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Used old car batteries to power my bunker lights for 6 months straight
Hooked up a bank of 6 deep cycle marine batteries I pulled from a scrapyard. Wired them in series with a cheap inverter from Harbor Freight. Ran my LED strip lights and a small fan for half a year without touching the grid. Lesson learned - check the electrolyte levels monthly. One went dry and dropped my voltage by half. Anyone else mess with battery banks in their shelter?
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gibson.morgan5d ago
Right on, battery banks are the way to go. Did the same thing with some retired forklift batteries I snagged. Had to baby them with distilled water every few weeks but they ran my whole radio setup and a couple of LED bulbs for damn near a year. Never trust a battery that's been sitting dry.
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the_wade5d ago
@gibson.morgan got it exactly right about those old batteries. I had a similar deal with some marine deep cycles I found at a yard sale - heavy as all get out but they kept a charge like it was their job. Had to top off the water every couple weeks and check the terminals for corrosion, but they ran my ham gear and a small fan for months during a bad stretch. You learn quick that a battery that's been sitting dry is just a paperweight waiting to fail.
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drew_jones314d ago
Man, I gotta push back a little on this one @gibson.morgan. I had a buddy who tried the same thing with some old forklift batteries and it was a nightmare. They leaked acid all over his garage floor and ruined his concrete. I get that they can hold a ton of power, but for me the maintenance is just too much hassle. I'd rather spend a bit more on a modern sealed battery than babysit water levels every few weeks. Just my two cents from watching his setup fall apart.
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