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The ArkPak 730-What You Need to Know About Battery Selection
The ArkPak 730
Do you need a Battery to power your ArkPak 730? With a wide range of 12 volt batteries available, choosing the right battery for your Ark battery box can be confusing without a little help. Here is some basic information to assist you in determining which battery is right for you. If you are looking to purchase the ArkPak 730, you can buy here now!
Battery Type:
Ark recommends deep cycle batteries for use in their power battery boxes. These will give you the prolonged, steady release of power most people are looking for when camping, boating, and 4-wheeling. There are 3 main types of deep cycle batteries-AGM, lead acid, and gel.
Battery Size:
Battery size is measured in amp hours (ah) and most batteries range in size from 60 amp hours up to 130 amp hours. The greater the amp hours, the more power you will have available to you. A typical and highly suitable battery size for the ArkPak, that is available in most stores, is the Group 31 size deep cycle battery.
When it comes to determining battery size needs, it depends on how many days you plan to stay out and what devices you need to power over that time. The larger the battery size, the more 12V (and 110V) energy you will need to power and recharge all of your essential and non-essential devices.
Battery Cost:
You will want to install a marine deep cycle battery if you are going the lead acid route. Expect to pay between $100-$140 for a decent one. AGM and Gel batteries are both deep cycle batteries but the cycle life is 3x to 5x that of a lead acid battery. Expect to pay $300-$400 for a good quality battery like East Penn Deka, LifeLine, or Odyssey which are all good names. Personally we like the Odyssey battery as many of Pete’s team members use this in in their toys.
Pete’s stocks all of these batteries. We always have factory fresh stock and offer very good prices on each. All orders over $99 bucks ship free.
AGM Batteries
An AGM battery (Absorbed Glass Matt) is different than a flooded lead acid because all its electrolyte (fluid) ”absorbs” into the separator material. The separator acts like a sponge that saturates to approximately 98%. This makes an AGM battery spill-proof so you can mount or use it in virtually any position. This is also the reason these batteries last substantially longer than conventional cycling batteries.
Gel batteries
Gel batteries are very similar to traditional flooded lead acid batteries. The difference is that a gelling agent is added to the electrolyte and pressure vents are added to the cover of the battery. The gelled electrolyte can also flow, which means there are some limitations in mounting orientations. Gel Batteries offer vibration, shock, and corrosion resistance.
Lead Acid batteries
There are generally 2 types of flooded lead acid batteries – maintainable flooded lead acid and maintenance free flooded lead acid. All flooded lead acid batteries have vents that are continuously open to the environment. A “sealed” flooded battery generally refers to the cover design as being non accessible. Flooded batteries generally cannot be operated at an angle greater than 45 degrees.
Battery Pete cannot ship traditional lead acid batteries via common carrier. So, you will need to shop for that one elsewhere. An automotive supplier or major retailer like Wal-Mart or Home Depot should stock the basic size automotive/marine type lead acid batteries.
Some frequently asked questions about your new ArkPak 730
Jump Starting:
Ark recommends an AGM battery for this purpose as it combines longevity of power with sufficiently high cold cranking amps to get your flat battery started.
Q. Can I use the ArkPak to jump start a car with a flat battery?
A. Yes you can as long as the battery installed in the ArkPak is a high cold cranking amp battery Eg: A Calcium or AGM battery.
Q. Can I jump start the car using a deep cycle battery?
A. Yes you can however you may need to connect the battery to the vehicle’s starting battery for up to 1 hour to charge the starting battery. The deep cycle battery will need to be fully charged or as near to that as possible.
