jkspoff Posted July 31, 2006 Report Posted July 31, 2006 Battery dead, and needs a new one as its not holding charge at all, but alternator etc working fine, so been and got a new one, however there are so many to choose from, so I opted for a large 88Ah Numax 017 one. Its got a 4 year guarantee and looks like it would generate enough power for a small village, the thought behind it was long life and easy cold starting, plus long charge hold for long airport car park stays. Shopped around and prices ranged from Quote
mumof4 Posted July 31, 2006 Report Posted July 31, 2006 Hmm...last time i bought a battery i specified a lead calcium one as my manual stated that was the one to use, and the garage i spoke to had never heard of them but if i remember rightly and it was a while ago.., he got one from Varta.the battery should have a "Ca" on it IIRC... <_< Quote
jkspoff Posted July 31, 2006 Author Report Posted July 31, 2006 I can't see a 'Ca' on it, but I was reading the web site www.manbat.co.uk that stock them and it appears that they are mostly the same, but little info about the specifications. I wonder what the difference Calcium would make ? Quote
mumof4 Posted July 31, 2006 Report Posted July 31, 2006 I have absolutely no idea......but mine has a Ca on it sumwhere i think.... Quote
Masked Marauder Posted July 31, 2006 Report Posted July 31, 2006 A 4 year warranty suggests a Calcium battery. What is written on the label? Premium? Is the battery white or black? Quote
jkspoff Posted July 31, 2006 Author Report Posted July 31, 2006 Its says Premium High Performance on label, its almost transluscent white. Premium Car BatteryVoltage - 12VCapacity - 88AhCCA(SAE) - 750A Dimensions(mm)354 x 175 x 190 3 years guarantee Original equipment specification Increased capacity for higher cold start performance Maintenance Free Quality assured ISO 9002 accredited Recommended for petrol, diesel and LPG powered carsand light commercial vehicles Quote
mumof4 Posted July 31, 2006 Report Posted July 31, 2006 Mine is blue..here a pic.Has calcium silver written on it .Cost us around 90 quid..got it up in scotland.I do remember that he had to order it in which took a week..(small village!!) Quote
jkspoff Posted July 31, 2006 Author Report Posted July 31, 2006 Just checked a web site regarding battery replacements, and the Numax is a recommended replacement battery for the Galaxy, so for future reference for anyone else interested in getting a replacement, the above battery is about Quote
Masked Marauder Posted July 31, 2006 Report Posted July 31, 2006 The one you have is a lead-acid though, not a calcium, but I would not be to worried, it will be fine. Just once a month or so keep an eye on the electrolyte levels. Mine is blue..here a pic.Has calcium silver written on it .Cost us around 90 quid..got it up in scotland.I do remember that he had to order it in which took a week..(small village!!) That top-down picture makes it look almost 2 dimensional! Quote
mumof4 Posted July 31, 2006 Report Posted July 31, 2006 I was upside down taking that pic!!!!! <_< Quote
jkspoff Posted July 31, 2006 Author Report Posted July 31, 2006 Whats the difference between a lead acid and a lead/calcium, as it appears either of them can be used. Does the lead/calcium just have a longer shelf life prior to use and can be smaller and lighter. Quote
Masked Marauder Posted July 31, 2006 Report Posted July 31, 2006 I was upside down taking that pic!!!!! <_< I meant the picture made the battery look flat! :D :16: Quote
mumof4 Posted July 31, 2006 Report Posted July 31, 2006 The calcium one is better...have a gander.. http://www.varta-automotive.com/eng/index2...erien/blue.html Quote
jkspoff Posted July 31, 2006 Author Report Posted July 31, 2006 The calcium one is better...have a gander.. http://www.varta-automotive.com/eng/index2...erien/blue.html Yes, they appear to be the more recent technology choice. By the looks of it they can be smaller with same output as the larger lead/acid ones, but the older technology lead/acid large capacity ones are apparently very robust to extreme useage with the same guarantee as the newer type. I don't think it really matters from reading up on them which one you get, as long as its got a decent capacity for the job in hand. Quote
