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jaclasch
Navigator

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USA
104 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/22/2006 : 18:44:36

My father once told me that if someone insists something they are telling you is the “gospel truth,” better check out the gospel.

I was looking at deep-cycle batteries at a local WM store. (That’s WalMart, not West Marine.) The department manager, a very eager-to-help man probably in his mid-thirties, asked what I was going to use a deep-cycle battery for. I told him it was for my sailboat. He then told me that it would be necessary for me to completely discharge the battery upon first use because “it had a memory and would not fully charge if I did not do this.”

I told him I did not believe this to be correct whereupon he stated that he had been working in the department for several years, had learned this from the previous manager and had passed it on to many customers and knew it to be “the gospel truth.”

At home I checked through my VIP (Very Important Papers) area which my wife calls the PMS (Permanently Messy Site) and found an Interstate Batteries brochure. Under “Ten Most Often-Asked Customer Questions” I found the following:

“2. Should I completely discharge a deep-cycle battery the first few times I use it?
No! A marine/RV deep-cycle battery does not require a complete discharge at any time in its service life. In fact, for best results, it is recommended to shallow or moderately discharge the first five to 10 cycles.

3. Do Marine/RV deep-cycle batteries develop a memory?
No! Lead-acid batteries do not develop a memory. What does this mean to you? Lead-acid batteries have the ability to cycle to various amounts of DOD (Depth of Discharge) anytime during their service life without a memory developing inside the battery.”

So here we had information passed from old manager to new manager to many customers which is like “folklore.” And it was “the gospel truth.”

My father was right.

James
1983 FK/TR
Tiempo Dorado

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2006 : 19:18:43

Its the old; "That's the way we've always done it" and "I've done it that way a 100 times". Sounds like the "WM" guy might have been a little discharged himself.

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ct95949
Captain

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Aruba
300 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2006 : 20:40:06

Good story James,my desk has some seriuos 'PMS'

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.