In today's fast-paced world, batteries power many of the devices we rely on daily. Among the various types of batteries available, AA alkaline batteries stand out due to their versatility and reliability. Understanding their benefits can help you make informed decisions for both everyday use and specific needs.

AA alkaline batteries are a type of dry cell battery that provides 1.5 volts of power. They are widely used in household items such as remote controls, flashlights, and toys. The term "alkaline" refers to the electrolyte used in the battery, which is potassium hydroxide, providing longer shelf life and better energy output compared to older zinc-carbon batteries.

One of the most significant advantages of AA alkaline batteries is their long-lasting power. Compared to other battery types, they have a higher energy density, meaning they can power devices for extended periods. This makes them ideal for devices that require a steady supply of power over time, such as wall clocks, thermostats, and smoke detectors.

AA alkaline batteries are known for their reliability. Both the Energizer and Duracell AA batteries we carry have a shelf life of up to 10 years, which means you can store them for long periods without significant loss of power. This makes them a practical choice for emergency supplies and infrequently used devices.

AA alkaline batteries are readily available and can be found in most supermarkets and convenience stores, but the price at these locations is often higher than you can find here at BatteryStuff.com. Brands like Duracell and Energizer are renowned for their quality and performance, offering consumers reliable options for various applications.

While rechargeable household batteries are an excellent choice for high-drain devices, alkaline batteries offer a cost-effective solution for many everyday items. They are particularly useful in devices that are used sporadically, where the cost of rechargeables may not be justified.

When selecting AA alkaline batteries, consider the brand. Duracell AA batteries and Energizer AA batteries are among the top choices due to their proven track record for durability and performance.

Here at BatteryStuff.com we carry Duracell Procell and Energizer Industrial AA batteries. These batteries perform just like the normal retail batteries you see in the store, but they are packed in bulk in cardboard packs. This type of packaging makes it easier for businesses and professionals to switch out batteries, reduces waste, and creates a more cost-effective price than the retail packs.

In summary, AA alkaline batteries provide a reliable, long-lasting, and cost-effective power source for a wide range of devices. Their availability and shelf life make them a convenient option for both everyday use and emergency preparedness. Whether you choose Duracell or Energizer, understanding the benefits of these batteries ensures you can make the best decision for your needs.

Signs of a bad RV Power Converter:

Dead Battery / No Power:

When an RV converter is working properly, it is responsible for providing stable, reliable power to the DC side of the RV electrical system. These units work as a power supply while simultaneously charging the RV batteries. If you go into your RV and the 12V lights, water pump, or 12V accessories won’t turn on when it's plugged in, this indicates the RV Converter isn't functioning.

Even with dead batteries, the RV Converter will function as a power supply, so if nothing powers up on the 12v DC side, that points to an issue with the RV Converter.

Unusual Dimmed or Flickering Interior Lights:

If your RV Interior lights seem dimmer than normal, this generally indicates low DC voltage. The problem should resolve when you plug the RV into shore power or generator power. If the problem isn’t resolved after plugging in the RV, then this can mean your RV Converter is likely not powering up.

Flickering lights can be a sign that the RV Converter is having issues. Flickering is often caused by rapid voltage fluctuations and may result from low battery voltage, inconsistent output voltage, or improper grounding. Since the RV Converter works as a power supply and charger, sudden voltage drops could indicate the RV Converter is having issues providing continuous output, and your batteries are low.

Fans Spinning Slower than Normal:

If a vent fan, over-the-stove exhaust fan, or DC power ceiling fans turn slower than usual, this could indicate low DC voltage. If the problem doesn’t correct itself when the RV is plugged into shore power, it could point to the RV Converter having output issues.

Unusual Noise Coming from the RV Converter:

An unusual humming or buzzing noise from the RV Converter could indicate several issues. It could be as simple as the fan needing cleaning, or it could indicate other internal components starting to fail.

Overheating or Hot RV Converter:

Most RV converters have internal fans designed to keep the converter cool. These fans are typically thermal and load-controlled. This means the fan will turn on when the converter reaches a specific temperature or output load set by the manufacturer.

If you notice the fan never turns on after monitoring the converter for a while, and the converter is hot to the touch, this could indicate a failed converter fan. A failed fan can cause a converter to overheat and shut down, causing inconsistent power output.

Electrical Issues:

An RV Converter is the heart of your DC electrical system. When you notice multiple DC power issues, such as problems with your slide-outs or an appliance like the onboard heating system not working correctly. These issues can point to inconsistent power coming from the RV Converter.

Simple Troubleshooting Steps

Remember, your RV Converter will work as a power supply even when your batteries fail, so if you’re having issues with multiple devices, take the time to troubleshoot your RV Converter.

A voltmeter is generally all you will need to troubleshoot an RV Converter. Most RV converters will output between 13.6 volts and the mid-14 volt range. If you find the Converter output voltage doesn’t rise to these levels when powered on, you may want to check the fuses to be sure they are intact. A blown fuse generally indicates the batteries were connected in reverse or can point to a transformer issue.

Check to ensure the batteries are hooked up properly, and then check and replace any blown fuses. If the converter powers up with no issues, you are most likely back in business. If a fuse blows again, it could indicate the converter is surging above the fuse's amperage ratings. This issue generally points to a bad transformer and the need for a replacement RV converter.

BatteryStuff.com is here to help! If you have any questions, feel free to contact our techs. We are always happy to offer some advice, and if necessary, we have several smart charging replacement RV Converters.

Choose Your Replacement RV Converter

The ideal time to use a trickle charger is when you are finished using your toys for the day. Years of experience says that the best thing a customer can do is to keep a trickle charger on the battery whenever you are not using the battery. When it comes to batteries, there are really only two constants: Either your battery is getting charged or your battery is self-discharging. A properly sized trickle charger will have sufficient amperage to keep the battery fully charged and ready to go for the next use. Batteries have gotten expensive, so take care of them and extend their useful life!

Properly Maintaining Your Marine Batteries

When to Use a Marine Trickle Charger

The best time to use a marine trickle charger is when you’re done using your boat for the day or the trip, as well as at the end of the season or in-between uses.

BatteryStuff.com only offers good quality, smart marine trickle chargers that are 100% safe for your batteries. Our chargers offer smart charging technology for an ongoing maintenance after the initial charge cycle is complete. The chargers will either float and maintain the battery at a 100%, or they will test the battery periodically and kick back on if it finds that the battery is not at a 100%. Ideally, we recommend keeping your charger plugged in and connected whenever you are not using your marine batteries or when they are stored away for the winter.

Marine chargers can range from a single bank (one battery) to a multi-bank (several batteries) application meant to keep several batteries maintained at once. One of the main benefits to a marine multi-bank charger is it enables you to charge your trolling motor batteries and starting battery with one charger. Feel free to browse our marine chargers or contact our support desk for product selection assistance.

How to Use a Marine Trickle Charger

Most marine trickle chargers are onboard, mountable single bank or multi-bank units. Most will arrive with an AC cord and the DC cables that are then connected to each individual 12V battery that you are maintaining. Some chargers may have a mode button to select the applicable battery you are charging and others are fully automatic. Set up is generally only done during initial setup and is remembered by the charger going forward. In most cases, you simply need to plug the unit in to begin charging your battery or battery pack. Of course, if you have any questions that the manual does not cover, you can always call our tech line for assistance.

Properly Maintaining Your Motorcycle, ATV, SxS Batteries

When to Use a Motorcycle or ATV Trickle Charger

We recommend connecting the trickle charger to the battery after every ride if possible. While this approach may not be necessary for the daily rider, it will not hurt the battery if it is being maintained by a smart charger. In the end, creating this habit can save money and the dreaded “click-click-click” if you failed to connect the battery to a charger several months back. Feel free to browse our motorcycle trickle chargers or contact our support desk for product selection assistance. Motorcycle applications typically see two battery types these days: AGM and Lithium. Make sure you know which type you have before connecting your charger!

How to Use a Motorcycle Trickle Charger

Most motorcycle-suitable chargers come with a quick disconnect ring harness that is meant to be installed with the battery and routed out of the battery box for easy access. Once the ring harness is installed, you simply need to connect the charger to the quick disconnect to begin the smart charging phase. Most of our motorcycle chargers are 2-amps or less with no user input, so in most cases once you connect the charger to the quick disconnect it will simply start the smart charging phase. If your charger has user inputs it may be necessary to select the appropriate battery type, and then the charger should start the smart charging phase.

Summed up, best practice is to take care of your batteries and they will take care of you. Don’t forget to use only good quality chargers from known brands and it only helps if it is connected. Now go enjoy your toys!