Masked Marauder Posted July 31, 2006 Report Posted July 31, 2006 Whats the difference between a lead acid and a lead/calcium, as it appears either of them can be used. Does the lead/calcium just have a longer shelf life prior to use ? Well we say "Lead", but lead would deteriorate to quick on the terminal plates so it is really 94% lead/6% antimony . Problem is antimony makes the water in the battery electrolyte to evaporate quicker. So if you use calcium instead you don't have that problem. You do get others though like you really do not want a Ca battery to go totally flat and they need a slightly higher charging voltage so the alternator in a non-Ca car may struggle to charge the battery fully. The higher charging voltage does however increase the evaporation problem with Lead/Antimony batteries, hence why you need to keep an aye on the electrolyte levels. Quote
mumof4 Posted July 31, 2006 Report Posted July 31, 2006 Hmmm...but the site said that they are designed to give 20% longer life..surely that is more beneficial in the long run????..I will stick to what i have..when i replace it i will go for another of the same...Ive had this one2 and a half years. Quote
jkspoff Posted July 31, 2006 Author Report Posted July 31, 2006 Pros and cons of different batteries as found on web, I knew nothing about batteries until today ! Varieties of Lead Acid Batteries Lead Calcium BatteriesLead acid batteries with electrodes modified by the addition of Calcium providing the following advantages:More resistant to corrosion, overcharging, gassing, water usage, and self-discharge, all of which shorten battery life. Larger electrolyte reserve area above the plates. Higher Cold Cranking Amp ratings. Little or No maintenance. Lead Antimony BatteriesLead acid batteries with electrodes modified by the addition of Antimony providing the following advantages:Improved mechanical strength of electrodes - important for EV and deep discharge applications Reduced internal heat and water loss. Longer service life than Calcium batteries. Easier to recharge when completely discharged. Lower cost. Lead Antimony batteries have a higher self discharge rate of 2% to 10% per week compared with the 1% to 5% per month for Lead Calcium batteries. Quote
Vanbursta Posted August 1, 2006 Report Posted August 1, 2006 I'm begining to think you may need a degree in chemical engineering to understand this site, my head hurts I'm going for a lie down :-) Seriously some very interesting stuff there, who would of thought that car batteries could be so diverse (Oh no i'm slipping into anorak mode - I really must have that lie down) Quote
mumof4 Posted August 1, 2006 Report Posted August 1, 2006 Well..i know nothing about batteries..i only went with what the manual said...the garage who ordered it were quite insistant that a normal Lead Acid battery would be fine...so i took the manual in to show him and then he ordered a calcium one for me.I always read the manual.. :lol: ;) Quote
Andrew T Posted August 2, 2006 Report Posted August 2, 2006 Lead Calcium BatteriesLead acid batteries with electrodes modified by the addition of Calcium providing the following advantages:More resistant to corrosion, overcharging, gassing, water usage, and self-discharge, all of which shorten battery life. Larger electrolyte reserve area above the plates. Higher Cold Cranking Amp ratings. Little or No maintenance. It's ironic then, that such a wonderful technology provided me with the shortest lived battery I've ever had. :angry: Quote
PhilT Posted August 2, 2006 Report Posted August 2, 2006 Whats the difference between a lead acid and a lead/calcium, as it appears either of them can be used. Does the lead/calcium just have a longer shelf life prior to use ? I'm sure I saw on the telly that calcium gives you healthy teeth & bones! java script:emoticon(':angry:', 'smid_4'):blink: Quote
Vince Posted August 2, 2006 Report Posted August 2, 2006 I'm sure I saw on the telly that calcium gives you healthy teeth & bones! I think I need to go and lay down after reading this thread! Vince. :angry: Quote
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