When selecting a battery for your car, 4WD, Boat, Quad, Motorbike Caravan, Dual Battery system, Truck, Forklift or Earthmoving machine it’s important to understand the rating on the battery and the relevance to the battery’s application and operating conditions.
CCA – this is the measurement the current of a fully charged battery can deliver for 30 seconds whilst maintaining a voltage of 7.2 volts for 12 volt batteries at a temperature of -18 degrees. Typical car batteries are either 350, 450 and 600 CCA. The bigger the figure, the better a battery will start a car, especially in cold weather.
Ampere-Hour – Amp hours (Ah) are the rated capacity available in chemical energy inside a battery that is converted into electrical energy. Typical ratings for car batteries are between 75 and 120 Ah. As an example, a 100 Ah battery can supply 5 amps for 20 hours, 10 amps for 10 hours, or 20 amps for 5 hours.
Amps also refer to the amount of energy that the battery can store, or, it can be called “the discharge rate”. The Discharge rate measures the time it takes to discharge a battery before it needs recharging again.
Reserve Capacity – This indicates the length of time that a fully charged battery can perform if discharged at 25 amps before dropping below 10.5 volts.
4WD Dual Battery Systems
Dual battery systems are usually installed in vehicles to operate 12v electrical appliances whilst off the grid or simply to keep your onboard fridge cold. The most important thing is not to compromise your vehicles starting battery.
Having the most cost effective, yet fit for purpose setup can mean the difference between going away for an enjoyable offroad adventure or finding out you have been sold something that its not fit for purpose. 12/24 Volt Auto Electrics can provide you with what you need to keep the adventure going, while working with your budget.
When planning a second battery or fitting auxiliary power points into your vehicle there are a number of things to take into account :
Does your vehicle have a fixed or a variable voltage alternator (smart alternator);
Does your vehicle have the space available to fit a second battery either in the engine bay, cabin or tray or caravan or camper trailer;
Most importantly how long do you intend been off the grid for and what do you intend using the power for: lights, TV, DVD, water pump, charging laptops, camera batteries, mobile phones, sleep apnoea machine (CPAP), fans, fridge, microwave, air compressor and of course a coffee machine.