Two of our favorite portable solar charging kits are made by Samlex America. The Samlex 90-Watt and 135-Watt kit features three solar panels that fold into a suitcase for easy transportation. Each kit has an integrated solar charge controller meant for 12v lead acid batteries (Flooded, AGM or GEL), which ensures the battery doesn’t get overcharged. The kits feature a set of battery clamps and includes a 16’ extension cable.

The Samlex MSK-90 is great for tent trailers, campers or even converted vans, offering approximately 20 to 30 amps a day of solar charging. The MSK-135 is a 25% increase in wattage making it suitable for full-size RV’s, offering approximately 30 to 46 amps a day. If you are conservative with your battery use, this will extend your run time by as much as a few days!

In order to know which solar charger kit is best for your camping situation, you should have an idea of how much energy you are currently using. Let’s say you have a single 100AH Group 27 deep cycle battery and that battery last you two days before it goes dead. Given that information you can estimate you are using approximately 50 AH a day. The MSK-90 in two days will average 40 to 60 amps of charging, while the MSK-135 can offer 60 to 92 amps. Depending on the season the MSK-135 may be able to keep up with the daily draw, while the MSK-90 can average an additional day - every two days of charging in the above scenario.

If you need help finding the best solar charger kit for your situation, we are happy to point you in the right direction. Simply contact our tech department via our Support page.

On that note, with the flying of snow and the onset of winter, my wife’s Prius gained a new nickname. Before I tell you that name though, I must say that my wife loves her car.  I would even go so far as to admit that it drives really well, is pretty comfortable, and the gas mileage is to die for. Truth be told, it’s awesome MPG helps me keep my gas guzzling Motorcycle hauling 4x4 van on the road by offsetting our monthly fuel bill. For the things it is good at, getting groceries, hauling the kids to school, passing gas stations and driving slowly in the left lane, it truly excels. But boy o boy, what it is bad at, it is really, really bad at. 

We had a record amount of snow this last week, and for the first time in the history of forever I had to plow my driveway. This is not a garage to curb kind of driveway, it is more of a ¾ mile long winding road with ups and downs. It was also covered in 16 inches of snow and ice, so anything that was not 4x4 with big tires has not moved in a while. Looking to change the paradigm, I plowed the road and then made a brave but misguided attempt to drive the Prius to work so my wife could drive the Jeep. The master plan was to swap cars at work so my wife could take the kids to school and run some much needed errands around town.

I’ve got to tell you that this plan slipped sideways faster than, well, a Prius on Ice. One of the modern ‘safety’ functions of the Prius is traction control. Essentially, traction control works by momentarily cutting power to a spinning wheel, and sending it to a non-spinning wheel. I am sure this works great in the design studio of some engineer, somewhere, but theory is a fickle master. In the case of the Prius power is continually cut to reduce wheel spin until all power is finally stopped, and as there is no TC on/off switch in this car, forward progress is quickly defeated. In that moment the car ceases all forward propulsion, and no amount of slapping the accelerator petal to the floor will induce it to do otherwise. It just sits there, silently mocking you, no noise emanating from the car except from the nut attached to the steering wheel uttering unmentionables.  Ask me how I know. And all of this in the name of “Safety”. 

Which is how this car, my Wife’s lovely Prius has come to be known henceforth as “Stupid Little Car”.

As much as it may seem, this is not a rant about a much loved, sometimes despised Stupid Little Car. No, it is an observation that the more automated things become, the more ‘safety’ features are added and the more human input that is removed from the equation, the more helpless we become when things get difficult. When the going gets tough, the tough can no longer get going because things are increasingly mandated out of our control. Now, don’t get me wrong, I wear a helmet when I ride my motorcycle, and wait for the green crossing signal at crosswalks (well, sometimes) But what is increasingly true in every aspect of our lives, from Stupid Little Cars right up into government regulations, is the more power we cede, the less power we have. As the dude on the $100 bill said, “Don’t be too quick to give up liberty for safety or you may end up with neither, stuck in 1 inch of snow and having to call your wife to drag you out at 6:30 in the morning before anyone has had coffee.”  (Ok, probably not a direct quote, but you get the idea.) 

All of which brings me to my point. I love the industry I am in. At BatteryStuff.com we provide batteries for everything from boats to motorcycles to traveling Snowbirds in their off grid RV’s roaming the countryside. The one thing all these have in common, each and every one, is that they scream independence, yell freedom and put the user in charge. Liberty machines, they are. They inherently give you more control. In fact they demand it. The point is that when you partake in these activities you not only assume the risk, you do so with a smile and a wave!

So, take control. Be your own boss. Go for a ride, launch the boat, go Rv'ing! Don’t shun risks at the expense of liberty. Don’t give away all control at the altar of safety. And remember, If your liberty machine has a dead battery, you cannot assume that precious control -you can but sit in your garage making car noises.  Which, by the way, your wife might frown upon. Again, ask me how I know. BatteryStuff.com; Keeping Liberty alive with Batteries, Chargers, Jump Starters and Solar. 

More power to ya!

BatteryStuff.com sells modified and pure sine wave inverters and inverter/charge combo units.

Modified sine wave inverters are economical for running basic non-microprocessor devices like heaters, pumps, or power tools. These types of inverters are often installed on commercial vehicles, buses, and other applications that are just running simple devices.

Pure sine inverters, also known as true sine wave inverters, are a little more expensive than modified sine wave inverters, but they create a cleaner form of power that closely mimics your home's household plug. Today most modern-day devices, such as TVs, computers, and other household electronics, need a pure sine wave inverter in order to operate properly.

We often get calls asking, “What size battery do I need to power my Pure Sine Wave Inverter?” And, I admit that is a fair question to the beginner, so we’re here to educate our customers so they know exactly what size battery to buy.

When using true sine wave inverters, you’re powering the sine wave inverter by connecting it to a battery or battery pack. Once the pure sine inverter is turned on, it starts to invert the DC energy to AC regardless if a load is applied or not (I’ll talk about this parasitic draw later). When a load is applied, electricity is pulled out of the battery, energy is inverted, and you can now run your device. So while the beginner’s question seems right, what you really need to ask is, “What size battery do I need to power my 120 VAC device run through a battery inverter?”

Now, I know that seems like a mouthful, but that is really what we need to know in order to size your battery correctly. It isn’t so much about powering the inverter, as it is more about what your device is actually pulling out of a battery through an inverter. This may be a great place to mention that changing electrical form from DC to AC is called “inverting,” while changing from AC to DC is “converting.”

Sine Power Wave Inverter Sizing

Sine wave inverters come in all sizes, from a small micro sine wave inverter, to larger kilowatt pure sine wave power inverters. When choosing your sine waveform inverters, you need to make sure you are selecting an inverter that covers your total watt draw. Also be sure to account for a possible surge draw. Most devices such as laser printers, pumps and compressors take a lot more energy to get started, and it isn’t always listed on the device. It’s a good idea to ask the manufacturer to verify if there is a surge amp rating for the item you are trying to run. As a general rule you will need to oversize your inverter to load by as much as 75%. Meaning, if you have a 200 watt load, you should start looking at a 300 watt-sized inverter.

Now let’s talk about inefficiencies and that parasite draw. By just simply powering up the inverter, there is a no-load-draw, or what’s commonly referred to as a parasitic draw coming off the battery pack. It is a good idea to power down the pure sine wave power inverter if you are not going to be using it. Depending on the inverter, you could be losing around ½ an amp an hour if it comes with a power save mode; up to 3 amps or more if it does not. You can get an idea of how much parasitic load your inverter has by looking at the efficiency rating in the specifications.

Determining Load and Battery Pack Size

So can your inverter run your appliances, a small cabin or an entire household? Yes, they can, if the inverter rating matches your total load, but often times you want to weigh the cost. Pure sine power inverters can really run anything as long as the device falls within its specification. However, what you need to remember is the battery pack needs to be suited for the device you plan to run. This means you’re going to have to gather some specifications before you even try to size the battery pack.

Now that we’ve covered some of the basic information, you can start to size your inverter. First, you need to know what wattage inverter to select. Some devices are labeled with a wattage, but many are just listed with their voltage and amperage rating. Remember, all inverters are simply pass-thru devices, meaning your inverter rating is simply the MAX power (in watts) that it can invert at any one time. Stated again, you cannot use a 100 watt inverter to power a 200 watt load because the inverter is not capable of inverting that much energy without causing harm! Use the following formula to calculate the wattage:

Volts x Amps = Watts

Once you have the wattage figured out, it’s a good idea to figure out what size battery pack you will need. In general, higher voltage inverters are more efficient and consume less energy during the inverting process. In the end you need to determine a battery or battery pack that is capable of running your load for as long as you anticipate.

