T&T: large batteries

[Michael Slater]

I'm looking for insight into large batteries for both engine starting and
house/inverter applications.
[Michael Slater writes:-] 

Hi Jim, You ought to have a look at Northstar batteries. I used these to
replace my previous Gel 8D's and you can fit twice the capacity in the same
space. I have a related story though! I had a yard install them 2 years ago
when a refit was underway, I had 8 x 210 amp for the domestic bank and 2 x
210 for starter, both banks configured at 24 volt and at the beginning of
this season I had a failure in 2 batteries in the domestic bank. After a
battle they were all replaced and I paid for the good ones on a 8 year
lifespan, i.e. reduced by a significant amount on 6 of the new ones the
other 2 supplied Free. However I was unable to identify the reason for
failure. There were several issues which occurred that could have created
the problem.
1. My Mastervolt charger had failed and had a weird pulse charging in float,
which Mastervolt offered to replace the charger however as this was the 5th
in 8 years I declined, got my money back and purchased Victron...but did the
Mastervolt have a hand in the demise? 2. The batteries were wired in series
and parallel but a debate started suggesting that a bus connection should be
used, which I have now had wired for the new bank. 3. A positive cable
showed signs of burning, which the engineer thought may be a loose terminal
on one battery (one of the failed units) which this cable overlaid, in poor
installation practice by the original yard.

BUT the starter bank was perfect as were the balance of the domestic bank,
indeed a friend has purchased the good batteries and is using them. (Clearly
I had to have a bank of all the same vintage batteries).

I will have these batteries checked with a meter every beginning and end of
season to monitor their longevity, but they do give me some serious
firepower in a confined space, and my Victron chargers fill them up very
quickly!

Any way I still think they are worth examination.

Michael Slater
Sally Lillian
Trader 54

Currently on anchor in Isles of Scilly, UK