Just a few weeks in the past, GOLDENMATE reached out to have us take a look at its tackle the deep cycle battery. From what we are able to inform to this point, it really works precisely as marketed, and it a reasonably straightforward to make use of bundle!
What Would You Use One Of These For?
A deep cycle battery is a sort of vitality storage unit that’s designed to be discharged and recharged repeatedly, typically all the way down to a really low degree. This contrasts with starter batteries (like these in most vehicles), that are designed for brief bursts of excessive energy to begin the engine, however then get shortly recharged by the automobile’s alternator.
Deep cycle batteries are utilized in numerous purposes the place steady, dependable energy is required over a protracted time period. Some frequent examples embrace marine use (like powering electrical trolling motors), RVs and campers for off-grid energy, solar energy storage, and electrical wheelchairs. For those who had been to place a starter battery in one in every of these roles, it wouldn’t final practically as lengthy.
Over time, there have been a number of sorts of deep cycle batteries enhancing the state of affairs, every with their benefits and drawbacks:
1. Flooded Lead Acid (FLA): These are the standard kind of rechargeable battery, and are sometimes essentially the most inexpensive. Nevertheless, they require common upkeep (topping up with distilled water), and must be saved upright to forestall acid spillage.
2. Sealed Lead Acid (SLA): These are much like FLAs however are sealed, in order that they require much less upkeep and may be mounted in any orientation. They’re dearer than FLAs and have a shorter lifespan.
3. Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM): These batteries use a particular fiberglass separator that absorbs the electrolyte, offering some great benefits of being spill-proof, maintenance-free, and in a position to ship excessive currents. They’re dearer than each FLA and SLA batteries.
4. Gel Cell: These use a gelified electrolyte, making them leak-proof and maintenance-free. Nevertheless, they’re delicate to overcharging, dearer, and usually have a decrease capability than different varieties.
5. Lithium-Ion: These are the latest kind of deep cycle battery and provide a number of benefits like lighter weight, larger effectivity, longer lifespan, and nearly no upkeep. Nevertheless, they’re considerably dearer.
Effectively, really, that very last thing (costly) is one thing that seems to be altering!
What You Get For The Cash with GOLDENMATE
One of many first issues that struck me concerning the firm’s battery was the value. Like many different deep cycle batteries of its dimension, it has a capability of 100 amp-hours (1280 watt-hours). However, as a substitute of costing nearly $1,000 like they used to, they’ve managed to construct an iron-based battery and promote it for $329 (as of this writing).
Connecting the battery to units that draw energy from it’s fairly straightforward. As an alternative of getting battery posts or wingnuts, they supplied easy bolt-holes you may readily add loop-style electrical connections to. It even has plastic caps that maintain issues from touching the connections as readily. With nothing related, the battery’s caps maintain the connections utterly closed off to issues which may brief it out, making for simpler carrying and storage in autos and different settings.
It’s potential to do fairly a couple of issues with the batteries, too. Most output is 100 amps (steady), and you may join them in parallel or sequence for larger voltage and/or larger capability, permitting them to energy something typical lead-acid deep cycle batteries can, however with much less weight and bulk.
Lastly, it has a built-in carrying strap that’s comprised of a versatile materials. This makes transferring the battery round lots simpler than the common deep cycle battery.
Testing
In some methods, it’s powerful to check a deep cycle battery in each state of affairs you may use one in. Few folks have a golf cart, an RV, a trolling motor, and a ham radio setup. However, having the ability to simply draw some energy from it offers you a fairly good thought. One various I experimented with was to energy issues with an inverter I’ve laying round. It’s solely rated for 1,000 watts, however when pulling energy from a 12-volt battery, you’re pulling over 80 amps! So, pulling the 1,000 watts is an effective take a look at for such a battery.
To essentially put a load on the unit, I related a conveyable air conditioner to it, which I had seen pull round 800 watts from my Jackery energy station. The end result was simply as anticipated, with the battery powering the load as marketed.
The Largest Benefit: Longevity
As I identified earlier, the expertise inside deep-cycle batteries has modified fairly a bit over time. The most affordable batteries are easy, however must be largely stationary and upright to operate safely. Sealed items, gel cells, glass mats, and different choices enhance the longevity in movement, however they nonetheless have a restricted general lifespan.
Household which I’ve gone RVing with can attest to the restricted lifetime of lead-acid batteries. When the RV will get parked for the winter, it simply gained’t survive till spring until the battery will get trickle-charged. Even when related to photo voltaic and saved up at full voltage, a lead-acid battery nonetheless doesn’t sustain a superb cost after a 12 months or two, and goes utterly lifeless not lengthy after.
LiFePO batteries (aka “LFP”) keep away from all of this want for protecting a trickle cost, and keep away from the issues of shedding capability and cost capacity after a few years. In contrast to different lithium batteries, iron-based chemistries additionally haven’t any downside sitting at 100% cost between makes use of, so there’s no want to empty them to an excellent voltage for storage, both.
The top result’s which you could take one thing that was once a ache (changing and sustaining batteries) and simply change them with one thing that works long-term. Discovering out the laborious approach that an RV doesn’t have a cost for lighting, a trolling motor gained’t troll, or a golf cart gained’t transfer actually sucks. Minimizing the failures and ache factors of utilizing battery expertise is known as a fairly whole lot on the worth level batteries are beginning to arrive at!
Featured picture: the GOLDENMATE LiFePO battery throughout unboxing at a mountaintop campsite in New Mexico. Picture by Jennifer Sensiba.
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