Discrepancy Buoy Dry Cell Battery. This battery is specially designed by EVEREADY, using 120
Zinc Carbon 1.5V (F) dry cells to give 12V and 160 Ah. It is used for temporary replacement on
floating buoys. The battery is 19" in diameter and 11" in height.
Emergency Power Dry Cell Battery (BA-44). This is a sealed, steel case, 6V, 25 Ah to 30 Ah,
10"x3"x7" oval-shaped battery. Three cells are connected in series to supply 18V for emergency
power to ATONs which cannot be immediately serviced. The most commonly used primary
batteries on Coast Guard ATONs are listed in Table 1.
B.
SECONDARY BATTERIES
Lead-Acid Batteries- Secondary batteries are those which can be recharged. These batteries
provide power to emergency lights, sound signals on Category I, II, and III aids, 12V power on
Category IV aids, and power on solar powered aids. In the late 1930s, the Coast Guard used some
500 Ah secondary batteries on ATONs. The current, most widely used secondary batteries are 12V
Maintenance Free Delco S2000, GNB 12-5000, and 6V Exide 3-DD-3. Secondary lead-acid
batteries consist of a lead dioxide positive plate, metallic lead negative plate, and aqueous sulfuric
acid electrolyte. The positive and negative plates have a coating of lead oxide paste, which reacts
with sulfuric acid. As the cell discharges, both electrodes are converted to lead-sulfate. Recharging
reverses the process.
Nickel-Cadmium Batteries- These batteries have nickel hydroxide positive and cadmium negative
electrodes in potassium hydroxide electrolyte. Nickel-Cadmium batteries (HED-100, ED-80, ED-
240, and ED-400) are commonly used on Category I, II, and III Aids during periods of AC power
loss.
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