What is the difference between 4x 200Ah or 8x 100Ah AGM for 48v 200Ah?

[Little Ray]

What about Cycles at Depth of Discharge.
Like 3,000 cycles at 100% Depth of Discharge or 5,000 cycles at 50%.

What Cycle life do you look for, or expect in a Good FTA Battery, 6v or 12v 200Ah?

Not finding FTA to be a lot cheaper then AGM at this stage, just by price alone!
Knowing the quality of FTA seems like a mine field.

Ray.

[SunEagle]

What about Cycles at Depth of Discharge.
Like 3,000 cycles at 100% Depth of Discharge or 5,000 cycles at 50%.

What Cycle life do you look for, or expect in a Good FTA Battery, 6v or 12v 200Ah?

Not finding FTA to be a lot cheaper then AGM at this stage, just by price alone!
Knowing the quality of FTA seems like a mine field.

Ray.

I guess I would be a little hesatent on the claim of high cycle large DOD for any battery without a good history. LI chemistry make a lot of claims but I still think they have a lot more to do to prove their "lifespan".

As opposed to FLA type which have many years of field usage and a pretty good track record indicating a long lifespan if the DOD is kept to < 25% on a daily basis.

Still as you state the costs need to include shipping which in some cases make an off shore FLA "equal" to a local AGM type.

[PNjunction]

Little Ray - Maybe you are too young to remember, but battery salesmanship is much like selling stereo speakers / systems in the 70's.

The *right* way to do it was to make an appointment with a high-end reputable dealer, who would ask you what your intended usage was before showing you anything. Ie, match the system to your application. Questions to be asked were:

1) What style of music do you listen to?
2) What environment do you plan to use it with - indoor / outdoor / vaulted ceilings, etc?
3) How loud? Personal or group/party?

The worst salesman would just push a pair of sloppy Cerwin-Vega's designed for rock, when you listen mostly to Mozart in a small den. On the other hand was a guy pushing high-end electrostatics when all you listen to was the local top-40 station out in the backyard mowing the lawn.

Basically what I'm saying is that NO battery is the right one if you aren't going to define your needs up front. That includes your honest ability to maintain them. It would be a total waste to invest in high quality floodies if you never check their water level, nor put a hydrometer to them from time to time. Best to just burn up some cheap agm's if you are going to ignore them.

AGM's basically can take twice the amount of charge current in bulk, reducing your time for full recharge. They can also hold a higher voltage under load than flooded. BUT that is all meaningless if you don't size your system right, and undercharge them. Again, wasted money.

But wait - this amplifier has .00001% less THD, total harmonic distortion than the other one. Must be better!

Heh, I don't know why your question took me back to the past when I was hanging out at stereo stores and would take delight and cringe over the total BS handed out to most walk-ins.

[J.P.M.]

Little Ray - Maybe you are too young to remember, but battery salesmanship is much like selling stereo speakers / systems in the 70's.

The *right* way to do it was to make an appointment with a high-end reputable dealer, who would ask you what your intended usage was before showing you anything. Ie, match the system to your application. Questions to be asked were:

1) What style of music do you listen to?
2) What environment do you plan to use it with - indoor / outdoor / vaulted ceilings, etc?
3) How loud? Personal or group/party?

The worst salesman would just push a pair of sloppy Cerwin-Vega's designed for rock, when you listen mostly to Mozart in a small den. On the other hand was a guy pushing high-end electrostatics when all you listen to was the local top-40 station out in the backyard mowing the lawn.

Basically what I'm saying is that NO battery is the right one if you aren't going to define your needs up front. That includes your honest ability to maintain them. It would be a total waste to invest in high quality floodies if you never check their water level, nor put a hydrometer to them from time to time. Best to just burn up some cheap agm's if you are going to ignore them.

AGM's basically can take twice the amount of charge current in bulk, reducing your time for full recharge. They can also hold a higher voltage under load than flooded. BUT that is all meaningless if you don't size your system right, and undercharge them. Again, wasted money.

But wait - this amplifier has .00001% less THD, total harmonic distortion than the other one. Must be better!

Heh, I don't know why your question took me back to the past when I was hanging out at stereo stores and would take delight and cringe over the total BS handed out to most walk-ins.

PN: Off topic for a sentence/2. Thanx for the walk down memory lane. 1972 - 1975 : Crown IC-150 Pre amp, 2 Crown DC -300's strapped for mono, Linn-Sondek table, SME arm, Ortofon pickup, Soundcraftsman EQ, Double Advents. Big room w/non parallel walls. Classical to Blues/Rock. Today: Current hearing loss ~ 10-20 Db, as f(frequency). But, it was fun while it lasted. Still have the equipment. It gets less use now.

[littleharbor]

Huh? Wha'dga say? Somehow, in the 70's while a teenager, I managed to put myself to sleep with headphones on nightly. Yep, I managed to create hearing loss myself.

[Mike90250]

.....But wait - this amplifier has .00001% less THD, total harmonic distortion than the other one. Must be better!......

This amplifer goes up to 11, Way better !

[Bala]

I have just started looking at batteries, and familiar with Lead Acid but keep hearing AGM.
From what I am reading, FTA is still the Fixed Solar Staple.
Why are so many people in the industry pushing to sell you AGM.

Will do some study on FTA costs and working life.

Thanks to everybody who contributed.

Basically very few people have any real idea about batteries and solar systems, and especially the real lifestyle of living off grid.

Battery sizing for most is"It will run my fridge for 2 days " or similar talk. With no regard to DOD and battery life.

Most people will listen to what they want to hear, and generally that will be from people who dont know enough to be giving advice.

Very basically I look at battery types this way,

#Sealed batteries are simple but expensive

#FLA need more maintenance but generally longer life than sealed as you can do SG checks and equalize

#Lifepo4 best on paper but Im still not convinced they will be my next purchase over FLA.

I wouldnt go off grid unless you have no option, but if you are going to this is the best place to get info, but is not a be all and end all of info, just another place to gain knowledge.

Like any forum it can be hard to get an answer to your question. people generally dont read questions/posts in full detail before responding.

So if asking a question make it clear what the question is and only one or two questions per post.

[Little Ray]

Very basically I look at battery types this way,
#Sealed batteries are simple but expensive
#FLA need more maintenance but generally longer life than sealed as you can do SG checks and equalize
#Lifepo4 best on paper but Im still not convinced they will be my next purchase over FLA.

It is as simple as that, cheers mate.

[Bala]

You asked earlier about cycle life and quality of batteries.

the sunstone sealed batteries you listed earlier do have a cycle life chart on the page,

compare that to a battery like Excide Energy store FLA, you will find a massive difference in cycle life expectancy.

I read on the sunstone site, " 10 year or more floating design life" they are not talking cycling life

The price of initial purchase may not be much different but your ROI over years will be.

I have over 10 years on my Excide. The have used a lot of water but i do live in the wet tropics.

I would consider Excide energy store, rolls surrette and trojan to be among the top class products for FLA batteries for stand alone solar.

Look at the detail they supply for their products and the warranty period,

[Laspher]

Great topic here, learned quite a bit.