First, our DC to AC Amperage Conversion Calculator takes into account the inefficiencies of inverters, and the amperage they consume just by inverting DC energy to AC. It will tell you the hourly DC Amp draw your devices will consume. Once you know the hourly DC Amp draw you can size the battery using our calculator for sizing a 12v battery to a load.

We hope this information will help you in selecting the proper inverter and battery pack for your next project. We are always open to tech questions, so feel free to comment below if you have a question that we didn’t cover here. Or, if you would rather email us directly, you can fill out our tech question form on our Contact Us page.

Choose Your Pure Sine Wave Inverter

Flooded/Wet Solar Batteries

High-capacity, photovoltaic (PV) batteries are a must for off-grid home and backup system use. In addition to durability, these types of solar panel batteries feature deep cycle technology that operates under even the most challenging outdoor conditions, including variable temperatures.

Flooded (Wet Cell) solar batteries require maintenance, which involves maintaining their water levels and cleaning up corrosion that can occur from spilled acid and gassing. If water levels are properly maintained, the battery can last just as long as AGM and Gel Cell batteries in most cases.

They also have the added benefit of being able to add chemicals in order to extend the battery life. We have seen several positive examples of using chemicals such as our Battery Equaliser when our customers’ batteries are becoming weak. We’ve tested Battery Equaliser paired with various desulfating technology that we carry, and we’ve seen batteries that were out of service brought back to life! If you are seeing the early symptoms of a weaker battery, it is an inexpensive way of trying to restore your battery pack.

Batteries for solar renewable energy applications also feature a rugged exterior design to ensure optimal performance in harsh environmental conditions.

AGM Rechargeable Batteries

Absorbed glass mat, or AGM, are lead acid batteries perfect for use with solar panel systems. Often they are referred to by our customers as a gel battery by mistake because of their non-spill characteristic, but the internal electrolyte of the battery is different. AGMs have a fiberglass matting that surrounds the lead plates. This creates an environment that charges and discharges better.

For high amp draw situations, AGM batteries do have a slight advantage in discharge performance over flooded batteries. For this reason AGMs can get away with a slightly less amp/hr. (AH) rating for applications than flooded batteries. You can work your own example using our Calculator | Sizing a 12 Volt Battery to a Load. In addition to being a safer choice when it comes to corrosion, these rechargeable batteries are a good choice when the system you are powering won’t be operated continuously, or if you cannot be around to monitor a flooded battery’s water levels.

They also have a low discharge rate, so if you need to take your battery pack offline for a few months, they do have the added benefit of a slower discharge rate compared with a flooded battery. The average AGM we carry has a self-discharge rate of approximately 3% a month. That is of course exponential over time, so you don’t want to let them sit too long—but a few months in moderate weather will have very little adverse effect on the battery pack.

Gel Cell Batteries for Renewable Energy Systems

While gel batteries are similar to an AGM variety, it must be used with caution before installing into a solar system. Gel cell batteries contain a silica-type gel that the battery electrolyte is suspended in. This thick paste-like material allows electrons to flow between plates but will not leak from the battery if the case is broken.

Gel battery chargers charge at a slightly lower voltage rate than an AGM or flooded battery, so you need to pair them with a solar charge controller that works for gel batteries, or you can risk heating up the gel electrolyte and damaging the battery. Gel batteries will typically have a lower capacity rating over their AGM and flooded battery counterparts, but they also cycle very deeply.

When it comes to maximizing cost and space when creating a large battery pack, you will find that your cost is more and capacity less, but you also gain the ability to deeply discharge them without harm. You may even find that you need to buy an extra battery, or string of batteries when using gels over their AGM or flooded counterparts in order to achieve the same capacity. If you’re creating a small solar setup consisting of a single battery, or even a couple batteries, and it’s in a warmer climate, a gel battery might make sense for your application. However, you must weigh the cost and the added benefits to see if it makes sense.  

A word of caution: Be sure to use the right battery charger or your gel cell battery won’t perform as expected, and it can even lead to premature failure.

Find out more about AGM and gel cell batteries in our Knowledge Base article, Gel vs AGM: Not Quite the Battle of the Ages, but Nice to Know.

Choose Your Rechargeable Battery for Solar Applications

Choosing Panel Size for Your Solar Battery System

Selecting the right size for your application comes down to determining the power you require versus the power the panel can deliver. Let’s say you want to power that backwoods cabin. A good place to start is to figure out your total electric consumption in a 24-hour period. The next step is to determine the total amount of direct sunlight your solar power system will receive. After you gather those numbers, you can take a look at our solar calculator to get a more exact determination of your power needs.

Benefits of a Solar Power System Controller

A simple way to avoid overcharging your solar panel batteries is to use controller. This component of your solar battery system essentially acts as an on-off switch, allowing power to pass through only when needed.

Another added benefit is that a controller can prevent battery discharge in low-light conditions. And when you’re relying on the power of the sun for charging, you’ll quickly see the advantage of a controller that keep what power your batteries have already accumulated.

For more information on solar power systems, check out our Knowledge Base article, Solar Info: The Down Low on Everything Up High.

The simple answer is Yes, but not for long term maintenance due to internal battery electronics.

As a reminder April 1, 2016 the (ICAO) The International Civil Aviation Organization has required all lithium batteries to be shipped at no more 30 percent state of charge.

Which means: the lithium battery which used to arrive ready to use will now need to be charged before using.  In order to keep the battery healthy you should use a charger specifically created for lithium batteries.  We currently have a few that will work. The Noco GENIUS2, Battery Tender's Power Tender for Lithium, or our favorite the OptiMATE for lithium.

Choose Your Battery Tender

What does "20 AMP Hour Rate" mean?

I have learned that trying to explain this one can be complicated; however let's give it a try.

If you have a battery that is listed "20 Amps" and you put a draw on it of "1 amp" per hour, the battery will last for 20 hours.  What if you put a draw on it of 20 amps per hour does it last for only one hour?  I have learned that it does not.  When you discharge a battery at a faster rate the overall amperage that is available is less.

For more information click here.

Robin

 "Complicated thinking doesn’t always answer the question."

First, all solar battery and energy systems should be customized to fit your specific needs. Each part of the system is dependent on each other and dependent on your application. The battery bank is going to be most dependent on the load and the time the load is used. Our solar calculator can be a great tool to help you figure out the number of needed solar panels and batteries in your bank to run your specific application.

Now, let’s assume you’ve got your solar panels set up. The next step is to add a solar controller. Why is this important to a battery bank? The solar charge controller helps prevent the batteries in your bank from overcharging and prolongs the life of your batteries.

Next, it’s time to set up the battery bank. A battery bank is simply the result of joining two or more batteries together for a single application. In theory, you can connect as many batteries together as you want, but when you start to construct a tangled mess of batteries and cables, it can quickly get confusing. And that confusion can turn dangerous. Make sure you keep in mind the requirements for your application and stick to them. And for safety, avoid mixing and matching batteries of different sizes that you had in your garage or hand-me-downs from Uncle Bob. Consistency in your battery size will keep your solar battery bank safe and running smoothly.

Depending on the number of batteries you need in your bank, you may find it helpful to draw a simple diagram first of how the batteries will be connected to each other with input and output.

There are two ways to successfully connect two or more batteries to each other to form the battery bank for your solar system. These are a series join or a parallel join. We’ve created a simple tutorial video which will help you better understand these two methods for joining batteries to form your bank. Take a look.

Finally, to be able to use the energy stored in the battery bank you’ve set up, you’ll need to connect it to an inverter. This allows you to plug in your application and get moving.

For those of you who don’t deal with this every day, we know it can be confusing trying to determine the exact needs to create a solar-powered battery bank system for your application. Don’t fret, give us a call. We can help you determine the number of solar panels and batteries you’ll need, along with the best configuration for creating your system. Contact our helpful staff by email or call us at 1-800-362-5397.

Choose Your Solar Battery Banks

1. Battery Size Matters

Having the right size solar system with the correct number of panels can make or break your charging ability. Too few panels and you won’t get the charge you need. We always recommend over-sizing the size of your solar array.

There are several factors that go into determining what size solar backup battery system you need:

• Estimated Watt demand
• Hours per day the application will run
• System voltage
• Number of days backup power is required
• Battery Amp rating
• Direct sun hours per day
• Panel watt rating

Taking these factors into account, we’ve created an online battery solar backup calculator to make it easier for you to determine the size of replacement solar batteries you’ll need for your particular system.

