decent leisure battery

[darthvader]

Hey folks

Need a battery for my neq6 dslr laptop and also for camping too to power small fridge recharge toothbrushes mobile phones etc (obviously not all at the same time!)

Seen this Lucas model on amazon - got good reviews - what do you guys reckon im no expert on batteries

Will probably also get a solar powered charger for it too so I can leave it charging in the shed during the day

Thanka

Leisure Battery 12v-110Ah Lucas LX31MF

[jonathan]

110Ah should be enough for a lot of gadgets and an evening or two on the NEQ6, not sure what a portable fridge draws (possibly similar to the NEQ6) but you should buy a high quality car battery charger for it and forget about solar as it would probably take a few weeks to fully charge from a trickle charge solar panel, unless you have a large array of panels covering your shed roof of course, but that might cost thousands of pounds to do properly.  Lucas always used to be a well-known brand; I bought my leisure battery from Motosave, I think provided that you don't buy something that looks too good to be true (expect to spend about £50 or more) and you buy from a reputable shop then you probably can't go far wrong.

I have this Ring charger, works very well with all car battery types including large leisure batteries.  I'm sure other Smart Chargers would do job too, but I can't comment on their battery maintenance or reconditioning capabilities.  A good charger will help maintain your battery so it should last you many years, it's worth investing in quality. 

Be aware that leisure batteries emit a flammable gas while charging so they should not be left in a concealed space (only while charging though).

Oh, and you can consider something like this for use with the NEQ6.  Your standard SkyTron or supplied NEQ6 cable with auto cigar lighter plug should fit without modification, not sure how you had intended to hook it up to a fridge etc so you might need to invest in some sort of power distribution socket system, make sure it has inline fuses to avoid shorts.

[darthvader]

Thanks for the info Jonathan

Glad you told me about the flammable gas before I left it in my shed! Especially as I store my seasoned logs and sticks in there too!

What battery do you have? and how long does it last approx?

Maybe I would be better off with two lower Ah batteries one for the camping stuff and one for astro

[Langy]

When you mention a leisure battery, it is as far as I'm aware the same as a caravan uses. So the first port of call would be to look at your local carvan retailer and a google on caravan batteries and chargers would be best.

As to solar chargers, yes they are a viable option especially if you get a good day. However how much wattage you need I'm not sure. I've seen many caravans last on their leisure battery running for more than a week with solar chargers. You will certainly be looking for th every least a 30W and I suspect that you may need a higher wattage. I nearly bought one for my caravan a few years ago, there used to be a briefcase style where you opened up a case to show two panels. On top of a basic panel you will also need a charge controller (a lot include this). Maplins for example do this 40W case one but they are not cheap.

A good leisure battery and you may be surprised how long it will last. I made the mistake of buying an 80W one for my caravan when I had to get one as we mostly spent time on site with electric hookup. When I went on a 10 day rally I had a generator which I would only run for around 4 hours once half way through the 10 days.

For charging I would speak to someone who deals with leisure batteries as paying an extra few pounds on a proper charger may well save the long term life of a battery.

The good thing about a leisure battery is that they are designed to run flat. They have an extra plate in them to stop the platelets (or whatever the proper term is) from dropping off the cells which a car battery doesn't have, so you can get almost all the life out of it, but charge it as soon as you can.

One extra thought if you haven't already got the fridge, a lot of leisure fridges run on gas too. So a small camping bottle or propane or butane can solve both you fridge, cooking and of course the beloved barbecue issues all in one.

[jonathan]

I have the Platinum Leisure 685L 85Ah battery.  It's fairly hefty but can be lifted with one hand with care.  I have never managed to run it down, I use it with my NEQ6 and several dew heaters but am rarely out for more than a few hours a night, I actually forgot to charge it for a while and got several sessions out of it before I remembered!  No noticeable power drop at all.  My Ring Smart Charger said the battery level was Low, but that could mean anything less than 50%.

I think if you left your shed window or door open a bit while charging it should be fine.  Just not advisable to charge in a sealed box without attaching the vent tube (which should be supplied).

[davefrance]

Thanks for the info Jonathan

Glad you told me about the flammable gas before I left it in my shed! Especially as I store my seasoned logs and sticks in there too!

What battery do you have? and how long does it last approx?

Maybe I would be better off with two lower Ah batteries one for the camping stuff and one for astro

Hi, there are three types of deep cycle leisure battery, the normal lead acid battery which needs to be vented if contained in an enclosed space (like a caravan). There is normally a tube attached to the battery for this purpose and this needs to be fed to an external area. As already said they do give off a flammable gas when charged, the amount is quite small but can build up. For this reason there is always a warning not to charge in confined spaces. The other two are AGM and GEL, both a little more expensive but are sealed and are said to be safe for use in limited ventilation areas. I have still seen warnings not to charge in confined spaces, but have never found it a problem. Life expectancy of both should by excellent compared to normal lead/acid. I think AGM are the more common of the two.

AGM (absorbed glass mat) are of a special design glass mat designed to wick the battery electrolyte between the battery plates. AGM batteries contain only enough liquid to keep the mat wet with the electrolyte and if the battery is broken no free liquid is available to leak out.

Gel batteries contain a silica type gel that the battery electrolyte is suspended in, this thick paste allows electrons to flow between the plates but will not leak from the battery if the case is broken.

If you choose GEL or AGM make sure your battery charger is designed to charge them.