Trevor wrote: > Hi guys, > <big snip> > We are still on the Nene at the moment, down in Peterborough, but I'm > going to be heading upstream during the next month and then down the > Northampton Arm and back onto the Grand Union. (I've not decided on > where I'm going to be over-wintering yet so, right now, I'm uncertain > as to whether I'll be heading 'up' or 'down' country - although I'm > rather favouring the latter as I write this).
I'll start the ball rolling. You really only get what you pay for. Having said that, I would be reluctant to buy in a marina - how long have they had them, and how have they looked after them! I'm sure a few will be along extolling the virtues of fork-lift batteries - i.e big 2V cells. Nice, but they do cost a pretty penny. I take the view that is better to spend a reasonable amount, and change them when they die - hopefully 4-5 years on (I would expect the engine battery to last longer through, as it's well oversized). Where did I buy mine? Mine were awkward in the fact that they sit inside welded box/frame on the counter, so size was the most important feature, and they were bought at different times. But both suppliers are for batteries only, so you know that they know how to keep them. 1. For the starter battery, I got one at a http://www.manbat.co.uk/ branch in Preston - it's a lorry size battery, plenty of power to always start the engine - this one was easier to size as it sits alone in it's frame. 2. For the domestics, I had a trip to Rochdale and went to http://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk, they were a very reasonable price, and very helpful in putting several on the counter for me to measure (two sit in my box side by side.). NB it's an odd place to find, it's a door at the back of a very old big building. Ron Jones Process Safety & Development Specialist Don't repeat history, unreported chemical lab/plant near misses at http://www.crhf.org.uk Only two things are certain: The universe and human stupidity; and I'm not certain about the universe. ~ Albert Einstein