2. Solar Panel Location is Key

As mentioned when determining the size, the hours of direct sunlight are a key factor. To effectively charge, solar backup batteries need direct sunlight. You need to be realistic about the number of direct sunlight hours you’ll have. Conditions such as an overcast sky, shadows, improper mounting angle, equatorial direction or short winter days will reduce the actual solar panel output to below the rated values. The length of daylight available can vary greatly by season. Daylight hours in summer versus winter can be quite different.

When calculating the number of panels you’ll need, err on the side of caution to help compensate for variables such as shade, clouds, panel angle, etc.

3. Use a Solar Controller

We always recommend using a solar controller with your solar backup battery anytime you use a panel that is over 5 watts rated output. A good idea in many applications, the charge controller can help you prevent overcharge, prevent battery discharge during low or no light conditions, and improve charge quality. The controller will allow power to pass to the battery when it needs it and cut it off when the battery if fully charged.

Learn more about creating a battery backup photovoltaic system in our Knowledge Base article, Solar Info: The Down Low on Everything Up High. It explores the most frequently asked questions we receive on solar backup batteries and is a great place to get started. Once you’ve got a feel for the system you need, shop our selection of solar chargers. 

Wow! You guys sure list lots of different chargers on your website. How do I know which one I need?" As fall passes, and ‘charger’ season(as we call it) is here, we sure get that question often. It would be an easy answer if all chargers were the same, and all charging needs were equal. Unfortunately, that is not the case, but we are here to help, and think that with good information we can get you pointed in the right direction. Following are a few questions you should ask yourself when getting ready to purchase a charger, along with information to help answer those questions.

1. What size battery do you want to charge?
   1. 
      A charger should charge at a rate of about C/10-25. That is, the charge rate should be equal to between 10 and 25% of the batteries capacity. So a 10 AH battery would be best charged between 1 and 2.5 amps.

1. Do you expect to use the charger for only one battery, or perhaps move it around the garage for different applications?
   1. 
      If you are charging multiple batteries, you can get a charger that is programmable for different current outputs, different voltage outputs (6, 12, 24v, etc), and even different battery types.

1. Are you just wanting to maintain a battery that is already charged?
   1. 
      If you are just parking something for the winter and want to make sure the battery is ready to go next spring, you can go with a charger that is on the lower end of the output current. For instance, if you are maintaining a boat battery that might be 75AH, you can go as small as a .8 amp charger because you will not be asking the charger to work hard to replace bulk charge. You simply need it to maintain what is already there.

1. How many batteries do you need to charge?
   1. 
      Often called multi-bank, or multi-output, Battery chargers that can independently charge more than one battery at a time could be exactly what you are looking for. Unless the batteries are in series for higher voltage applications, we always recommend charging the batteries as individual units. This protects the batteries should one fail.

1. What is your charge environment?
   1. 
      Are you charging indoors, outdoors, in a humid or hot environment? Some chargers are rated for full submersion (IP64), which includes most Marine Chargers. However some are higher output and fan cooled which would not be suitable for any water contact. Know where you want to use your charger, and it will last longer.

1. What if I need to power a load while charging, like a sump pump system?
   1. 
      Your charger selection will need to be on that can work as a power supply, AND have enough amps to cover whatever load you are dispensing. Worst thing you can do here is ‘cheap out’ and get a charger that covers neither of those points. What you will end up with is dead batteries, a broken charger and be generally unhappy with your purchase.

1. What about Golf cart battery maintenance?
   1. 
      If you are leaving your golf cart or similar type battery for long periods, the best thing you can do is to remove the negative terminal connection from the ground, and then connect a good maintenance charger. Because of the size of the batteries in question, we NEVER recommend going smaller than a few amps (unless the maintainer is meant for golf carts such as these maintainers for 24v, 36v, 48v Golf Carts), and most often we like to see a charger in the 15-30 amp range (see smart chargers for 24v, 36v, 48v, 72v Golf Carts). Chargers have come so far in the last few years that you can use one charger that will both bulk charge your batteries during your use season, and properly maintain the batteries in the off season.

This is just a sprinkling of questions and information that will get you started down the correct path. We have plenty more information stashed away in our Tutorial True Knowledge Base, feel free to browse it for tips!

Choose Your Battery Charger

It was looking to be an epic year for our ‘Old Enough to Know Better’ 40 expert team at the Ridge this year. With the group we put together, we were expecting to throw down a standard that would be hard to match and leave younger teams scratching their heads in disbelief. Of course, things don’t always go as planned. I guess that is why the call it racing, not simply ‘winning’. I’ll cut to the end right now. We finished second to a very strong “Bots” team and I tip my visor to you all. Great ride, and thanks for the competition.

OK, so you already know how it ends, but here are some of the highlights on how we got there. We have a tradition going all the way back to 2010 of ‘letting’ the youngest rider on the team start the race. This year, that honor fell to Rob Chastain. When Scott dropped the start flag, I lost track of him in the melee and was not real sure where he ended up in the mix. I do know that he rolled thru the pits on that first 5 mile section somewhere in the top 3rd of the riders, and worked his way up on the remainder of the lap to the top 15 or so. We elected to run one lap each and began the slow grind of working our way up towards our class leader. Along with Rob, we ran Rick Goodman, Keith Cayton, Dennis Sweeten, Aric Cool and Steve DeGeyter (that’s me). The daytime was pretty kind to us and we worked our way up into first place after a few laps. Bots was not going to go down easy, and they kept us honest by being right there time wise.

I can’t really speak for the other riders on my team, but I can tell you about my first lap. I had every intention of running a blazing fast lap, amazing my teammates and being the hero of the race. A hero in my own mind anyways. I ended up catching a rider at about mile 2 that was just marginally slower than me, but the dust in that first section was just bad enough to keep me from passing him. He knew I was there, I even gave him a friendly tire bump in the house, but every time I got close enough to pass, we’d hit a rock section or the dust would make passing too dangerous. I badly wanted to get around him, and he badly wanted to race me whenever I got close. A real motocross hero, I guess. Finally at about mile 8 I was able to get around and that only after a game of chicken to the next corner. Once I made that pass I may have roosted him and drug my feet with a bit too much enthusiasm . The rest of the lap was pretty uneventful. It was a fantastic course, lots of perfect traction grass, some rocks and a whole lot of fun. I do know that I ate more dust and got dirtier on that first lap than I did in the whole remainder of the race.

The conditions just got better as time wore on, and our team began to pad our lead as day turned into night. We did have a small hiccup, where Keith threw a chain and buggered up his chain guide at the front sprocket. This led to an urgent call at check 3 for a screwdriver and a quart of oil. Fortunately, the hole in his case was not so large that he couldn’t finish the lap with the best oiled chain of any team….and once back in the pits, it was nothing a bit of contact cleaner and some JB weld couldn’t fix.

I had that one daylight lap, and then one night time lap before we went into our night time 2 up rotation.

That first night time lap that I did was just too much fun. My new double 25 watt LED lights from Cyclops were well sorted out, and worked perfectly. Man, those things are bright! Stupid bright may not be the best technical explanation, but it just fits so well. Every time I caught someone their light would just disappear in the glare of mine, making passing super easy. Bright enough that riders would pull over almost immediately whenever I got close. I figured some of them were experiencing flashbacks of their last alien abduction. With the palate of legends we had on our team, I would have in no way expected to be the fastest at night, but I did turn in lap times a couple minutes faster than the others in the dark hours. Nothing like being able to see everything in extreme detail. I highly recommend giving Daryl at Cyclops a call if you need more light, these things rule!

With night upon us, and our lead extended out to about 15 minutes, I headed off to my trailer for a couple hours of rest. At about 3 am, I woke myself up and went to the warming tent to find things in disarray. Dennis Sweeten had apparently clanked a rock pretty hard with his sprocket, knocking his chain off and breaking a rear hub. He had just walked in and Keith had headed out when his bike was brought back in by the UTV of shame. To round out a rough period for the team, Keith lost his bike light for the last 20 minutes of his lap, and had to rely on the helmet light to get back in. All in, we lost about 75 minutes in that timeframe, putting us about 55 minutes back from first. The rest of the race, we slowly chipped away at the Bots lead, eventually ending the race just 7 minutes back from first. After a couple of self disappointing laps, Keith Cayton had a breakout lap and turned the fastest time of the event for our team in the morning. His money quote was “ I was 22 and at the Baja for that lap”. He even came in with the sole of one boot flapping in the breeze. I don’t know how fast you have to be to make that happen, and will probably never know. Glory days, right?

