Battery SSB drycell AGM (HVT-70ZZD)....Anyone got one of these?

Thanks Ross

I agree with what you say and interestingly I noted on one of the websites advertising this battery that it is recommended as a Marine fitment...but the dry cell thing is a bit weird being an AGM from what I read.

Can you explain what you mean about " The Marine or similar will accept the normal alt charge where the AGM won't like it."

I know the AGM's don't like heat but what type of battery are you referring to in the 'Marine' type that will accept normal alt charge?

It's a learning curve for me and there's plenty to learn...

Cheers
Andrew

Peter.
Just interested. Is your 120AH Full River used only as the crank battery or is it also discharged by other gear?
I agree it is the difference in applied and battery voltage which dictates charge inrush. If your battery isn't discharged much at all and it starts easily, then there isn't much difference of charge created and thus minimal heat build up because of the short time before the charge rate settles to a maintenance level. Not being heated is also a plus.
Obviously your usage is within it's capabilities.

I use one of those but not for cranking. Good batteries.

Cheers
Ross M

Generally the crank is isolated from the house, but sometimes it is used to supplement the house batteries, so can run down a bit in those circumstances. The connection is via a 2 way RedArc which will limit how far down it goes.

It is also used for occasional winching, although I generally link it with the house batteries then as well.

The OKA is a 4L 4cyl Perkins. It generally starts easily, except in very cold conditions, then it can take quite some time (no glow plugs). The AGM has plenty of crank capacity though, despite not being "designed" for such work.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

Hi Peter,

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Have a nice weekend.

Best Regards

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Ningbo Sunshine Energy Co.,Ltd
www.mybattery.org
helen@mybattery.org

So its not in fact a dry battery in any shape or form..the battery contains wet liquid acid and plenty of it.....it is just that it is mostly contained in the glass mat.

As for top spec genuine AGM batteries, Powersonic have been selling sealed batteries for a long time, but they are not a big name in larger AGM batteries and I have not heard of SSB till this thread.

Seem the SSB is just a brand of a relativly small importer..who knows who make them.



Well regarded AGM battery manufacturers ( companies that own factories) include DEKA, Lifeline, Optima, Exide, Fullriver.

All these names I mention have a solid reputation for making AGM.

AGM is heavily over sold.....the on line marketers like them because they can be freighted reasonably easily.

I do not believe there is any advantage to running AGM in an automotive application and several disadvantages.

BTW 3 years is no recomendation for a lead acid battery......if ya got less then 3 years out of ya battery..its either the wrong battery, the battery has been missued or put in very poor conditions or it was a piece of rubbish.

sorry.

cheers

Bantam said:
"I do not believe there is any advantage to running AGM in an automotive application and several disadvantages."

I found that wet cell batteries (including "4WD" versions) fail mechanically in the OKA, probably as a result of vibration and physical 'abuse' caused by corrugated roads.

I suggest that the construction of AGMs where the plates are constrained provide a much higher ability to survive that abuse.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

The only difference between a good sealed wet cell rugged construction battery and an AGM of similar quality is the AGM has had half the acid tipped out...dead set.

A good marine / rugged construction battery has glass mats packed between the plates, just like an AGM battery.
A good sealed battery has calcium in the plates and a modified electrolite chemistry, just like and AGM

A good wet cell battery has not had all the surplus acid tipped out after forming..unlike an AGM..this allows the battery to transmit heat to the case and the outside air better and there is sufficient electrolite to tolerate a little loss due to over charging and excessive heat.

If you where having failures in 4WD batteries I sugest it was more to do with the brand you where buying rather than them not being AGM.
Some of the well known brands are known not to be particularly durable.

I don't care what 4wd you have, in the vibration stakes it ain't got nothin' on earthmoving equipment or heavy marine applications.

If you want to spend twice the price for little or no advantage..go ahead.

If you want a realy tough battery, that is AGM and suffers far less from the problems of AGM, look at the cylindrical cell batteries like the Optima.

But it will still be twice the price of a Catepillar or Seamaster gold.

cheers

This post is not about who's the best or even other battery brands.

Always good when a highly experienced expert comes on and throws his wealth of knowledge in.

BTW this thread was about SSB batteries!

This thread like most other battery threads is about battery choice and correct application.

Go back and read the original post.

Like most battery threads the original poster has limited knoweledge of battery technology and the brands available.

All too often customers are offered an average battery sold as wonderful and marvelous, in absence of knowelege of what is on the market.....and in comparison the the poor examples of batteries they have experienced, it may indeed seem wonderful and marvelous.
But in reality it is far from the best choice in the application.

The original poster sought comments.

The fact remains that there is a great deal of miss-information spread about batteries with the specific aim of selling a specific brand.

There are a number of brands that are trying to prove a point of difference between their product and others where there is not one.

Like those consumer battery adds....there is very little to sepearte the major brands of Alkaline dry batteries of the same technology, so the manufacturers compare their battery with a lesser spec battery of their competitor.

In fact there are and have been several sellers of batteries in particular AGM, that make exagerated claims and tell outright lies saying that their battery is some how superiour, when in fact is is a common run of the mill battery and in no better than a fair example of the product with the sellers badge and claims attached.

In particular claims that.

The battery is completely sealed and cant leak.....false...all batteries will leak under certain circumstances.

That the battery can be installed in enclosed places, sealed boxes and interiours of vehicles....again only partly true....all lead acid family batteries should only be charged in a well ventilated situation.

that the battery can be operated in any position...again only partly true...any lead acid battery when installed other than upright can and will vent explosive gas and corrosive liquid and vapour under certain circumstances and very much worse when other than upright

Claims concerning conspicuous advantages of AGM, when in fact many non AGM batteries take advantage of the same technology that allows AGM and infact have all the advantages of AGM and not the specific drawbacks.

Then there are those claiming their battery is AGM, when in fact that is not technically the case.

One importer in Australia, was prosecuted a couple of years ago for selling a battery as AGM that was not....The manufacturer made the very same battery in a number of forms one of which was technically correct as being "true AGM".....but not the battery in question....in fact the battery in question performed in some ways better than the true AGM version.

One American case where an importer was outed as selling the same very average battery they had been importing for many years as varioulsy "sealed lead acid", "AGM" and "GELL" at various times.

Truth is some "Sealed Lead Acid" and "AGM" manufacturers partly gell their electrolite...but because the battery is sealed and has glass mat between the cells, that does not make it "AGM", and a gelled or partly gelled electrolite does not make a battery "true GELL technology"

BTW most failure or disapointment concerning batteries is due to incorrect selection or inappropiate use.....very often because what people believed about the battery they where sold was not correct.

cheers

As I said "Always good when a highly experienced expert comes on and throws his wealth of knowledge in."

Unfortunately most time it only confuses the situation.

Some of us are not a bright as some other EO users...... or maybe we don't want to be.

Phil...are the SSB's both mounted at the front where they get cool air...or is one located elsewhere in the engine bay where it gets a bit warmer?

Both are at front, one on each side.

that's why they are lasting...I hear others also having much success when mounting AGM's at the front where they get cooler air flow.

My set up is the 2 standard cranking batteries up front with the auxiliary
mounted under the bonnet in front of the passenger seat area right back in the corner of the engine bay.

I have not had the same longevity with other brands of AGM batteries in the same locations it seems due to the heat factor. The SSBs have performed very well so far.

This might help on price..depending on where you live...

http://www.batteriesdirect.com.au/shop/product/10197/ssb-drycell-agm-vrla---cyclic-use.html