Hi Beeky! What I did forget to add, is that these people, (Bristol Batteries) are very approachable people and will offer advice on the best battery for your particular needs. It is definately worth a telephone call for the information you are looking for BEFORE purchasing anything. I say this with first hand ecperience. ~Allan~
--- In [email protected], Captain Beeky <captain.be...@...> wrote: > > > On 10 May 2009, at 18:53, Allan Cazaly wrote: > > > Hi Beeky! > > > > I can highly recommend Bristol Bateries as being the cheapest and > > most efficient company for lead acid batteries. > > I bought my original ones from them (6 in number) and replaced them > > not too long ago. I think I paid £49.00 each recently,(Including the > > top discount for quantity), plus VAT and there was a nominal > > carriage price of £16.00, being delivered by carrier on a pallet > > anywhere in the uk. > > >> What constitutes best quality though and how does one track down a > >> source ? Plate thickness and shape, electrolyte capacity . . . what > >> makes a unit "good" ? > > > Thx for the info Allan, so these are around £60 gross with VAT & > delivery. The Limekiln ones £68. The alleged "500 cycle" Prince of > Darkness ones from Alpha Batteries £87. > > So £240 to £350 for 4, which is best value ? Is it really worth > spending an extra £100 ? > > NOTE - UM has spent most of it's life plugged in to the mains, which > may explain the relatively long battery life. On the other hand we > have the dissolving steel to concern ourselves with one day in the > future. The batteries went through their worst period about 15 months > back when the boat was being painted and off the mooring - so no mains > connection for about a month. Their performance was a bit naffish > after that but another year plugged in seemed to refresh them until > the one of them recently developed the thirst for distilled water. > > The only instrumentation we have is a volemeter backed up by a winking > red light on the fridge to tell us that we have an insufficiency of > small rodents. > > Beeky >
