40L Engel - 12v/24v portable power supply

I second that motion.

Wouldn't, and didn't change a thing. Except I put a Jaycar Amp / Volt meter on the battery case, to see amps in/out, & residual ( rest ) voltage.

Wolfie

Calcium batteries make poor deep cycle batteries.
Suggest you look to a reputable manufacturer for a deep cycle battery.

David,
You're a knowledgeable sort of a bloke.....what do you know about Exide Extreme N70ZZ? I bought another one recently, now have 2 under the bonnet of the GU. The sticker on the side says they're deep cycle and starter...but I think that sounds like bullshyte myself. I bought it anyway cos I've had a good run out of them previously.

I agree with the idea of using a sealed battery/ies instead of one of those over-priced blue apple jobbies......$600- for 48a/h is just way over the top. I have 2 Exide Orbitals in the camper trailer and they're good for 2 to 3 days on the 80 litre Engel upright fridge and a couple of flouro's and a water pump etc.

Your can get a good gel cell 100a/h battery for around $300- if you don't like the smaller (in size and capacity) of the orbital.

0zi, please explain why calcium batteries "are poor Deep Cycle batteries", by posting a link to a 'test' that will verify your statement !

Roachie,

I think the Exide Extreme is a hidden gem, I use mine in both modes [crank a V8 diesel & fridge power]....going well, so I have no doubts about their claim as dual purpose. I just hope Exide don't plan to supercede it.

Cheers

I see your back from holoidays...bummer! we missed you lol lol lol

here's the link, go to clause 4.2.1... but i guess you will say otherwise

page 10

The battery I mentioned is half the price of the ones you are talking about and will certainally run his fridge for the time he requested. Why would you want to spend the extra when it's not required??

We have several of these batteries sitting in farm padocks running surveillance cameras and transmiters being charged from solar and they work great.

Nudnut, thank you the link you posted, in full, is as follows;
4.2.1. Flooded (Wet) Cell
Flooded cell deep cycle batteries are divided, like their car battery counterparts, into LOW maintenance (the most common) and maintenance FREE (or sealed), which is based on their plate formulation.

LOW maintenance batteries have lead-antimony/antimony or lead-antimony/CALCIUM (dual alloy or hybrid) plates; the maintenance FREE batteries use lead-calcium/CALCIUM.
The ADVANTAGES of maintenance FREE batteries are LESS preventive maintenance, up to 250% less water loss, FASTER RECHARGING, GREATER overcharge resistance, REDUCED terminal corrosion, up to 40% MORE life cycles, and up to 200% LESS self DISCHARGE.
However, they are more prone to deep discharge (dead battery) failures due to increased shedding of active plate material and development of a barrier layer between the active plate material and the grid metal. Further, if sealed, they tend to have a shorter life in hot climates because lost water cannot be replaced.
Automobile industry liability lawyers prefer this type of battery because consumers are less likely to be injured. Finally, maintenance FREE batteries are generally more expensive than LOW maintenance batteries.

Nudenut, your link confirms performance wise CALCIUM batteries are superior?
and any cheap battery will give problems, we all are aware you should buy a battery with a good warrantee, equating to good quality. that is true with most things you buy, low price generally equates with low technology and also performance!

Your post however does show CALCIUM batteries in a good lite and explains their many benifits, problems are relevant to 'low discharge' which is fully controllable by a discharge cut-off system which is standard equipment on most decent fridges, therefore the problem is nonexistant....
As you are aware my CALCIUM batteries are 4.5 years old and only $135 each and still without problems, but then mine are recharged correctly.

Roachie Exide Extreme or Century Overlander are both the same type of battery. As far as I can tell there is no advantage of one over the other. We run both brands and find them great. In the vehicles that do not need an auxiliary battery to run the test equipment for long periods, we fit either an Exide Extreme or Century Overlander. In my own vehicles I have Exide Extreme and would be just as happy to have Century Overlanders fitted. KMart had Exide Extremes for $111.75 on special, which was cheaper than my normal source for Century or Exide so grabbed two on the day. I don't know any other lead acid batteries at a reasonable price that offer both cranking and some deep cycle capacity.
You can get a fully sealed gel cell 100Ah SLA for $225.00 (from memory) and a 95Ah VRLA suitable for charging with a solar panel or three stage mains charger for $290.00 (from memory). I run a 150Ah VRLA on my campervan and caravan solar system.

I was wondering if they were rebuild-able......

Good news, I also have one of these, and the small size makes it extremely handy for my uses.

I simply pull it out and hook up my compressor to it when needed, have a fluro maybe 10 metres from my car, put it in my swag to run CPAP.......

Even though they ARE expensive for their size, it is the size, and ease of portability that convinced me to have one. If I go to a BBQ, I simply take my little 15 litre Waeco, and my Outback........ jobs done!

Wolfie