optima batteries

[BassMan31]

does any one have any experience or opinions with these batteries.i need it to start my outboard,run trolling motor,depth finder,livewell pump basically the whole boat.it is a small boat so weight is a concideration. thanx in advance.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: optima batteries

Very good batteries - for their price, they are the best.

 

[kd6nem]

Re: optima batteries

Make sure the charger is appropriate for the type of battery. The old charger you've had around may or may not be the best for your expensive battery. Something designed with an AGM battery in mind is necessary for maximum life. I've never tried one of those batteries yet, but I've read up on them with the thought of eventually switching. Great technology if treated right. (They all need to be treated according to what type they are- Optima are if anything easier than flooded cell batteries, just cannot be treated the same)<br /><br />Would you be able to start your motor if you overdid it trolling? (Rope start?) One battery for both can be scary unless the motor is fairly easily started by rope and can run without a charged battery. Try to not discharge any battery too much, not even deep cycle batteries. Most don't like being discharged more than roughly half way without diminishing its lifespan. I don't remember the specifics of the Optima regarding this.

 

[crab bait]

Re: optima batteries

i have one.. when they first came out.. got it cause of the no spill aspect..<br />can't say i like it or dislike it .. it is what it is..<br /><br />B. P. what kind of charger is the right kind..??<br />and what is meant by 'can't treat the same as'... please explain..

 

[kd6nem]

Re: optima batteries

I had some great info, but I had this computer problem, you see.... Guess I get to go research that all over again. Live and learn. (second hard drives need their own OS if you want them to be easy to get into if anything happens to the primary hard drive!)<br /><br />I have seen some good posts from a few of the guys who were more up on it than I am anyway. The gist was that AGM batteries prefer to be charged to a slightly different voltage than wet cell batteries do. Some chargers cater to that, some don't. Makes a difference in the long run. If I'm depending on my battery to be there whan I need it, and especially if a premium battery that costs a fair bit more than the average wet cell battery, I will pay attention to its likes and dislikes. It will live much longer as a result. I recently saw a post on this forum which suggested that the folks who were dissatisfied with these batteries were the ones tending to not pay good attention to how they were charging them. These are not more difficult, just different. I'll post again with the particulars if I can find them in a timely manner. Or perhaps some of the others around here will beat me to it (hopefully).

 

[crab bait]

Re: optima batteries

appreciate it..<br /><br /> cause now it's killin' me..!!<br /><br />kindasorta would need to know what brand/what kind of charger.. <br /><br />thanks...

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: optima batteries

FYI<br /><br />Below the charging graphs is a simple table, you'll note the float voltage for AGM's is different.<br />I'm a big fan of AGM batteries myself.

 

[crab bait]

Re: optima batteries

thanks PAUL..!! but i'm WAAAY to dumb for this.. somebody PA- LEZZE .. what brand charger,, an how to do it..

 

[18rabbit]

Re: optima batteries

Paul – That is the best battery faq I have seen on the internet!!!<br /><br />About the charging rate, the faq suggests 25% of the battery’s 20-hr rating as max. My understanding is 25% is the min and 40% the max. Fwiw, the charging profile graphs in the fax also show a 40% charging rate (20a charge on a 50a/hr battery). Humm…

 

[18rabbit]

Re: optima batteries

Crab Bait – in a nutshell, AGM, gel, and sealed batteries cannot off gas the way a ‘normal’ flooded (or wet) battery can. They need to be charged at a lower voltage. Flooded batteries are so common almost every charger will output the higher voltage for them. If you have a battery that is not a normal, flooded battery, you want a higher quality charger that allows you to set the type of battery being charged. The charger will have internal brains that regulate the appropriate charging profile for the type of battery you selected. A lot of these chargers also have the option of a temp sensor for the battery post and will further regulate the charging voltage as per the internal temp of the battery, yielding the best possible charging profile.<br /><br />The down side (if you want to consider it that) of the Optima battery is that it can never be equalized. Equalizing requires a higher voltage than the battery can stomach. Ironically, and inversely, if an Optima battery is flat-lined, dead!, it can be resurrected, not fully but to usable state, by applying a charging voltage well beyond what is normally used for flooded battery bulk charging. Never done it, only read about it…but it’s not an issue because you are not taking your battery to the bottom…right?!?!? <br /><br />Any of the quality marine electronics companies make the ‘smart’ chargers. C-Charles, Xantrex, companies like that. And a lot of little, independent companies make high-quality chargers, as well.<br /><br />Here's one: http://www.xantrex.com/Products/supercat.asp?did=301 <br /><br />Just so that you don’t get too comfortable, some chargers have a setting specifically for Optima batteries. <br /><br />How to do it: (1) Install charger. (2) Plug in. (3) Select gel/Optima. (4) Turn on.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: optima batteries

Glad you liked it. I love the internet - it's become like an extension of my mind...<br /><br />Yeah, I noticed that. I guess although he strongly recommends the 20hr recharge, he doesn't mind putting up a graph for a fast charge only. I wonder were he found those graphs. <br /><br />Sorry crab bait. I threw together my own charger, but can strongly reccomend *that* brand, since I know it strictly adheres to the recomended AGM charging cycle. <br /><br />EDIT: 18rabbit has better advice on that!

 

[crab bait]

Re: optima batteries

thanks,,fellas..!! now i gotta find who sells them chargers.. never heard/seen them before..<br /><br />i bought my optima the first year they appeared.. <br /><br />i charged it with my battery charger.. what da heck did i know.. it's a battery.. it's a charger.. charge battery with charger.. <br /><br /> nothin's simple anymore is it <br /><br />the *******s oughta make a charger for their battery if'n they need a special charger..<br /><br />stupid.. ain't they... <br /><br /> or is it just me..?? <br /><br />one more favor/question... <br /><br />lock me on to the name band an type of the one with the OPTIMA MODE SWITCH an who sells them...<br /><br />or it that one it you 'linked' to..?? <br /><br />another words ... hook a brother up..<br /><br />thanks..