I have to give a hat tip to Scott and the gang for what seemed to be the best laid out, best marked 24 that I have done. I love the furrows on the sides of the grass track course. No questioning if you got off course, you just knew… and again thanks to Scott for giving the 2 Junior teams a chance to compete. That’s right, there was 2, four ‘man’ teams of kids that ran both day and nighttime laps. I could not be more proud of each of them, and of course my boy Zeke, who did two dark laps. One in the evening and then again getting himself up to do a second just before the sun came up in the morning. Those kids are the real heros. All that chop, rocks and ruts on small wheeled 65’s!

One more shout out to the RUTS crew for letting us race with you guys again. I know a lot of seemingly unappreciated work goes into what you guys do to make our race better, and I just have to say thanks! And, if you’ll have me, I’ll be back next year, couch and all. I also gotta thank our Pitt officer, my wife Rhonda who was there for every transponder handoff for the entire 24 hour period. She must be nuts.(verifiably so, she did marry me…)

• Body Position
• Throttle Position
• Bike Lean Angle
• Counter Steering

The perfect place to practice and master the this skill is on a long pole in a flat paddock. Start off by putting one wheel on either side of the log, sitting down, and then dragging your foot that's on the same side of the log as the front wheel (as you ride down it), so as to learn the correct lean angle of the bike, and how to counteract the force of the rear wheel wanting throw you in the opposite direction.

Now do it with both feet up, and then progress to doing it standing up, which will then allow you to start going much faster, while being safer due to better bike control from increased upper body maneuverability. Be sure to always have the front tyre pointed generally in the direction you want to go (towards the end of the log!), and continually make small adjustments to its counter steer effect if necessary to control the bike's slide and direction.

Common causes of issues while learning this skill are:

1. Getting high sided from not leaning your bike and/or upper body enough to the side the front wheel is on
2. Getting spun around from not doing enough counter steering. You have to continually react with the 4 key points of sliding mentioned above to maintain the bike's stability, to keep control, and to keep roosting forward.

More info on the DirtWise Academy of Offroad Riding schools and Instructional DVDs can be found at Shane Watt's website

Round 5 of the AMA Western Hare Scrambles is in the bag, and it was another great day at the Big K ranch in Elkton, OR. Put on by the ETRA club and sponsored by KTM Country, it promised to be a memorable event. I surely cannot speak for all the other participants, but I can tell my story. Well, at least the way I remember my story...

Last year, I raced in the Senior A class, known locally as the 40 Expert class and after a good start slowly worked my way back to 5th place. For the 2013 Event, my goal was to get a good start and try to hang tough to a better finish. I’ll get to that finish in a minute, but for now will give you a lap by lap tale.

The Start

I had a pretty good start. In fact the Scorpion Stinger Lithium battery that I installed the day before got my bike started perhaps faster than any other on the line. Unfortunately, I am pretty well resigned to starting the XC-F 350 in neutral and then shifting to 2^nd. This quarter second delay was enough to give the other machines on the line about a bikes length before I got rolling along. No worries though, right? Just tape the throttle wide open and start banging gears to the first turn and it is all good. This approach got me third through the corner following Rick Goodman and Dave White. Congrats to Dave on winning the BatteryStuff.com Holeshot award. Now you have what you always wanted, a picture with me in it for your trophy collection.

Lap 1

The dust was pretty bad, but I was close enough to the leaders that I could still keep a good bead on the helmets so it was at least ride-able. Following Rick and Dave close enough that the dust wasn’t a problem led to us breaking away a bit from the pack and really turning on the speed. It wasn’t too long before I rounded a tight corner and saw Dave picking up his bike while revving the holy hello out of it. I figured it was just a 2 stroke thing, and followed Rick around him. We hit an open section down by the entry gate and I made a pass on Rick for first.

Yeah, I was a bit cocky about it, and gave him the universal ‘Flying W’ signal that meant “Ha, I got Ya! ” Funny how that usually works out though. Sure I made the pass stick, but it wasn’t too long before I misread the trail and went left where the trail went right. I found myself right in the middle of a berry patch, completely surrounded by vines. I for sure could not go backwards, and forward looked painful. After a momentary pause that seemed like 2 minutes but was more like 10 seconds, I just put my head down, tucked in tight to the bike, and jammed my way forward and out the other side. I had no idea how many bikes went by me then, but I guessed about 5. I got back up to speed pretty quickly, made some passes and caught back up to Rick by the time we hit the out check on the grass track We went thru the check perhaps a second apart and I made my move when we crossed the log matrix, out throttling him off the other end and into the next corner. This put me into what I believed to be first place.

The remainder of the lap was pretty much uneventful, except for the final road jump. I caught a rider from a previous wave at the bottom of the hill, and drag raced him up towards the jump. I really thought I was going to beat him as we were side by side up the hill with me on the right. He bobbed a bit my way right near the top and I briefly chopped the throttle to avoid a collision. Having not done the jump yet, I was not sure either of us had the speed needed to clear the road, and I thought he was coming my way to go around. The result being that I aborted at the last moment and went right across the ribbon and up the hill somewhat behind him clearing the jump. The jump was perhaps a half mile from the end and the remainder of the lap was uneventful.

Lap 2

Dust. Did anyone mention the dust? It was all pervasive, it was omnipresent, and it was all powerful. It made passing a bit challenging, and line selection a chore. Despite this, I had a good lap two, with no tip over’s or stalls. I did have a ‘fun’ pass across the lower field section where I passed a guy that was passing a guy. Neither had any idea I was there until it was over, and I bet I gave them a bit of a surprise as we dove off the end of the field into the dusty cow chopped trail. The line up the final hill was clear and the jump was smooth sailing for both this pass, and the rest of the race laps.

Lap 3

By lap three I was really, really tired. The combination of the heavy dust, deep chop and tight woods just wore me down. At this point I started to make my journey from me riding the bike, to the bike riding me. The new 350 was great, and I am sure a lot less of a handful than the old 450, but even still it started to get hard to hang on to. I even turned the map switch down to the low power setting. I am sure the new flexx bars soaked up a bunch of the abuse that normally would transmit to my hands and I have no doubt that helped keep me on the bike. I pitted on this lap, and had a somewhat slow pit due to the quick release can not being fully pressed into the gas cap. When I was ready to go, we noticed the issue and had to ‘fill’ the gas tank again.

I got out of the pits ok, but 2-3 corners later I noticed Dave Morton was about 50 ft behind me. That, and Dan Harte waving his arms madly at Dave to catch me lit a fire under my seat and got me going for the remained of that lap. I was able to put some riders between Dave and myself, so I am sure the extra dust put the binders on his charge. I did not see him again until the finish of the race.

Lap 4

As I said earlier, I believed myself to be in first place, which was a great motivator to keep on keeping on. I was absolutely spent on energy, and I made a few minor mistakes on this lap which lead to a couple tip overs. One of those was in a section that must’ve had 12 inches of powder that was hiding 8 inch rocks. What looked like a line/rut was just the mark of the last bike thru and did not track very well. Later in the lap, a previous rider had dislodged a HUGE poison oak vine that was across the trail at just over handlebar height. Being that it was on the blind side of a corner, I hit it moving along pretty good. Yup, it cleaned me right off the back of the bike, just like Willey E Coyote or Tom and Jerry, my bike left me lying there alone in the dirt. Once I got back up and moving again, the rest of the lap felt like merely a battle to keep from passing out…

Final Lap

This lap was only about survival. Too bad too, because it was relatively dust free. I finally had clear air, but no energy to take advantage of it. I had moved up about as far as I was going to, and no one was catching me, so it was just a battle with myself. I had to keep telling myself, ‘no mistakes, no errors, no mistakes, no errors…’ But, as my wife might attest, I am not always a good listener.

There was one good hill climb about half way out on the course that I caught a guy at the bottom of and thought I could pass him going up it. I nearly pulled it off but ran out of trail at the top and the left hand turn. Out of the corner it opened up across a short field section, where I thought I could finish the pass. The only issue was the dang dust. I just could not see well enough to pass, but that did not stop me from trying.

When I dogged to the right to go around the rider I hit something pretty hard which promptly sent me into a tail spin. It was one of those crashed that could have been a race ender. It took perhaps 30 seconds or so to recover my wits and do an inventory check but somehow I escaped with only a scraped up knee and a bruised ego. That, and a renewed sense of ‘hey dummy, knock that off!” haunted me the rest of the lap. Fortunately I did manage to not hit the deck again and finished the race in second. Second? Yea, I thought that I caught everyone after my trip to the brier patch, but apparently Pat Corelli made a move and never looked back, leading to about a 2 minute victory. Not that I could’ve done any different had I known he was up there, but I sure did have myself fooled...

