in the sense that when you buy a car or a boat it's a lottery as to what configuration you will be getting!

Richard

 

[nigelmercier]

Yes, and some have the terminals at the top...

I guess you mean the terminals are at the short end rather than the long side?

Actually I was trying to be silly...

Terminals at the bottom:

Terminals at the top:

 

[Mistroma]

Actually I was trying to be silly...

Terminals at the bottom:

Terminals at the top:

Nigel, I also thought you meant along narrow end.

I had a choice of 4 options when buying Optima Redtop. The 2 options shown above plus another with the posts in the centre of each short side. A sort of universal option as long as the cables were a couple of inches longer than needed for the correct battery.

The fourth option had posts on top as usual but also had a second pair of connectors hanging down the side (i.e. on the face at 90 deg. from the ones on top).

 

[Malabarista]

Old thread reactivation alert. I'm very confused about my windlass battery. It has two normal terminals and then two more in the middle. I am assuming that these are for some kind of clamp to secure the battery. But before i disappear in a puff of blue smoke…

 

[duncan99210]

Old thread reactivation alert. I'm very confused about my windlass battery. It has two normal terminals and then two more in the middle. I am assuming that these are for some kind of clamp to secure the battery. But before i disappear in a puff of blue smoke…

Be a good idea to post a picture of the offending battery, otherwise all you'll get is circular discussion about just what you mean in your question.

 

[VicS]

Old thread reactivation alert. I'm very confused about my windlass battery. It has two normal terminals and then two more in the middle. I am assuming that these are for some kind of clamp to secure the battery. But before i disappear in a puff of blue smoke…

Be a good idea to post a picture of the offending battery, otherwise all you'll get is circular discussion about just what you mean in your question.

Easy enough though to check them out to see if they are electrical connections or not

 

[Malabarista]

great advice thanks.

Be a good idea to post a picture of the offending battery, otherwise all you'll get is circular discussion about just what you mean in your question.

 

[Malabarista]

Easy enough though to check them out to see if they are electrical connections or not

now where do I get myself an intelligent brain wot works like you lot got?
12.69 Volts across the two big ones and the two small ones. could have been interesting.........thanks

 

[Plevier]

Quite a few now have dual posts, have a look at Tayna or Bat Mega websites. Lets you separate starter and auxiliary connections is one interpretation, alternatively it just gives you a choice of taper or stud posts. The two studs should be different sizes as well as the two taper posts!