EXIDE Deep Cycle Batteries

NO, it still has electrolyte in liquid form, so it will NOT have the characteristics of AGM batteries.

"Glass mat" separators have been used for a while - putting "absorbent" in front of it is a cunning marketing trick.

Mike

Thanks Mike - I suspected as much but haven't been able to get to KMart to actually clock one yet.

I suppose the Exide Orbital is the one to compare with other AGM's in that case.

George

George. The deep cycles you mention are more a starting battery with a higher reserve capacity and certainly more robust than a normal car battery. But if you are looking for a true deep cycle battery, characterised by its ability to continually and regularly be flattened and recharged, then the Orbital is definately the way to go. I have been using these for several years now and never had one fail and they get abused by travel, lots of winching and generally get neglected as well. I am using one of the new Redarc smart chargers to maintain battery condition as at the moment I am seriously deficit charging both of them so if I don't look after them with the occasional tickle up they will certainly die on me at the wrong time.

The Orbital in my car has now travelled around 30,000 kms including several Simpson crossings, Hay River via Alice Springs and then down the Birsdville Track and umpteen winching demo's for training along with just looking after my 50l Weaco. It has been charged using a very simple Redarc solenoid and now gets its charge using a Piranaha system. Neither have proven a problem. The only issue, like all batteries, is to try and avoid deficit charging them.

If you are an RAA member I think you may be able to get a discount on the Orbital but you would need to check with them

I hope that helps

Rob

George deficit charging is where the energy taken from the battery to start the car is not fully replaced so the battery never gets back to full charge. With starting batteries this is the beginning of the end. The simplest way of describing it is that it takes around 30 minutes travelling at 60KPH to replace the energy it took to start the car. So if you only do short trips then that energy will never be replaced. When this happens you get sulphation on the plates, like plaque on your teeth and this increases the internal resistance of the battery which makes it even harder to get a charge back into it and so the decline continues . I travel 4kms to work each day and this is not enough to recharge my starting battery so I have to put it onto the charger every now and then. This problem is more apparant with the new "calcium to calcium" batteries which cannot be re-charged without a special battery charger as they need very high voltages. Whilst these issues are not normally a problem for deep cycle batteries it is always a good idea to give them a charge every now and then just to be sure of their condition. Although we did leave an Orbital off charge for three months and it still had plenty of energy left in it to start a car and keep the fridge going so they do a decent job.

I hope that helps?

Rob

George,

I've bought Exide Batteries from Adelaide truck and 4wd Spares on Regency Rd - always been a good price - might be worth a phone call if you're shopping for one.

Cheers
phil

Peter my batteries are wired in series to bring both into the circuit when I winch so both take the load on demand.

Rob