ExpertPower EXP1270 12V 7 Ah SLA AGM Battery
ExpertPower EXP1270 is a sealed lead-acid (SLA) battery that uses an Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) as a separator. It is a very popular battery in its class, featuring 12V nominal voltage, 7Ah capacity, F1 battery terminals, very good discharging characteristics, non-spillable maintenance-free design, low self-discharge, etc.
ExpertPower EXP1270 is one of the most popular batteries in its class and is commonly used for both stand-by and cyclic use in alarm and other security systems, UPS devices, toys, medical equipment, as popular small fish finder battery, etc.
Updated: June 2, 2023.
ExpertPower EXP1270 Features and Specifications
ExpertPower EXP1270 rechargeable battery feature physical dimensions of (HxLxW) 3.70 x 5.94 x 2.56 inches (~9.4 x 15.1 x 6.5 cm), and it weighs 4.52 pounds (~2.05 kg).
ExpertPower EXP1270 uses F1 terminals. Also, a fully charged battery has an average internal resistance of 35 mΩ and a self-discharge rate of 3% per month - all at 25°C (77°F).
The nominal capacity is 12V, and the nominal capacity is 7Ah. When being discharged faster, its nominal capacity decreases:
| Capacity (25°C, 77°F) | 20h (0.35 A, 10.5V) | 10h (0.663 A, 10.5V) | 5h (1.19 A, 10.5V) | 1h (4.05 A, 10.5V) |
| 7.00 Ah | 6.63 Ah | 5.95 Ah | 4.05 Ah |
Since it is a lead-acid battery, its capacity is also affected by the temperature:
| Nominal Capacity | 40°C | 25°C | 0°C | -15°C |
| 102% | 100% | 85% | 65% |
Note that as the discharge temperature is increased, so is the number of charging/discharging cycles that the battery can withstand decreased.
When used in stand-by applications, its life is 3-5 years. When used as a deep cycle battery, its life depends on the number of charge/discharge cycles, temperature, and the depth of discharge.
Depending on the Depth of Discharge (DoD) at 25°C, ExperPower Exp1270 has a service life of:
- 100% DoD: 180-200 cycles (capacity loss down to 80% of nominal capacity),
- 50% DoD: 330-420 cycles (capacity loss down to 80% of nominal capacity),
- 30% DoD: 780-920 cycles (capacity loss down to 80% of nominal capacity).
Usually, when the battery capacity drops down to 80% of the capacity of the new battery, it should be recycled. However, some users continue to use it until the capacity is down to 60-70% of the nominal capacity - in that case, the number of charging/discharging cycles is somewhat larger.
Note: old ExperPower Exp1270 should be recycled - lead-acid batteries are almost 100% recyclable - they contain lead which is not environment-friendly metal.
ExpertPower EXP1270 AGM SLA Battery Discharging Characteristics
The following chart lists constant current discharge features of the new ExpertPower EXP1270 battery at 25°C (77°F) in Amps:
| Voltage/Time | 5 min | 10 min | 15 min | 30 min | 1 hr | 2 hr | 3 hr | 4 hr | 5 hr | 6 hr | 10 hr | 20 hr |
| 1.85 V/Cell | 18.30 | 13.05 | 10.00 | 6.62 | 3.90 | 2.28 | 1.74 | 1.38 | 1.146 | 0.979 | 0.639 | 0.337 |
| 1.80 V/Cell | 18.64 | 13.30 | 10.19 | 6.75 | 3.98 | 2.32 | 1.77 | 1.406 | 1.168 | 0.998 | 0.651 | 0.344 |
| 1.75 V/Cell | 18.99 | 13.55 | 10.39 | 6.88 | 4.05 | 2.37 | 1.80 | 1.432 | 1.190 | 1.017 | 0.663 | 0.350 |
| 1.70 V/Cell | 20.70 | 14.36 | 11.01 | 7.15 | 4.12 | 2.41 | 1.83 | 1.458 | 1.211 | 1.034 | 0.675 | 0.356 |
| 1.67 V/Cell | 22.79 | 15.58 | 11.94 | 7.55 | 4.17 | 2.44 | 1.85 | 1.473 | 1.224 | 1.045 | 0.682 | 0.360 |
| 1.60 V/Cell | 24.69 | 16.39 | 12.57 | 7.87 | 4.21 | 2.46 | 1.87 | 1.489 | 1.237 | 1.057 | 0.689 | 0.364 |
1.75 V per cell is equal to 10.5 V of the 6-cells battery and discharging the battery less than 10.5 volts can significantly shorter its service life.
