DEEP CYCLE BATTERIES AND WINCHING

[Loanrangie]

Will a deep cycle battery be suitable for occasional winching as well as for powering accessories ?

[-Scott-]

Deep cycle batteries traditionally have a higher internal resistance, so they won't deliver as much current at high loads - your winch won't run quite as fast/generate as much torque.

Newer deep cycles are supposed to be much better in this respect, so you may never notice a difference. I suppose it all comes down to which one you buy.

Good luck,

Scott

[spannercrab]

Deep cycle batteries are not designed to give high current outputs - I think it's somewhere around C/10 discharge rate (220Ah batt would safely give 22Amps out continuous) - anything greater than the recommended and you risk plate warpage and overheating ...

Check out the data sheet on the battery - each one is different depending on it's intended purpose.

[GUJohnno]

just hook your winch up to your main battery. This will be fine unless you start doing winch comps
At the moment I'm running the winch, fridge and radios etc. all of the main battery as my deep cycle has called it quits. Has worked well even over week long trips and winching during the navruns last year with the fridge in.

[sudso]

Deep cycle batteries are not designed to give high current outputs - I think it's somewhere around C/10 discharge rate (220Ah batt would safely give 22Amps out continuous) - anything greater than the recommended and you risk plate warpage and overheating ...

Check out the data sheet on the battery - each one is different depending on it's intended purpose.

(220Ah batt would safely give 22Amps out continuous)

So a deep cycle wouldn't be suited to power 2 stereo amps that can draw up to 70 amps continuous?

[spannercrab]

Not saying that the current limit *is* C/10 - it's manufacturer dependant and depends on the type of battery you have.

A deep cycle battery (for example a GC-2 group) *will* power a stereo, winch or starter motor, it's life may be reduced, depending on the current you are pulling out of it.

Although the peak current on your amplifiers may be 70A (say the RMS value), the RMS supply amperage will be less due to the "music power" factor, unless you are running test tones all day ... deep cycle batteries short circuit current is "limited" compared to other types of batteries.

A high-power music system would be better off running from something like an Odyssey dry cell with a higher peak current output.

[sudso]

Thanks spannercrab. I definitely want to get the most life out of the auxillary battery.

As my aux. battery will be going in the back it will be close to the amplifiers (which is a good thing, less power cable length) I want to connect the amps to that.
My starter battery has enough running off it already e.g: winch, driving lights, and a few extra low amp accessories although not always running at the same time. The battery clamps could do without more clutter.

I want to run a fridge, camp lights, chargers etc. off the aux. too but not always running at once.

The auto elec. here recommends a Smart Start charging/isolation system incorporating a switch than enables both batteries to start the engine if needed.
He has this set up on his diesel Patrol.

sudso