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The Right Battery for YOU

There are 3 Common types of batteries used in motor vehicles today.

1. Start/Cranking Batteries     2. Deep Cycle Batteries  3. Hybrid Batteries

1. Start/Cranking Batteries.  This style of battery is designed solely for the purpose of starting a vehicle and can be easily identified by a CCA rating on the battery lid. They are primarily designed to have large amounts of current drawn from them in one hit and then replenished from the alternator once the vehicle is running. These batteries are not designed to be used for low and continuous loads and must be kept fully charged at all times. Over discharge of a start battery will considerably reduce its life making a full and deep recharge highly unlikely.

 2. Deep Cycle Batteries.  These batteries are designed purely for the purpose of running low continues loads, i.e. lights, fridge and inverters etc. Deep cycle batteries are identified by their A/Hr capacity. They are designed to be run flat to approx (10volts) and then recharged. Deep cycle batteries can be used in an emergency to jump start a vehicle but they are not designed to run short, high current loads on a regular basis. The heat caused by this will considerably shorten the life of battery.

 3. Hybrid Batteries.  These batteries are the real all rounder. Designed to be used in a mixed environment, this makes them perfect as a second battery under the bonnet of your vehicle, and are identified by both a CCA and A/Hr rating. They are capable of starting a vehicle, running a winch, fridge, lights or anything else you can think of.

 There are many brands and varieties of batteries on the market to suit dozens of applications from Cars, Trucks, 4wd's, motor bikes, solar systems, torches, and everything in between. Each battery category can be broken down further depending on internal materials used to build the battery E.g. Lead acid, calcium and AGM (absorbent glass mat) just to name a few. Again some of these batteries are only suited for certain applications.

Dual battery systems

The Myths and Truths There is a lot of misinformation and confusion surrounding today’s dual battery isolators, concerning what they will and will not do and the advantages and disadvantages of each system.

Parallel Charge Systems.  Parallel charge systems are the most common isolators found on the market today. A wide variety of brands and build types have flooded the market, making an informed decision increasingly harder as price and performance varies between units. Basic parallel systems charge both the main battery and the second battery at the same time once the vehicle is running and the alternator is charging. The advantage of this style of system is that they are relatively easy to install, are less expensive than other styles of isolators and a large variety to choose from. The disadvantages for parallel systems are that the recharge time is considerably long, the second battery will NEVER reach a full state of charge (depending on the system the best you can hope for is 80% charge and some systems that can be a lot less) and the second battery must be correctly matched to the main battery, giving very limited choice.

 Independent Charging Systems.  Independent charging systems are the bench mark in battery charging technology, due to their relatively unknown and misunderstood ability they are not sold by a majority of retailers. They work by charging each individual battery separately. The advantage of doing this is the recharge time is considerably faster, the batteries will reach 100% charge, any combination of battery construction can be used and more batteries can be charged without risk of damage to the vehicles alternator and associated electronics. The only disadvantage to this style of system is price.

Independent systems are perfect for those travelling for extended periods, where recharge time is essential for maintaining available battery levels as well as providing the greatest life from your batteries.