chrisb
Well-Known Member
I am presently half way through a circumnavigation and in New Zealand . I fitted Rolls AGM 220A/H batteries [2] as my house bank before setting sail 5.5 years back after many years using lead acid with no problems . The warranty was for 5 years .The batteries have had hard life so I'm not complaining. They still function but do not retain enough voltage to run radar for a sustained period . The suggestion here is that I need to replace- this is most likely correct .The advice is to go Lithium which is very expensive . It is said here that AGM does not do well in the tropics .My inclination is to go back to sealed lead acid but I am warned of the risk of explosion ! Cost is now a consideration . I sail for most of the timewithout engine and have a solar panel [1.5by 1 m] , a 4kv genset if needed but for the most part a sail-gen from eclectic which gives me 8 amps/hr at normal cruising speeds . Typical consumption is 8-10 amps per hour .Any advice appreciated
