On Thu, 3 Jul 2014 10:32:48 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

"6. Don't use gel batteries in vibration prone environments. "

Hmm, I thought that was the idea behind gel cells partly.
That the electrolyte is pretty much trapped against the
plates and doesn't shlosh arond. Live nd learn I guess.

Ask any motorcycle shop about which type they prefer. As I understand
it (possibly wrong), the gel type have a wider gap between the plates
because the plate assembly is not very rigid and prone to warping and
bending. AGM is much stiffer, so the plate assembly can be packet
tighter. According one vendor, AGM outsells SLA by 100:1.

I couldn't find much on the difference in construction (I'm in a rush
today) but did find an article that covers the major chemical
differences:
https://www.throttlexbatteries.com/details.aspx?p=A4D3D61DCEB3C859&ppid=59924&beid=4C 71C77B4CB63E74

What about those battery desulfaters ? From what (actually little)
I've seen of them, they put an AC current on them, which presumably
somehow dislodges the sulfate from the plates.
Anything to that or is it more of a gimmick ?

I'm going to pass on trying to answer that question. I don't use them
and have minimal experience with them. The few times I tried a pulse
charger/desulfator, it either didn't do anything useful, or appeared
no better than a conventional charger. However, I'm not sure I was
using it correctly, didn't do much in the way of measurements, and
decided it was easier to replace the battery than to continue testing.

Another thing, of which I am less unsure, is/was the practice of
junkyards rejuving lead acid (car) batteries by adding epsom salt
to the electrolyte. I don't suppose there would be any way to do
that here. Also, it didn't seem to last forever.

SLA means "SEALED lead-acid". Is there something about the word
"sealed" that I'm missing?




--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558