The following chart lists constant power discharge characteristics of the new ExpertPower EXP1270 battery at 25°C (77°F) in watts given for the single cell:
| Voltage/Time | 5 min | 10 min | 15 min | 30 min | 1 hr | 2 hr | 3 hr | 4 hr | 5 hr | 6 hr | 10 hr | 20 hr |
| 1.85 V/Cell | 35.68 | 25.44 | 19.51 | 12.92 | 7.61 | 4.45 | 3.38 | 2.69 | 2.23 | 1.91 | 1.25 | 0.66 |
| 1.80 V/Cell | 36.36 | 25.93 | 19.88 | 13.16 | 7.76 | 4.53 | 3.45 | 2.74 | 2.28 | 1.95 | 1.27 | 0.67 |
| 1.75 V/Cell | 37.04 | 26.41 | 20.25 | 13.41 | 7.90 | 4.62 | 3.51 | 2.79 | 2.32 | 1.98 | 1.29 | 0.68 |
| 1.70 V/Cell | 40.37 | 28.00 | 21.47 | 13.94 | 8.04 | 4.70 | 3.58 | 2.84 | 2.36 | 2.02 | 1.32 | 0.69 |
| 1.67 V/Cell | 44.45 | 30.37 | 23.29 | 14.72 | 8.13 | 4.75 | 3.61 | 2.87 | 2.39 | 2.04 | 1.33 | 0.70 |
| 1.60 V/Cell | 48.15 | 31.96 | 24.51 | 15.35 | 8.22 | 4.80 | 3.65 | 2.90 | 2.41 | 2.06 | 1.34 | 0.71 |
For example, when the battery is discharged for 20 hours, down to 1.75 volts per cell (10.50 volts total), a new, fully charged battery is capable of providing 4.08 (6 x 0.68W) watts of constant power.
ExpertPower EXP1270 as Fish Finder Battery?
ExpertPower EXP1270 is very often used as a lightweight and cheap fish finder battery.
Operating time depends on many factors, but the new fully-charged EXP1270 battery, when being discharged down to 10.5 volts, can power 1.5 Amps fish finder for 3+ hours and a smaller 0.5 Amps fish finder for 10+ hours.
Since EXP1270 can be easily recharged in 4-5 hours or overnight, it is a common choice for fish finder batteries on smaller boats, rafts, and even kayaks.
ExpertPower EXP1270 vs. ExpertPower EXP1272
ExpertPower EXP1270 and ExpertPower EXP1272 are two very similar SLA AGM batteries, differing in terminals and capacity.
The ExpertPower EXP1270 battery uses F1 terminals, while the ExpertPower EXP1272 battery uses F2 terminals. F1 and F2 terminals are very similar, but they differ in physical dimensions, and they are not 100% interchangeable.
Also, there is a slight difference in capacity, with ExpertPower EXP1270 having a nominal capacity (20h, 25°C, 77°F) of 7.0 Ah and ExpertPower EXP1272 having a nominal capacity (20h, 25°C, 77°F) of 7.2 Ah.
ExpertPower EXP1270 vs. Lithium 12V 7Ah Batteries
ExpertPower EXP1270 battery is a very reliable AGM battery, featuring for an AGM battery, acceptable weight, low resistance, it accepts charge well, etc.
When compared with lithium 12V 7Ah batteries, ExpertPower EXP1270 battery weighs 2-3x more, supports 8-10x fewer charging/discharging cycles, has a shorter standby life (3-5 years vs. 7-10+ years), etc.
But, the ExpertPower EXP1270 battery is also cheaper, and it doesn't come with a built-in Battery Management System, which may cause battery failure when protecting the battery from unwanted events like glitches and similar.
Thus, if You don't mind the additional weight of the lead-acid battery, and you are looking for a reliable and rather cheap battery, go for a lead-acid 12V 7Ah battery, and if not, go for a lithium 12v 7Ah battery.
Note: 12V 9Ah batteries generally have the same physical dimensions as 12V 7Ah batteries, except that they generally come with F2 battery terminals. If You are looking for a 12V 7Ah battery, also consider 12V 9Ah batteries - they are a little bit more expensive, but they also offer a 20+% increase in capacity.
How To Charge ExpertPower EXP1270 Battery
Regardless of the battery use, standby or cyclic, the maximum allowed charging current is ~2 Amps.
Thus, it is recommended to recharge the EXP1270 battery using an advanced AGM battery charger with a maximum charging current of 750mA to 1.5A, with 1 Amps being recommended.
For example, if the battery is discharged down to 80% DoD, the battery is missing ~5.6Ah of charge.
12V 1 Amps AGM battery charger can recharge such battery in 6-6.5 hours without stressing the battery.
Long Story Short: ExpertPower EXP1270 is a very popular and affordable SLA AGM battery and is being used for different purposes. It has proven its worth countless times and that is the reason why it is so popular.
For more reviews and recommendations, check ExpertPower EXP1270 and ExpertPower EXP1272 Amazon links (links open in the new windows).