Special Thanks

Congrats to all that competed, and to the guys in my class who undoubtedly kept me honest the whole race. Thanks again to the club, course workers, and the scoring team for putting on another fantastic Funky.

What to Expect

1. Acid or Water - When a battery begins to dry out, it is the water that evaporates, leaving behind the magic chemicals. When it comes time to replenish, we need to make sure...

2. That Guy - You know, the one that can't get his boat or jet ski to start and is blocking up the ramp. Soon, his buddies truck is blocking water entry, hood first in 2ft of water with a set of jumper cables trying to access a not so accessible battery. What could go wrong...

3. RV solar power - With the sun high in the sky, now is a great time to harness some of that free solar energy. We just received a large shipment of solar panels and related accessories, and have put together some great deals on mountable RV kits...

4. Scorpion Stinger - About 1 year ago, Scorpion Battery sent a batch of LiFePo4 Lithium powersports batteries to BatteryStuff.com for testing and evaluation. These batteries are...

5. Summer Sizzlers - These deals have not been released to the general public, so you will need to use the correct coupon code after you add the items you want to our shopping cart...

Acid or Water

This is a pretty common question we get during the hot summer months. As the temperature warms up, and the charge/discharge cycles begin in earnest, flooded (or conventional/traditional) type batteries loose water thru evaporation. This is a natural part of the process of any non sealed battery and is to be expected. You can check your battery cells pH levels with our EZ Red Professional Hydrometer. The question we get is, 'should I add water or sulfuric acid?'.

The answer is pretty simple. Only add pure, distilled water. Let me explain. When a battery begins to dry out, it is the water that evaporates, leaving behind the magic chemicals. When it comes time to replenish, we need to make sure to maintain the precise balance that allows your battery to do what it does. For those weaker batteries try out our Battery Equalizer to reduce, and help dissolve existing sulfation.

Since all the chemicals are still in there, adding more chemicals(acid) will upset the delicate balance inside your battery. Simply add water, and the chemicals will be released back into that water during the charge/discharge cycles. Please see the following article to find out when it's appropiate to add acid.

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That Guy

No one wants to be 'that guy', especially when it comes to boating. You know exactly what I am talking about. You go to the lake or river to launch your boat. You expect to be launched and on your merry way in a matter of minutes, but your well laid plan is quickly put to waste by 'that guy.' You know, the one that can't get his boat or jet ski to start and is blocking up the ramp. Soon, his buddies truck is blocking water entry, hood first in 2ft of water with a set of jumper cables trying to access a not so accessible battery. What could go wrong?

Make sure this is not you! Do a little battery pre-check before you leave home. A simple load test, or in the absence of that, a volt test will tell you a lot about your battery condition and possibly save you from embarrassment. Stear clear of being 'that guy,' and have an Jump Pack on hand! Even better, make sure that you are doing proper battery maintenance during the weeks leading up to the summer with a good trickle charger and maintainer. Just to help, we have a great maintainer on early summer special just to make the choice easy for you.

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RV solar power

With the sun high in the sky, now is a great time to harness some of that free solar energy. We just received a large shipment of solar panels and related accessories, and have put together some great deals on mountable RV kits. These include everything you need to get off the grid power to your RV batteries. Panels, mounts, wires, connectors, controllers. Its all in there. You can dry camp longer, and run your generator less using our solar kits. We even have a simple to follow video for mounting our kits on your RV.

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Scorpion Stinger

We are just a few weeks away from launching a new line of Lithium powersports batteries called the Scorpion Stinger. About 1 year ago, Scorpion Battery sent a batch of LiFePo4 Lithium powersports batteries to BatteryStuff.com for testing and evaluation.

These batteries are lighter than other lithium powersports batteries, and up to 70% lighter than their lead acid equivalents. They have proven to hold a higher voltage for more starting power, and have a built in control board (BMS) so there is no need for special chargers or charge plugs.

Best of all- the pricing will make the choice easy for you! That is all I can tell you before the official launch, you'll just have to wait for the rest of the details. Be sure to check back in the coming week for this great new product!

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Thanks for Reading,

BatteryStuff.com

We've plenty more valuable information in our online tutorials, as well as good stuff in our knowledge base. Please have a look around and email us with any questions you have

As I sit here during my Monday lunch break I figured I better write this race report without delay. Why? Because the older I get and the longer ago the event, the faster I was. If I write the report next Friday, I will have lapped everyone. Twice.  You see, I am not afraid to admit it, I live in Oregon and I like desert races. Don’t get me wrong, I love riding in the woods, and I do it every chance I get. But there is just something about the desert. I may not be the fastest guy out there, or the smoothest, but I sure do love me some throttle twisting, eye blurring racing action. And yes, I know some of you young bucks and old legends would get positively bored riding at my speed. But can we just let this mid forty-year-old dad have a moment? Good. And thanks. 

The Setup:

Back to the Oregon State Hare and Hound. This really was a great event. No, let me take that a step further; this was a fantastic event.  It has been a long time since we have raced on the north side of Hwy 20. If you were to compare this to past events you have to reach into the way, way, way back machine. But peering back several decades, I honestly cannot remember a better event out there; one better laid out, better ran, better anything.  NORA, the Northwest Off-road Racing Association, ran an impeccable event. Of course, it didn’t hurt that it rained pretty much all day prior to the race. Yup, that’s right, it rained in the desert. In May. Enough rain that the brown dirt ran deep, and the traction was superb. Yeah, it’s better to be good than lucky, but when the two come together, look out! 

The Start: 

 I am not so sold on this part. Don’t get me wrong, I love, love, love the idea of a mass start, and had I gotten a decent one, I would’ve just left this paragraph out. But I am not so sure that mass start and gravel pit really go together. Can the BLM really not find a single 100 by 400 yard patch of sage brush that we can use? I am certain that the punishment I took on that start is outlawed in at least 7 states and 2 territories as cruel and unusual. Perhaps we can appeal to their humanitarian side? (DEPR- Dirt for the Ethical Protection of Riders!) I did learn something new about riding gear though. For instance, did you know that your biceps have virtually no protection while riding? I mean, your helmet, gloves, goggles and armor offer a reasonable amount of protection against flying debris, but your biceps are merely covered in thin silky material that makes you look like joe cool rider, but offers nothing against massive amounts of roost. Put another way, my arms look like I lost a bet with 10 of my bestest buddies, whereby they were then allowed to let loose with any paintball gun of their choosing at 10 paces. Ouch. Well, OK then, enough whining. Lets move on. 

Lap one:

Races that have 55+ mile long laps are not won on the start. While I knew that before the start, sometimes a little ‘positive reinforcement’ is necessary. Either pin it and pray to get the holeshot, or back off and fix it later. We’ll just chalk this one up to ‘lesson re-learned’. I chose the painful middle ground, took my licks,  and hit the trail somewhere about 10^th place. Due to some over-exuberance of a couple riders blowing corners in front of me, I moved up a couple places before we rode back around the pit, and settled into what seemed a decent pace perhaps 8 bikes back. All seemed to be going as it should. It was going to be a long race and I knew things would shake out a bit in the miles ahead. 

Unfortunately,  I was only a mile or so past the trailhead when my throttle started sticking. No, not oh-my-gawd-ima-gonna-die wide open sticking, mine was sticking closed. My best guess is the throttle housing on the new 350 sustained some heavy artillery fire on the start. This broke the plastic bit where the two cables run into the housing. The result was the throttle would sometimes open all the way, sometimes only ¼ of the way. When it did that, I would have to back out, re-twist, and repeat until I got the throttle level I desired. This was more frustrating than anything, with  the thought that if it stuck in wide open position I was probably going to take a dirt nap.  It was getting progressively worse up until I got to the split that Rick G. was guarding. I stopped there and we fooled with it a bit, looking for the culprit. Neither of us recognized what the problem was, but the re-adjusting we did seemed to help, and the problem mostly disappeared until nearly the end of the race. 

 For those of you that have never ridden Millican, you’d not be aware of the reef rocks that seem to be anchored to the center of the earth. A lone strategically grown 3 inch high reef rock will end your day right quick at 60mph. Fortunately for me, I did not hit any nasty surprises and had an absolute blast trying to make back some time. Fast stuff, twisty single track stuff, man was I having fun. The 350XCF I was riding was not my first choice for a fast style desert race, but after all was said and done, it did not leave me disappointed. There were plenty of sections that I longed for my 450, but all in all it was a real hoot. 

