Platform for dual batteries?

Originally posted by furpod OK, so after 6 hours disconnected, both batteries are bouncing between 13.39 and 13.40. So they are no more than .005v difference in capacity. They have been wired this way for exactly 24 months, and came off the pallet new, side by side. Our Pod is almost always plugged in when home. I couldn't get pictures, because the craftsman has probes and not clips.. sorry, forgot that was one of the reasons I got the Fluke. Also, plugging the pod back in, and turning the battery switch back to "on", both batteries showed 13.70 solid. So they are, for our purposes, charging at the same rate.

You won't be able to measure the difference with a voltmeter under light loading. The difference will be in the current supplied to or taken from each battery. Even then the difference will only be observable during heavy charging or discharging. The difference we are talking about here is minimal with two batteries close, wired with heavy wire, and lightly loaded. That said, there is a right way and a not-so-right way. Why not do it right?  However, don't lose much sleep over this and don't let it interfere with happy hour.

Ditto, I replaced my strap with a regular ratcheting tie-down.  The factory supplied strap is... crap.

No you are looking at it right.

I have a couple EE friends who tell me, yes, it's true, the longer path will cause the far battery to not charge/discharge at the same rate, but that in a two battery "bank" it will not be noticeable. After three years, I see no difference in their capacity, although my DMM only goes to 3 decimals. I just checked them after getting back from the NC rally, let them charge on 120v for two days, disconnected them, and the next day checked their charge state, they were at 12.610 and 12.608. I can live with that.  (it's an ongoing experiment..)

EDIT.. my wife points out those are the numbers from after the pod sat overnight, still attached, but not umbilicaled to the TV. I seem to have not recorded the numbers from the post charge, so I just went out and shut the battery switch off, I will get fresh numbers in a few hours, though my Fluke is over at my brothers and I will only be able to get 2 digit resolution with my craftsman DMM. But to make up for it, I will try to get pictures.. LOL.

BTW, one of the best battery box mods is to throw away them crappy factory straps and buy some  regular cheap tie down hook straps, cut the hooks off and use them. I just did it after having to replace the factory straps last summer, and being able to tell it was going to need to be done again this year..

Terry - yes, it will just do it a little slower.

hogone - yes.  If you hook the pod only up to one battery, the 2nd battery now has a longer path for its electrons with more resistance in that extra wire which connects it to the first batt.  So it will discharge less and then charge less.  The first batt will get more wear and die early.

Originally posted by hogone I don't see it!!  No biggy.  So what it sounds like is (+) pod wire to one of the batterys positive; pods (-) wire going to the other batterys negaitive, then one cable (+) to (+) on the batterys and cable to (-)s on the batterys.......correct?

Sounds right

Pods + to one of the batteries' +
Pod's - to the other bateries' -
Then jumper +to+ and -to-