rdemler wrote:And I read somewhere that deep cycle batteries were made to be run down really low and not damage them.And being able to charge them many time without problems.
Cycles vs Lifespan
Battery life is directly related to how deep the battery is cycled each time. If a battery is discharged to 50% every day, it will last about twice as long as if it is cycled to 80% DOD. If cycled only 10% DOD, it will last about 5 times as long as one cycled to 50%. Obviously, there are some practical limitations on this - you don't usually want to have a 5 ton pile of batteries sitting there just to reduce the DOD. The most practical number to use is 50% DOD on a regular basis. This does NOT mean you cannot go to 80% once in a while. It's just that when designing a system when you have some idea of the loads, you should figure on an average DOD of around 50% for the best storage vs cost factor. Also, there is an upper limit - a battery that is continually cycled 5% or less will usually not last as long as one cycled down 10%. This happens because at very shallow cycles, the Lead Dioxide tends to build up in clumps on the the positive plates rather in an even film. The graph above shows how lifespan is affected by depth of discharge. The chart is for a Concorde Lifeline battery, but all lead-acid batteries will be similar in the shape of the curve, although the number of cycles will vary.
rdemler wrote:Aside from the noise,does anyone have any opinions on a generator for running heaters and everything else that might be needed.I'm kinda looking at a honda 2000.I've heard they were super quiet and dependable.Would kinda solve most problems I'm reading about 12v and heaters.Most of my camping would be done in Montana and the U.P. of Michigan and away from campgrounds.Any thoughts on them??
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