Then, I hit that cattle guard. That big, bright yellow cattle guard. No, I didn’t crash. Let me explain. Cattle guards are not like rocks. They don’t sneak up on you, or pop out from behind a juniper tree. No, you see them from a long way off. I certainly saw this one coming, and I can offer no valid excuse for doing what I did.. You see, from my perspective, having just had so much fun the previous 45 miles or so, it looked like a launching pad. A ramp. Ohh!, this will be fun, I thought. I can fly, I thought. And it was fun. And I did fly. And then, I saw the rock. If you raced this event, you know exactly what rock I am talking about. Dead center of the cattle guard about 40ft down the road. Yeah. I landed on it. Fortunately I saw it coming while doing my lame flying chicken routine and was able to spool the mighty-mite 350 up to 13 million gazillion  RPM and get the back tire to come down first. No, I did not crash. But the pucker factor was pretty high, I am sure in the low 9’s. When rubber met rock, tube met rim and  I promptly let all the air out of my rear tire. It was a dumb rookie mistake, but there you are. You know, I have heard that it is not ‘lots of rocks’ that cause flats, it is only one rock. I found my one. I am not quite sure how far this was from the pits, but I can tell you it felt like for-ev-er. And it only got worse when on a double back fence section I saw that I was a mere 30ish seconds behind class leader DNF Dave, with not a thing I could do about it except get back as quickly as I could. Towards the end of the loop, on the section running parallel to the highway I caught and passed a tractor trailer heading to Brothers. It was then that I had a momentary second of clarity and I questioned the wisdom of riding sand whoops, pinned, no air in the rear tire. I thought ‘if things go too far sideways, some passerby on the highway is going to witness a bona fide yard sale. But, as is normal while racing, that momentary thought passed, and I got back on the gas. I flogged it like a stolen horse back to the pits and a fresh tire, dropping as little time as I could along the way.

Lap two:

Note to self. If you keep a spare tire/rim combo for fast change at a race, make sure it has the same size sprocket as the one you are replacing. Oh, and wheel spacers that work on them new fangled giant KTM axles. After a wheel change that seemed to take forever, but probably was a tad faster than that (thanks Joe), I was ready to roll. I changed the flat before running thru the scoring scanner, which  allowed me to run a complete 2^nd lap with no interruptions or uncalled for delays. With a couple exceptions, it was a pretty uneventful lap, but boy was it fun. The soil was now the perfect consistency for traction. I may not be a super hero, but I sure felt like it.  2 wheel slides into corners,  a heaping hand full of  throttle halfway around,  and grinning the whole time. Did I mention how much fun I was having? Even the Prineville-like draw that slowed me down on the first lap just had nothing for me. There was one longish section of red cinder road with sweeping corners that you could ride as fast as you dare. I dared to ride it fast, and caught another bike about halfway along it. Except for the start of this race, I have never been roosted so hard in all my years! I would brake a bit later into the corners and get right close, but coming out of the corners he would hit me with a fire-hose sized stream of red rocks. For the first 5 or 6 corners, I could get close enough to shake hands, but never close the deal, and that was downright painful. I did finally make the pass, and though it may make me a bad person, I roosted as hard as I could for as long as he was close. If I was not in a hurry, I would have slowed down, just to roost him some more. Yeah, um so I’d like to take a moment to say I am sorr….oh what am I saying. I am glad I did it, and I would do it again!

To say the remainder of the lap was uneventful would not do it justice. It was an absolute blast. No, I never caught Dave. I took too much of penalty with the tire thing, and he was going pretty hard. I did make time on the class leader that lap, nearly minute and a half and just a few seconds slower than 3rd overall. I would have loved to turn that lap into a battle for first, but for now I guess I will have to wait for the rematch. All in,  I am pretty happy with my 7^th overall placing at the end of the day. As usual, I just cant let the story pass without taking a lick at the 30 Expert class., So, hey you kids, you need to speed up a bit, oh, and get off my lawn!

To those that promoted, laid out, setup and tore down, good job! The course was great, the people were great, and I can’t wait for next year. To those that stayed home? Maybe next time you can borrow a set of big boy pants and mommy will let you come out and play at what undoubtedly will be another fantastic event. As for the rest of the races this year, the other clubs are going to have to step it up a bit if they hope to come close to this one.

JASON THOMAS BEGINS DEFENSE OF HIS GNCC PRO XC2 CHAMPIONSHIP WITH A SOLID 2ND PLACE FINISH AT RD. 1

DirtWise Schools Maxxis team racer Jason Thomas rode to a magnificent second place finish in the XC2 Pro class at Round 1 of the GNCC series, held in perfect conditions at River Ranch (Lake Wales, FL) on Tuesday, March 12.

Early morning rains settled the abundant dust, but didn't stop the formation of a multitude of nasty whoops in the sandy soil, plus exposing a plethora of palmetto roots around the demanding 13 mile course. Thomas was able to make a great jump off the line at the start of the 3 hour long race that put him near the front of the pack where he was content to just follow along behind World MX and AMA Supercross frontrunner, Zach Osborne. Just before the mid point of the race Jason's main competitor for this year's title chase, Andrew Delong, joined the mix and began to start pushing the pace which ultimately took Delong to victory, with Thomas finishing one minute behind for a solid runner up position.

Jason Thomas was very pleased with this opening round result and went on to say, "I had such fun time out there today and was stoked to finally get the season started. I was riding pretty steady until Andrew upped the pace. Unfortunately I lost touch with both of them when I witnessed Mike Lafferty have a huge crash and I stopped to see if he was okay. From there I just rode a solid race to the finish, making a nice pass on Zach during the last lap. My endurance was excellent, and my Enduro Spec tuned suspension was flawless so I was ready at the end to go for another 3 hours, however though I will admit my sprint speed was off just a tad due to the limited preparation time I've had coming into this race. I'm excited to build upon this with another strong result at the next race and go for the victory at the following races once I get a bit more time on the bike to fine tune my conditioning."

Team principal, and former GNCC Overall Champion, Shane Watts was estatic with Jason's performance. "Jason really proved himself as a title contender today! The determination and desire to win that he exhibits is extraordinary. Combining that with his maturity and years of experience is going to bode well for him to repeat as the GNCC series Champion again this year, although we will be expecting stiff competition from Andrew at each race, and also from some of the other younger riders as the season progresses."

Round 2 of the GNCC series will be conduct near Athens, GA this Sunday, March 17.

Jason Thomas is supported by DirtWise Riding schools and Instructional DVDs, KTM-Parts.com and AMOC, Maxxis tires, KLiM Technical Riding gear, Smith goggles, Lazydays RV, Stuk Graphics, Enduro Spec suspension tuning, DirtTricks sprockets and brake rotors, Flexx Handlebars, G2 handguards and throttle tubes, Rescue Pegs, BatteryStuff.com, Motorex Lubricants, IMS fuel tanks and footpegs, FMF exhausts, TCX boots, Asterisk knee braces, DP brake pads and clutch plates, TM Designworks chain guides, and KTMTalk.com

The internet has made so many things much easier these days. There are many automotive parts that are not available at your local auto parts store. You cannot get a front fender or a driver's side door from Napa or Pepboys. The internet is a great resource for finding those car parts that are not always so easy to locate and purchase.

The great thing about online automotive stores is that many specialize in carrying only a few types of components. Thus vendors that specialize in one particular niche of the automotive market can get better deals on their inventory and pass the savings on to the consumer.

Tips and Ideas for Your Automotive Needs:

Washing Your Car:

Online Tech Forums:

Though we'd hate to admit it, for the do-it-your-selfer there are times when we get stuck in a jam and don't know how to proceed without some advice. There are online tech forums out there that are filled with very helpful automotive information. Much of your tech questions can be answered within hours, as many experts troll these sites looking for questions to answer or add on to.

Tranny Maintenance:

Checking Your Brakes:

Keeping Your Battery Charged

Car Maintenance in a Nutshell

We've only briefly touched on some of the many areas of automotive maintenance. Your car has many workings and contraptions, each with a list of do's and don'ts when it comes maintenance. Are there  online stores that sells everything you need? Sure there are. But is that necessarily a good thing? We believe If you find a retailer that specializes in one specific area, such as car parts and car care products, then you'll likely find their products and services are better than most general retailers can offer.

There are many types of automotive sites out there, many of which are geared towards hi-performance enthusiast. Large site authorities such as Summit Racing and Jegís have a lot to offer at good prices with their enormous inventories.

Customer Service. 

We’ve all heard it, we all want it, but what does it really mean? I’ve spent a bit of time recently processing this question.  I guess it boils down to the end product. When it is all said and done, and words stop flying, it should be the last impression the customer has of the company before he goes off to use whatever product or service he purchased.

