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Nancy Gneier Travel Town

U.S. Battery Donates To The Travel Town Museum Foundation in Los Angeles, Ca, To Help Preserve Railroading History

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U.S. Battery has donated four of its 8-volt, 15-4-1 deep-cycle batteries to Travel Town Foundation in Los Angeles, California. The foundation restores various old trains that showcase the history of transportation in the American southwest. “U.S. Battery has been a sponsor since 2017, helping us with batteries we need to power and start many of these trains that have specific energy requirements,” says Nancy Gneier, Executive Director at the Travel Town Museum Foundation.

Over the years, U.S. Battery deep-cycle batteries have gone into a 1929 M.177 Motocar, and a 1941 “Charley Atkins” ElectroMotive. Since these vehicles use complicated circuits for the electrical system and starting system, the U.S. Batteries typically made for marine applications, work well to keep these vehicles alive. “We fully support the Travel Town Foundation in their efforts to educate and preserve a piece of railroad history,” said Don Wallace, U.S. Battery COO.  “If this small donation will help the foundation keep serving the community and helping kids, then we’re proud to be a part of it.”

For more information on the Travel Town Foundation, visit www.traveltown.org.

battery pack capacity infograph

Battery Pack’s Size Impacts Capacity And Run-Time

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Having to buy a new set of batteries for your golf car is not something people always look forward to. A 48-volt golf car can take anywhere from four or even eight batteries, depending on the compartment space and vehicle model. This can be a big investment, so if you could get away with only buying four 12v batteries, would that be better? It might seem so upfront, but depending on how often you use your golf car and the amount of runtime you expect, fewer batteries with the same voltage may not always be the best choice.

Depending on the make and model of your golf car, it may seem less expensive to buy four 12-volt batteries connected in series to power a 48-volt system. Choosing higher voltage deep-cycle batteries, however,  often means sacrificing amp-hour capacity. Under constant use, a four-battery pack will have a shorter life cycle than a pack producing the same 48-volts but made up of more batteries. The reason is that the larger battery pack provides a substantial increase in amp-hour capacity, leading to more runtime and cycle life than a smaller battery pack.

More batteries connected in series can produce the same amount of voltage, but because there are more batteries to share the load, it lowers the discharge rate per battery. The driving range is also extended because more batteries increase the overall capacity. Think of it like adding a larger fuel tank to your car. With a larger battery bank, you can drive your golf car farther between charges. If you keep your depth of discharge (DOD) on the battery pack less than 50 percent, it will ultimately add to making the pack last much longer than a pack with fewer batteries.

For example, on a 48-volt golf car, you can typically get a longer driving range and increased battery life with six 8V batteries, and even more capacity with eight 6V batteries. There are still other variables to consider, as there are various 6V and 8V batteries with different amp-hour ratings, but when you replace the batteries with the same amp-hour rating required by the golf car manufacturer and provide proper maintenance procedures, the battery bank with more batteries will last longer. Additional information on explaining the effects of wiring batteries in series and parallel can be found here: https://www.usbattery.com/info-center/configuration/

8V batteries with watering kit

5 Benefits To Using A Single Point Watering System

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Anyone using deep-cycle flooded lead-acid batteries in their electric vehicle or other equipment knows the importance of routinely watering the batteries. During charging, the water content of the electrolyte will decrease due to the electrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. If left unchecked, the electrodes inside each cell can become exposed, resulting in a loss of battery performance. Regular watering is essential to the continued life and performance of any flooded deep cycle battery.

Electric vehicles and other equipment using deep cycle batteries typically have from four to eight individual batteries – each with multiple cells. Watering each cell can take a significant amount of time, especially if you are maintaining a fleet of vehicles. Battery packs are often located in areas that are not easily accessible, increasing the time required for watering.U.S. Battery offers two single-point watering systems (SPWS), Battery Watering Technologies and Flow-Rite, which can make battery maintenance quick and easy while offering several other benefits.

