12V battery for accessories?

[LizardLeg]

Now that I'm done with my 48V conversion - what are the thoughts on accessory batteries? Right now I only have headlights, LED tailights and the 12v accessory socket in the dash. Want to run fog lights to get more oomph when I need it at night.

Does it really make that much difference? What am I doing to the two batteries that I am hooked up to now?

[SpoiledRotten]

I run my cart in parades during Christmas time. This past year, I had a little two much for the 12v aux battery so I split the load between that batt and two of the pack batteries. I noticed that the pack went down overall too, just because of the extra load. I removed that power inverter from the pack and kept it on the aux. If I'm going to wear out batteries for extra goodies, it's not going to be my pack batts. This is just my plan for my own situation.

[fishb8]

I plan on installing a 12v for my accessories. Stereo, headlights, tail lights, plan to add blinkers. cig lighter for other crap.

[scottyb]

Ask around ...ask Randy, many of the extra battery guys are buying a 12v battery every year as they are not made for this type of deep discharge.... I know a 25 -30 amp DC>DC reducer costs more than a battery but in the long run you will be better off in my opinion. No hassle ~ no worries.

[bokeasmowl]

my thoughts exactly Scottyb. I have a 25a 48v-12v reducer all my things run off of. Lights w/ turn signals and brake light, air horn, ipod amp and cigarette lighter. Small, weighs nothing and hassle free. I gave like $60 for it off ebay and it's a nice unit.

[wilster734]

If you are using this cart for hunting, my opinion is to get a 12v deep cycle battery just for the accessories. Running accessories off the pack is really not the ideal situation.It creates an imbalance in the batteries.Any time your batteries are not being drained evenly it makes the batteries lifespan shorter i think.I may be all wrong but i think the batteries that work in a 48v pack need to run down at the same rate to keep from over working the 2 batteries that are running accessories and the cart. I think of my battery pack as the fuel for my cart and the only thing i need syphoning energy from it is the drive motor. It's what is going to get me to the back 40 and then back to civilization. With a little planning and some responsible driving an electric makes a great hunting buggy. Just my $.02 others may think differently, but i love my electric cart for my hunting transportation.

[LizardLeg]

Sounds like the dc-dc might be the way to go - Scotty, can you shoot me an email with some pricing?

[fishb8]

Well it sounds like the reducer is a better idea

I might even put those lights that light up the under carriage

[Gale Hawkins]

Originally Posted by wilster734

If you are using this cart for hunting, my opinion is to get a 12v deep cycle battery just for the accessories. Running accessories off the pack is really not the ideal situation.It creates an imbalance in the batteries.Any time your batteries are not being drained evenly it makes the batteries lifespan shorter i think.I may be all wrong but i think the batteries that work in a 48v pack need to run down at the same rate to keep from over working the 2 batteries that are running accessories and the cart. I think of my battery pack as the fuel for my cart and the only thing i need syphoning energy from it is the drive motor. It's what is going to get me to the back 40 and then back to civilization. With a little planning and some responsible driving an electric makes a great hunting buggy. Just my $.02 others may think differently, but i love my electric cart for my hunting transportation.

I can see how an imbalance could develop if parked and running a 12v inverter, etc but not from 12v devices if the motor is turning.

Would not any imbalanced condition quickly disappear with the next time one starts running the cart?

The entire pack voltage should try to become equal when in use. This is why one bad battery can lead to killing the other good batteries in the pack as I understand it.

[Checkride]

If I understood Scotty correctly when I bought my 48v converter from him, the converter draws from the 48v posts, thus it draws from the battery pack equally.