So how do you get there? That is a bit harder to answer.

Let me tell you a story based on events that have unfolded more than once around here. At Batterystuff.com, we take customer service seriously. We always make every effort to ship orders out the same day that we receive them, and ship them to arrive as quickly as is reasonably possible. Recently, we shipped two batteries out to two different customers, both in Florida. Both orders were placed on a Friday, both batteries were shipped using the same carrier, and both arrived the following Tuesday.

Here was a situation where John and Frank received the same exact service. John went away happy while Frank did not.

How does one handle it?

One approach is to gently walk Frank away from the cliff, while the other approach wants to give him the old heave-ho over it. THIS is where good customer service comes in. Even though both received the same treatment John is pleased and Frank is trying to push buttons. It is plainly obvious that good customer service starts with the actual service being, well-good, but it also carries over to how you treat customers that are determined to never be satisfied. We at Batterystuff.com resist the urge to return rudeness in kind, and re-iterate in the gentlest way we know how, that we really are trying our best, we really are listening, and we really will make adjustments wherever we can to improve the customer experience.

That is our commitment to customer service.

It's morning and you're running late to work. You skip breakfast against your stomachs wishes in attempt to make up for the lost time. After getting in the car you think you’re home free. But you start to worry all over again when you turn the key and the engine sluggishly turns over. You try and second and a third time. Luckily the car finally starts and you rush off to work. During the drive or later in the day you might think back and realize that your battery almost let you down. It didn't die on you this time, but what about next time?

Is my battery dying?

If you're a regular commuter, then you probably don't experience battery troubles too often. Regularly using your motor vehicle will keep the battery charged after the end of every good long ride. So, why did your 'not so old' battery act like it's on its last legs of life? While there can be a variety of battery problems, statistically the most common cause of early battery failure is Sulfation.

Symptoms of a Battery with Heavy Sulfation

• Greater than normal self-discharge rate ("My battery won't hold a charge")
• Inability to reach full charge (12.6 or below resting voltage)
• Poor performance (trouble starting engine or less runtime for deep cycle applications)
• Visually inspect the cells and notice crystal buildup on plates (flooded batteries only)

So, you have a weak battery and sulfation is probably the cause. Here's an important question to ask yourself:
"Should I just replace the battery, or can I restore it?"

Battery Equaliser Can Restore Your Battery

Battery Equaliser is a non-corrosive, non-flammable, liquid solution for battery treatment. It is formulated to extend the life and performance of any new or used lead acid battery. Because it's a liquid additive, it will only work for flooded batteries*, also called ‘wet cell’ batteries. Battery Equaliser improves battery chemistry which prevents sulfation from occurring in new batteries, and breaks up existing sulfation in older batteries. This additive returns batteries as close to new** as possible, with continued normal maintenance

WORKS IN ALL ‘WET’ LEAD ACID BATTERIES

• Reduces charge time
• Increases running time
• Holds charge longer

LIQUID SOLUTION WORKS 24/7

• No wires
• No switches
• No timers

*SEALED AGM AND GEL BATTERIES REQUIRE ELECTRIC DESULFATION WITH PULSE TECHNOLOGY

**BATTERY EQUALISER WILL NOT FIX OR REPAIR A DEAD CELL

Simply stated, Battery Equaliser makes your battery last longer. The restoration happens the moment the liquid solution is added in per cell. For a standard car battery, the treatment recommended is 1/2 oz per cell. As with all good battery maintenance practices, we recommend always charging your battery regularly. Keeping your weak battery on a smart charger and having a single treatment of Battery Equaliser should properly restore your battery to a healthier condition. No more trouble starting your car or other application.

Christmas Season is here and we are celebrating by offering 12 daily specials starting on December 7th. Each day, we will feature a NEW ITEM that will be on sale that day only. 12 days means 12 items on sale, with a variety of battery chargers, solar panels, inverters, jump packs, and so much more. Pricing on these items will blow you away! LIMITED TO STOCK ON HAND, SO DON'T WAIT!

HERE'S A SNEAK PEAK OF OUR FIRST ITEM

If you would like to receive these special daily offers, please opt in here. Simply check the box labeled '12 Days of Christmas' and you're good to go!

SOMETHING SPECIAL EVERYDAY

YOU MUST OPT IN to receive a total of 12 emails, each featuring a different item and a coupon code for each. Keep an eye on your inbox each day from Dec 7th through Dec 18th and you'll find something unique everyday. It's THE chance to find the perfect gift for yourself or someone in your family.

1. OPT IN to the 12 Days of Christmas e-mail list
2. Be automatically entered to win a $100 Gift Certificate
3. Receive info and coupons for cool stuff at blowout pricing each day
4. Buy cool stuff at cheap prices, impress your friends

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and blessings to you and yours!

Coupon codes are good for sale days only. Limited to quantity on hand.
Coupon codes are issued at 8:00 AM PST and expire the next day at 8:00 AM PST.
Gift Certificate drawing will occur on the 12th day, December 18th.
Gift Certificate redeemable online only at www.batterystuff.com

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I'm sure we're all going to get our fill of turkey and stuffing. And true to every year, Black Friday is the time of year frugal shoppers get their holiday shopping done. If you're not the type to wake up at the crack of dawn to snag great deals, no worries. Lucky for you, we're having a Customer Appreciation Sale, which will last all weekend long. It starts Black Friday, November 23rd and it ends on Midnight on Cyber Monday, November 26th. Here's a break down of what to look forward to:

Red Tag Items

We've selected our most popular items and reduced their prices during this Thanksgiving weekend! This includes the Shorai lithium battery that everyone is talking about, the LFX14L2-BS12! Shorai batteries are high performance, yet very lightweight. Have you thought about upgrading your from old lead acid battery? Lithium technology is the future of power sports batteries!

Also on sale is our Noco Genius Wicked Smart Charger, the 6v/12v 1100 mA charger, the G-1100! This is perfect for charging your dead motorcycle or car battery, and also keeping it maintained during the cold months in storage. Come next spring, your battery will be topped off and ready to go!

Other items on sale include pure sine wave inverters, emergency jump start packs, SLA batteries, and more! Remember, the sale begins Black Friday, so mark your calendars!

Shop Small Saturday 

Shipping Specials

We're also offering shipping specials just for you! Qualifying orders* ship at a flat rate of $7.50! That means if you decide to buy one G-1100 or ten, or a combination of other qualifying products, shipping for the entire order will be $7.50!

On top of that, all motorcycle and other power sports batteries have FREE SHIPPING! This means that the price you see listed for a battery is the price you pay to have it delivered to your door. Did we also mention there is no sales tax? It doesn't get any better than that!

*Exclusions may apply for large, oversize items.  Flat Rate shipping is for the lower 48 states only.

Our Customer Appreciation Sale doesn't begin until the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday marks the start of an entire weekend of great deals and savings. For American Express card holders, it will pay to shop. But nonetheless, this will be a great opportunity to treat yourself to some cool stuff, or better yet, a Christmas gift for that special someone. All, at great prices.

Shane Watts and the DirtWise Riding schools have just released Volume 3 & 4 of the DirtWise In-Depth Instructional DVD series. These latest two videos complete the series and are by far the best offroad Instructional DVDs produced.

Shane Watts is a personal friend of ours, and we are more than happy to sponsor the release of his new DVDs. Here's what Shane has to say about it:

"I am so stoked with how awesome both of these Instructional DVDs turned out. We have been able to provide the highest level of instruction and demonstration for all situations relating to Wheelies, Logs, Rocks, and Water Crossings (Volume 3) and also for Hills, Ravines, Switchbacks, and Offcamber trails (Volume 4). We filmed at some totally epic riding locations that really complement the learning experience and will have everyone wanting to get out on the trails and go roosting!"

What to expect from DirtWise with Shane Watts

In-Depth Instructional DVD Volume #3 - How to Master Wheelies, Logs, Rocks, and River Crossings

In-Depth Instructional DVD Volume #4 - How to Master Hills, Ravines, Switchbacks, and Off-Camber Trails

Do you want to ride like a pro?

When you buy Volumes 3 or 4, look inside for a fantastic MORE POWER TO YA! Sticker. If you're just starting to learn how to ride or if you need some tips from the pro, we believe Shane's DVDs will be of absolute value to you. If you feel like you still need a lot of practice, it's okay to slip up or fall down. Even a professional offroad racer like Shane stumbles every once in a while. Check out this reel of fumbles and bloopers from the set of filming his latest videos!

If you fall down too, let Shane Watts teach you how to get back up and do it right.

More information for these check out Shane Watts!