One of the first casualties of the Pandemic was caused by my lack of attention to the AlumaCraft Boat I had parked in the driveway. I took the boat out in early March to test it out the Battle Born 100 Ah 12 v Life PO4 Deep Cycle Battery I had purchased months ago on my 12 volt Minn Kota trolling motor. It performed like a 24 volt battery lasting all day without a glitch with power to spare. Much superior performance than the single deep cycle gel battery it replaced. March and April were unusually rainy and although I did keep an eye on the dryness of the boat, occasionally looking under the expensive cover I bought for it, I failed to notice the accumulation of rain water that was happening under the deck. by the time I noticed a small amount of standing water on the deck, My trolling motor battery compartment was filled to the top totally submerging my brand new battery. The bow battery box on my sloped driveway was fully underwater while the aft battery compartment was completely dry. The cover must have filled and leaked through the vent holes. It filled the subfloor and aft compartments before I could see it and having the plug out of the boat would not have prevented it.
With the Pandemic in full lockdown and my business shut down and hemorrhaging overhead expenses. I did not have much money to be spending on high end batteries but I also knew I would never buy another battery for my boat or car that wasn’t a Battle Born. They are that good. I got on the phone with the company and in a “Hail Mary” inquired if there was any warranty against stupidity that might get me another battery somehow. As I suspected, there is no “stupid user” warranty. But, the BattleBorn guys really came through for me anyways offering me a discounted battery to replace my drowned one. Apparently no battery is submersion proof. I was overjoyed and am extremely grateful to Battle Born. They are a Quality Company.
If you want to buy the best Lithium Phosphate Battery on the market, I can’t say enough about Battle Born Batteries for you boat or solar applications. These lithium batteries out perform lead acid in every regard and BB are the best ones on the market.The benefits to using LiFePO4 are numerous.
Higher capacity for the same physical size of lead acid.
Can be discharged to 90% vs lead acid or AGM recommended 50% depth of discharge.
Can be discharged at high current rate without losing Ah capacity vs lead acid which can be reduced to 40% Ah rating at high discharge rate.
No hydrogen gass generated.
1/3 the weight of lead acid.
Doesn’t need temperature compensation for charging.
Safe to store indoors while charging
Output voltage is flat during most of the discharge cycle. About 13V
Output voltage is higher than lead acid which improves lifespan
Higher output voltage reduces inverter current draw by approximately 10%.
Can be charged faster. Up to .5C vs .2C with lead acid.
Absorption mode is at the very end of charge instead of at a typical 80% for lead acid. This drastically reduces charge time.
Can last many years (3000 cycles) vs approximately 2-5 years (300 cycles) for lead acid.
Holds a charge for up to 1 year (without a load) without the need for a trickle charger.
Higher voltage and higher current capability allows quiet generator to start easier without low voltage lag.
Can be recharged at least 3000 times and retain 80% of original capacity.
Lifetime cost per Ah is about 10% of the cost of lead acid.
The Battleborn Specs are also some of the best in its class
- 1200 watt hours total capacity (1200 watt hours usable)
- WEIGHT 31 LBS
- SIZE 12.75 x 6.875 x 9 (L x W xH)
- Lithium Iron Phosphate Chemistry (safest choice for mobile solar power systems)
- 12 volt Drop-in Lead Acid Replacement (works with any 12v solar charge controller, but be sure to select the “LiFePO4” or “sealed lead acid” charge setting)
- 100 amp continuous output. 200 amp surge output
- 3 year full replacement warranty and 5 year prorated
- 3000-5000 charge cycles (cheaper than lead acid batteries in the long term)
- Acceptable Charging Voltages: 14.1 to 14.6 volts
- Has high AND low temperature protection
- This battery CAN be series connected! Which means you can use it to build 12/24/48 volt systems
