Battery Report..

[Cane Pole]

I just got off the phone with the Wheel Chair battery engineers. I asked a lot of dumb questions but got some good answers. They are not in the Deep cycle battery business. They only make small gel and sla batteries.

I asked about the Optima battery. He said they have cut them apart and there is nothing special inside these batteries. He said it was typical construction for AGM type batteries. He also said it was overpriced for what you get.

He stated that their companies GEL battery sales was down (and never really took off). He stated that it was a real maintenance hog. He said you have to really stay on top of the gels so as not to damage them.

I asked him about Wal Mart batteries. He said it all depends on who gets the bid and contract to make the batteries. He said that is why sometimes you get good ones and sometimes not so good ones from Wal Wart.

I told him I had presently had Delcos and was thinking about getting Optimas. He said stick with the Delcos. He said the Optima would only outlast the Delcos 10 to 20 %. I asked him how he new all this. He said that that is his job to know these things. Good answer.

He told me that the charging amperage of a sla of gel battery is between 10 to 20 percent of the Ampere hour rating, preferably 10 %. He said you should never exceed the 20 % margin on any sealed battery. Boom!!! He emphasized that they are sealed. He said different type design batteries require different voltage charging levels over different times. He said if you got a gel, you should use a gel charger.

We talked about cranking batteries and why I am adding a battery for my electronic stuff. I want get into it as this is getting long winded. I will add the info if some is interested.

Just to share.

Tom

[Barnacle Bill]

Excellent Tom! Thanks for the info as to me its pretty interesting.

[crappielimits]

Optimas are not GEL CELL they have a spiral cell design. They are also vibration resistant, since there is no fluid to leak. These batteries last a really long time as far as getting a full 100% charge. As far as I know it is all right to charge them with a regular charger. Alot of us around here has done it. My onboard charger has a key to pull out for charging gel cells, but I use it in regular mode for optimas.

[Cane Pole]

Optimas are not GEL CELL they have a spiral cell design. They are also vibration resistant, since there is no fluid to leak. These batteries last a really long time as far as getting a full 100% charge. As far as I know it is all right to charge them with a regular charger. Alot of us around here has done it. My onboard charger has a key to pull out for charging gel cells, but I use it in regular mode for optimas.

They are AGM. I am not the battery man. Just reporting.

[DENNIS WILLIS]

I have Optima Batteries and love them. I can fish in the wind for 2 days and still have power,Never had that good luck with wally world battiers or the last ones I had were Interstate, but the delco were good ones and a lot cheeper.The Optima are 99.99%pure lead and heat does not kill them nor does vibration.They are not cheep nor cheep made, with wallyworld batteries I had to change out about every year.Just my opion and you know what they say.I think the AGM is the Absorbent Glass-Mat Separators, may be wrong but not the first time or last.

[Barnacle Bill]

They are definately AGM.
http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/

[crappielimits]

www.optimabatteries.com/optima_edge/technical_specs

These are 99.9% pure lead. No one uses this technology other than Optima. I love these batteries and put them through some serious abuse and haven`t had a problem. I reccomend the troll fury set up and you will not need 4 batteries. AGM stands for absorbant glass mat not gel.

[Cane Pole]

You don't understand my problem. It is not trolling that's the problem. It is the cranking and the running the goodies that is the problem. Noise on the crank battery. The only way to fix it is to isolate it (put electronics on separate battery). Thus 4 batteries. 1 start, 2 troll, 1 electronics. I talked to a lot of folks about this. My o'scope says do this too.

[Barnacle Bill]

You don't understand my problem. It is not trolling that's the problem. It is the cranking and the running the goodies that is the problem. Noise on the crank battery. The only way to fix it is to isolate it (put electronics on separate battery). Thus 4 batteries. 1 start, 2 troll, 1 electronics. I talked to a lot of folks about this. My o'scope says do this too.

If you keep adding stuff you'll need a small barge with a generator on it.

[crappielimits]

Is the noise in all of the electronics? And is your trolling system 12 in paralell or 24?