  1. You Can Fill All Your Batteries At Once
    A SPWS connects to all of the cells in each of the batteries within the pack allowing you to fill them with water from a single point.
  2. Save Time During Regular Maintenance
    On a single battery-powered vehicle, you can water all of the batteries in about a minute, versus what would normally take 45-60 minutes per vehicle.
  3. No Chance Of Over Watering
    With an SPWS, the battery cells fill up to the proper level and shut off to prevent overfilling.
  4. Monitoring Systems Can Tell You When To Water
    Some SPWS offer a sensor that can monitor water levels in the battery and indicate when they need watering.
  5. Extended Battery Life
    Frequent maintenance extends the life of your batteries which in turn lowers your annual operating costs.

Click here for more information and installation instructions for our SPWS

OC Monster Carts US Battery Testimonial

OC Monster Carts Prefers U.S. Battery Products For Its Custom Golf Cars

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Chan Hunt, the owner of OC Monster Carts in Southern California, is a custom golf car shop that has tried numerous golf car batteries over the years, but ultimately switched to using U.S. Battery products exclusively. “We meet out customer’s needs and always exceed them when it comes to personalization and registered street-legal vehicles,” says Hunt. “We’ve had some warranty issues with other battery companies that became significant. When we chose U.S. Battery, they exceeded our expectations and are more reliable and user-friendly.”

Hunt realizes that not all golf car customers take care of their golf-car batteries as well as they should, but after seeing OE golf cars come in equipped with U.S. Battery products, Chan says that it helped convince him that it was the right choice for his customers. “One of the greatest things for us and our customers is to have the peace of mind that we can present them a product that they can drive off and us not have to worry about it.”

 

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US 12VRX XC2

Deep-Cycle Battery Tune-Up Tips

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Aside from routinely adding water and charging your deep-cycle batteries, battery manufacturers recommend giving your batteries a tune-up. Simply put, this consists of a few methods to check the condition of the deep-cycle batteries and the associated components so that everything can continue to run perfectly.

Battery Terminals and Wires

1) Safety first. Always perform battery maintenance in a well ventilated area and wear eye protection and gloves.

2) Open the battery compartment of your deep-cycle battery-powered vehicle and check the wires and terminals connected to the battery. If corroded, clean them with a mixture of baking soda and water to neutralize acid corrosion (easily done with a spray bottle). Remove the cables from the battery terminals and, using a wire brush with a plastic or wooden handle to prevent shorting, clean the terminals and wire connections down to the bright metal. Replace any wires that are frayed or broken.

3) Reconnect the cables to the battery terminals. The recommended terminal torque is 100-inch pounds or 15-18 pounds on the end of a six-inch wrench. Avoid using larger wrenches or power tools.  Lead terminals can easily be damaged by over-tightening.  The goal is to fully compress the split-ring lock washer but no more. Use insulated tools to prevent arching.

4) Once the terminals and cables are clean and connections are secure, use silicone spray or a corrosion inhibitor to prevent additional corrosion from forming.

Condition of the Batteries

1) Remove the vent caps on each of the deep-cycle batteries and check the electrolyte level in each cell. If some are low, refill with distilled water so that the plates are covered with at least ¼ inch of electrolyte before charging.  After charging top up to within a ¼ inch of split-ring level indicator.

2) Use a hydrometer to determine the state of charge for each battery. During winter storage, all of the batteries should have been stored in a fully charged state. Check the battery manufacturer’s recommendation for the fully charged specific gravity for each type of battery.

3) If the batteries are fully charged, the vehicle is ready to start service. If the batteries are not fully charged, connect the charger and let it run through a full charge cycle. After charging recheck the electrolyte level and use a hydrometer to verify the batteries are at full charge.

4) After the first 30-days of use, perform an equalization charge to balance the cells and to mix the electrolyte to  prevent stratification.

Once you’ve completed these steps, your deep-cycle batteries in your golf cart, aerial work platform, forklift or even your RV and boat, should be ready to go back to work. With regular maintenance, they will continue to run at optimum performance and last longer with lower annual operating costs. For more information on deep-cycle batteries for your particular application and maintenance tips, visit www.usbattery.com.