There's a lot of nomenclature in batteries. What do all these mean?
CCA – Cold Cranking Amps – The discharge load in amperes which a new, fully charged battery can maintain for 30 seconds at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and maintain 7.2volts.
CA – Cranking Amps – The discharge load in amperes which a new, fully charged battery can maintain for 30 seconds at 32 degrees Fahrenheit at a voltage above 7.2volts.
MCA – Marine Cranking Amps – The discharge load in amperes which a new, fully charged battery can maintain for 30 seconds at 32 degrees Fahrenheit at a voltage above 7.2volts.
HCA – Hot Cranking Amps – The discharge load in amperes which a new, fully charged battery can maintain for 30 seconds at 32 degrees Fahrenheit at a voltage above 1.2 v/cell
RC – Reserve Capacity – The number of minutes a battery can be discharged at the specified rate (25, 56 or 75 amps) at 80 degrees Fahrenheit and maintain a voltage above 7.2volts.
AH – Ampere Hour Capacity – A unit of measurement for electron flow or current through an electrical circuit for a certain period of time. The 20 hour rate is a BCI sanctioned rating expressing ampere hours required to achieve an end voltage of 1.75 v/cell at 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and represents the batteries maximum capacity. The 5 hour rate is based on IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) temperature standard of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit)
There are a few formula you can apply to find these if the battery does not specify.
Here are some below:
Ohm's Law V = I R
Ohm's Law is V = IR, where V = voltage, I = current, and R = resistance. Ohm's Law allows you to determine characteristics of a circuit, such as how much current is flowing through it, if you know the voltage of the battery in the circuit and how much resistance is in the circuit.
On average, CCA to Amp-hours relation depends on the battery type, and on average, it is:
- starting lead-acid batteries: Capacity (Ah) x 10-16 = CCA (Amps)
- dual-purpose lead-acid batteries: Capacity (Ah) x 8-12 = CCA (Amps)
- deep-cycle lead-acid batteries: Capacity (Ah) x 4-8 = CCA (Amps)