Looking For Advice on highbanker build

[Golden Tiger]

Good afternoon,

I am currently building a high banker and looking for advice.

I have a 12v seaflo pump but i dont know what battery to use or how long it will hold charge.

Can anyone help me out with battery types?

I live in Victoria so using a Genny is out of the question.

Regards

 

[HeadsUp]

i used a 50 AH battery on my bilge pump but it depends how far you want to carry one , you could go bigger

would you be walking far with it ?

another thing to think of , is if you buy the same kind as you have in your vehicle then you can use it for a spare to swap out if your vehicle one goes bung

do you have a 4WD or a smaller car ?

i got 2 - 3 hours from my 50 AH and topped up the charge from my vehicle using jumper leads but it wasnt even half flat

what is your pump rated at in amps or watts ?

i have seen 100 AH batteries carried reasonable distance without much sweat , just sore fingers

i have seen solar panels connected up to them to boost during use as well . depends what you want to spend

 

[Mudguts]

Why can't you use a Jenny in vic ??

 

[Diggerdude]

Why can't you use a Jenny in vic ??

I was going to ask the same thing, if pumps are legal why aren't gennies? They are both just moving water not dirt.

DD

 

[Guest]

You can use Genny for sure, I just bought one got here today, so it bloody better not be suddenly illegal. hahaha

 

[BrisJoe]

Get a deep cycle battery as well, as mentioned the higher the Ah on it, the longer it will last.

 

[Ag Man]

Good afternoon,

I am currently building a high banker and looking for advice.

I have a 12v seaflo pump but i dont know what battery to use or how long it will hold charge.

Can anyone help me out with battery types?

I live in Victoria so using a Genny is out of the question.

Regards

Hey GT & welcome to the site.
My best advice is to take your pump to a battery shop, tell them how long you want to run it off a single charge & let them guide you to what battery you need - that's their job & if you're not satisfied then you can go back to them & get it sorted.

 

[Guest]

I also bought a 240volt pump (solves the 12v amp issues) to go with my petrol inverter so i will let you know how it goes. The inverter is much easier to carry than those deep cell batteries they are super heavy.

 

[Golden Tiger]

Thank you all for your advice.

From my understanding Gennys/Jennys/Gennies are not allowed in victoria because of its consumption of fuel. But if you are allowed to use them then that solves my problem, as my Genny has a 12v conversion on it. Is there a open forum here where people know the ins and outs of wether it is allowed in Victoria or not?

Cheers.

 

[Ag Man]

As long as you excavate your material manually(by hand, shovel, bucket, pick, spoons etc), then you can process the pay dirt pretty well how ever you like.

A holder of a miners Right is not allowed to use mechanical methods to excavate material. Mechanical, hydraulic or otherwise.

Using a pump run off a generator or petrol/diesel to or using some sort of mechanical contraption to process your pay dirt is fine in Victoria

 

[Ryan27]

Hi Golden Tiger,
Ag Man is on the money. Generators are fine in Vic.
A lot of my equipment is 12v. I also take a gen set with me on some trips.
I use a 30amp deep cell marine battery, bought it on EBay delivered for $88
The weight is good and doesn't tire me carrying it to the areas I prospect.
Depending on what pump your running and how long you run it for will determine your battery capacity.
I prolong my time by switching pump off while I'm breaking up the wash material with my pick and cleaning out crevices into a bucket(s)
Most pumps tell you with there specs the amp draw. Eg an 8amp pump will give you close to 4hrs of use with a 30 amp battery.
Here's a tip, if your budget allows and you plan to prospect for an extended period of time ?
Buy two 30amp deep cell batteries. When you change over batteries use your genny to charge the other.
This will over time give you a saving of fuel. Also it is a pleasure to prospect with a silent 12v set up. The sounds of the bush make the experience memorable.
I have a 120 amp as well (way too heavy) more suited to the camp site for lighting and accessories.
I hope this helps a little.
Ryan

 

[Golden Tiger]

Thanks Ryan27, It has helped alot.

I must agree with you that the ambiant sounds of the bush does add to the experience.

Cheers

GT

 

[dezman]

Hi,iv been using a 1000gph pump which draws 3amps. And i could not be happyer with the flow through my narrow sluice. I use a 32 amp gel battery and find it two big! Ran pump yesterday for 4hours and used about a third of its charge. You get what you pay for in batteries, this one is made in the USA and is two/three years old and going strong. Gel are better at vibration and cycling. When i say to big i mean i carryed it down a deep gully and it was a little heavy for the short time i ran the pump. Im trying to set up a light weight kit to explore more. I will be posting pictures soon of my sluice etc. When i workout how to!

 

[westatrest]

you can Guesstimate how much run time you will get from a battery and pump, by knowing the current draw of the pump and the amp/hour rating of the battery.
basically a pump drawing 5 amps on full load, would theoretically run on a 20Ah (amp-hour) battery for 4 hours..but keep in mind, as the battery looses its stored energy, the voltage (12v) will also be lost
therefore as the supply voltage drops below the rated voltage of the pump, to do the same amount of work it will draw more current, and flatten the battery quickly!
this will all depend on the running condition of the pump, the condition of the battery, the ambient temp (batteries do not like the cold!)..
so in summary, its anyones guess how much run time you will get, but I hope this helps to make an informed decision as to how big a battery you might need