East Penn 6 Volt Golf Cart Battery - Gp GC2 from carquest -- is this any good?

[Sunking]

James read this STICKY. Use your hydrometer to tell you what voltage to use. In fact read all the stickies in this sub forum.

[Sunking]

Thank you. I don't have a generator. I do have grid power here. Should I invest into a 48 volt charger to top them up once a week?

I would if it were my money.

[James1079]

g110 - 12 batteries are the same as the East Penn Deka batteries?

They might be close, but they are NOT the SAME. Do you have mfg g110 - 12 manual for them ? That's the preferred setting to use,

I just got back from the parts store they tell me that my batteries are the same as an interstate gc-2 they printed me some information about charging rates and specific gravity. I guess I should use these values?

[Mike90250]

g110 - 12 batteries are the same as the East Penn Deka batteries?

They might be close, but they are NOT the SAME. Do you have mfg g110 - 12 manual for them ? That's the preferred setting to use,

[James1079]

Only if you
1) understand how to connect computer to Tristar with proper cable
2) backup existing settings first, with MSView (MorningStarViewerController software)
3) print a copy of your backups settings to be able to get back there if it all goes wonky.

Thanks Mike I have written the new settings to a file on the computer that's a great idea to backup everything first. So far I have not turned on the dip switch number eight to write files to the TriStar. Do you think my g110 - 12 batteries are the same as the East Penn Deka batteries?

[Mike90250]

.......

https://www.morningstarcorp.com/custom-settings/custom-settings-east-penn-manufacturing-company-inc-dekamk-batteries/

also I found this should I just import the values for the East Penn Deka FLA a into my TriStar mppt 60?

Only if you
1) understand how to connect computer to Tristar with proper cable
2) backup existing settings first, with MSView (MorningStarViewerController software)
3) print a copy of your backups settings to be able to get back there if it all goes wonky.

[James1079]

That is an East Penn Deka Battery, a FLA model. Charge sheet here, but do not look for any voltages for FLA. For their FLA line you charge until specific gravity indicates fully charged. If you are charging wiht Solar you have a very slim chance of ever fully charging the battery. That means charge as high of a voltage the controller will let you set it. Start with Bulk/Absorb/Float = 64 volts. If at the end of the day you reach full charge, reduce voltage to 65 and repeat. You are looking for the voltage that just gets you to fully charged. Being Solar it is likely there is no voltage high enough. So get a good hydrometer and go to work.

FWIW that is the instructions for any FLA battery on solar. 3-Stage is useless on solar. It takes 12 to 16 hours to fully saturate a battery. Impossible with only 2 to 6 Sun Hours. That is why you must have a generator to get them charged up fully at least once a week.

Thank you. I don't have a generator. I do have grid power here. Should I invest into a 48 volt charger to top them up once a week?

https://www.morningstarcorp.com/custom-settings/custom-settings-east-penn-manufacturing-company-inc-dekamk-batteries/

also I found this should I just import the values for the East Penn Deka FLA a into my TriStar mppt 60?

[Sunking]

I have 8x G110-12 in series for 48v bank. I'm trying to choose the right voltage regulation configuration on my Morningstar mppt 60 controller. How do I find out the manufacturer's suggested absorption, float, equalize voltages?

That is an East Penn Deka Battery, a FLA model. Charge sheet here, but do not look for any voltages for FLA. For their FLA line you charge until specific gravity indicates fully charged. If you are charging wiht Solar you have a very slim chance of ever fully charging the battery. That means charge as high of a voltage the controller will let you set it. Start with Bulk/Absorb/Float = 64 volts. If at the end of the day you reach full charge, reduce voltage to 65 and repeat. You are looking for the voltage that just gets you to fully charged. Being Solar it is likely there is no voltage high enough. So get a good hydrometer and go to work.

FWIW that is the instructions for any FLA battery on solar. 3-Stage is useless on solar. It takes 12 to 16 hours to fully saturate a battery. Impossible with only 2 to 6 Sun Hours. That is why you must have a generator to get them charged up fully at least once a week.

[James1079]

Will be a good beginner battery. Dekka makes good batteries. There are not two numbers, you are looking at two different batteries:
G110-12 is 230 AH
G92-12 is 215 AH

Point of reference the T-105 is 225 AH at 20 hour rate.



Assuming you will use a MPPT controller with these two batteries you do not want to go above 400 watts to charge them. If you have not pulled the trigger yet I recommend you use 200 Grid Tied panels and a MPPT Controller. Will make life much easier with Expansions using panels that are 200 watts GT. Grid Tied panels are less expensive than battery panels. Trust me. Look at any MPPT controller, 200 watts is the common denominator. Actually 215 is the sweat spot.

I hear you about the Taxes in the Bahamas, dam Brits. Perhaps you will get lucky someday and the USA will invade and Annex the islands and throw the Brits off. Dang you are only 150 miles off the US coast. Its a 20 minute flight or a 6 hour boat ride.

I have 8x G110-12 in series for 48v bank. I'm trying to choose the right voltage regulation configuration on my Morningstar mppt 60 controller. How do I find out the manufacturer's suggested absorption, float, equalize voltages?

[bahamasolarnoob]

woohoo
The Bahamas Government’s plan to eliminate import duties on solar panels and associated inverters was yesterday described as “long overdue”

....Guilden Gilbert, vice-president of Alternative Power Solutions (APS) Bahamas, told Tribune Business that eliminating the existing 10 per cent duty on solar panels and solar powered air conditioners would further reduce the costs of renewable energy systems...

...The 45 per cent duty on solar panel inverters is also set to be eradicated come July 1...

...The Government also moved to create a new tariff heading for LED light fixtures, and reduce duty rates on these products from 35 per cent to zero.....

Batteries too I heard!

[Sunking]

Island no problem using two system to a common battery.

[island406]

Seriously, knucklehead is fine, no offense taken

I would still like thoughts on what folks think of running two panels with separate controllers into the battery bank. As mentioned we only use the place seasonally and my concern is a component failure over the winter.

All information I have received so far suggests this will work, but maybe one PWM and one MPPT rather than two PWM's so we could take advantage of the MPPT's cycling, though I would suspect the different charging cycles could be a problem. Our electric needs are small, getting 66% of the two 100w panels should more than suffice (please don't ask me to inventory our load as the laptop, wifi and dish chargers don't list their real draw and I don't have a meter (knucklehead) these panels provide far more juice than our old 30w panels which ran thru a 1999 pwm controller.
Thanks again!

[Mike90250]

There is some debate over the longevity of the complicated MPPT controllers vs the simpler PWM controllers.

I've had my morningstar mppt 60 "warranty replaced" after 3 years.

[Sunking]

Island I was not calling you a Knucklehead, or anyone for that matter. -40F? Not what I envisioned for an island. Island to me is something like Jamaica, Bahama's, or Bermuda.

[island406]

Knucklehead is much nicer than what my kids call me so it's ok...please remember that my goal is to have a redundant system. In January when the mercury drops to -40F it will be good to know that if a component fails I am covered... so 2 pwm controllers @$79 vs. 2 MPPM's @$225, if I only get 2/3 of the output from my panels which are 100 watt, I could buy another panel for $179 I know I can get the 200 watt panels for close to $1.00/watt, but I am trying to use my existing rack which held 2-30 watt panels, so I am paying a premium. The $ are very close, or maybe you guys have another idea, I am at a place where I could return some pieces.

Thanks again