I'm confused about the battery's internal heating function. The text on the Amazon site says a number of things that make me pause.
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Originally Posted by FlyboyTR
Since we boondock frequently [in] cold temps and my battery is on the tongue, having the built in heater ... will be a plus.
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It appears that the heating function cannot be used unless the battery is being charged. That isn't much help if you are boondocking without hookups, or at night if you use solar panels for charging.
Amazon also says that when the heater is on, the heating current is "at least 10 amps", meaning at least 140 watts. That is a pretty healthy whack, even in the daytime with a solar system.
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Originally Posted by Amazon
When the ambient temperature is lower than 32°F, the charging current will only supply power to the heating film inside the battery.
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This is kind of an ambiguous (poorly-phrased?) statement that may say that when the heater is on, you cannot get power for any loads other than the heater.
Help me out here - I'm really trying to understand it. For someone who boondocks frequently in cold weather, why is this battery a better choice than a traditional Group 27 lead-acid battery of nearly the same capacity? Yes, I get that it may last twice as long - but it is also twice the price.
Bill