MegaPulse - Do They really work ?

round the $100 mark I believeCheers 'n' Beers

You can also build your own if you are a little handy with a soldering iron and familiar with electronic components.
More info here:
www.flex.com/~kalepa/desulf.htm

Klaus

Roachie ,
your comment

. After reading an article in 4WD Monthly where they interviewed an expert from ARB about the pros and cons of Deep Cycle batteries, I've decided I won't be buying any more of them.

Briefing what did the article say

Or What month was the article in 4WD monthly , to which i do not subscribe.

Rod

Rod,
I've loaned the mag to a work mate who has now POQ'd to Albury for a couple of weeks (he's working out what dual batteries to put in his Prado V6).
Briefly, the article talked about how, for most of us four wheel drivers, a Deep Cycle battery isn't going to be the best option due to the iregular nature of our usage patterns. The idea seems to be that Deep Cycles are better suited to things like motorised wheel chairs etc (aka: Toyota Landcruisers....hahahaha....just joking...) and other similar uses where there is a sort of constant drain, followed by a lengthy period on a charger to top them up.
However, with most of us, we stick them under the bonnet and use them occasionally to run a fridge etc when we have a once-a-month weekend trip of annual BIG trip away. Some are wired in such a way that they are incorporated into the starting system of the vehicle (not good) and also they may be used to assist power a winch (also not good).
They get shaken about more than they should and their plates are not as robustly mounted as say a dedictated off-road starting type battery, so the word is their internals can fail.
Another school of thought is that you shouldn't mix to different types of batteries on your vehicle as they will receive the charge from the alternator differently etc.
Mate, I'm no expert, but I do tend to read a lot and like most things, it's a matter of trying to make head or tail of people's views and then using all this info to make an informed decision.
Hope this answers your question. If not, let me know and I'll get an email off to my mate, Colin, and get him to email the details of the article.
Cheers,
Roachie

Roachie ,

Thanks , the point about the constant drain and the need to fully charge was backed up by a conversation I had with a fellow at " all about 12 volt " a shop in Auburn NSW speacializing in 12 volt gear . His comment about the need to fully charge did not sink in until your reference . I think I may go the way of getting a normal cranking battery and a soliniod set-up , possibly the REDARC system as they are more widely avaliable and easier to replace should I get into trouble . Although the " all about 12 volt shop " impressed me with their "know-how" and helpfulness , i.e making cable from parts to your size etc . Maybe a little more thinking .

Rod

Milo,
I must agree with you there. In fact it was so bad that I put a switch in to enable me to switch the blasted thing off while we are travelling. I now have it mounted on my camper trailer battery.
Cheers,
Roachie