Battery Replacement question: what if, what not, and how

[JasperWindvane]

I have a rebuilt AT4, the rebuild was done by Moyer ( of course ). The boat has two 12 volt batteries. These are the wet cell, what I call the normal or like a car type battery. With all the new electronics // gps, laptop, dvd player, stereo, etc etc, and lights and whatever // I figure all the power I can get the better. A fellow Bristol owner was talking up replacing one of the batteries with 2 6v golf cart type batteries. He said if I wired the 2 golf cart 6v batteries in series ( neg to pos and pos to neg ) I would have 12v with a lot more storage amp hours. It sounded good to me .. but what about the alternator. Does the alternator care about all this? Is there some info I should be knowledgeable about concerning the alternator?

So, my question.. what about the alternator? Does the alternator work with 2 6v golf cart batteries? Will the alternator care if one battery can hold more power than the other? As in capacity? Tell me all about that old alternator, please?

[Don Moyer]

Jasper,

We have folks on the Forum that are more qualified than I to respond to your question, but in the meantime, my understanding is that you alternator will simply see your two 6 volt batteries as one 12 volt battery of the same total capacity. I don't think that your pair of batteries will present any problem.

As long as I weighed in on your question, I would offer further that in general alternators are mostly taxed by how much power you consume from your system (which is the energy that they will have to make up), and not necessarily on the total capacity of your battery bank.

Don

[Hazelnut]

jasperwindvane,

I installed two golf cart batteries in series for my house power needs and a regular 12 volt battery for starting in my 1079 30 ft Catalina three years ago and have had no problem with my operations with my original alternator.

We run a lot of stuff off the house, including a radar. I've never run out of power, even on some 16 hour sailing legs in heavy fog.

Hazelnut

[JasperWindvane]

Battery Replacement, two golf cart ??

Hazelnut ,, what brand, etc golf cart batteries did you use to replace the one 12v wet cell. If you can, all the specifics? Brand, capacity, where you got them, how you set them in place, anything and everything. ///

Thanks,,

[Hazelnut]

JasperWindVane,

Sorry I'm late with this, but I was out of touch for 15 days.

The batteries are in storage at my marina, 180 miles away and I can't remember the brand name on the batteries. I am e-mailing them and will pass on that info to you when I get it. I purchased them from Sam's for about $50 a piece.

They are housed in the Navigation table along with the 12 Volt. They are higher than the 12 Volt, so they are on the top shelf with the 12 Volt in the bottom. My original alternator is 35 amp and we have charged all, or either separately with no known problem.

Hope this helps.

Hazelnut