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Thread: Optima battery/real world experience

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    Default Optima battery/real world experience


    Looking for anyone that has used these batteries in a 24 volt system and an on-board charger/maintainer. The ProMariner Pro Sport charger has a wire to clip when used with gel pack batteries (which forces me to get a third Optima for my starting battery), but I haven't seen any discussions using these batteries with a constant charge (maintenance) charger.
    Anyone have experience with this?

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    Barnacle Bill is offline Super Mod and 2014 Crappie.com Man of the Year * Crappie.com Supporter
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    Big Zig I have been watching reports onm the Optima batteries and have not seen anything negative about them. So far my next set will be 2 of those for my trolling motor. BTW, they are not gel filled, they are lead acid. This came from the horses mouth. (manufacturer)
    Fair Winds and Following Seas

    Bill H. PTC USN Ret
    Chesapeake, Va


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    BTW, they are not gel filled, they are lead acid. This came from the horses mouth. (manufacturer)
    That would change everything. I read, "no spill" and assumed - should have presumed. :rolleyes:
    Being acid/lead, then the maintenance mode is no longer an issue either.
    Thanks, you just made my mind up.

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    Zig:
    I don't use them in a 24 volt system but I do have two of the blue top optima batteries and this is the start of my second full year of using them.

    I purchased a new Minn-Kota battery charger (portable type) and have been using it to charge up the Optima Deep Cycle Battery. This battery charger will start the charge at high voltage and then 10 amp and then drop the amps down to a trickle once the battery is fully charged. It charges in three stages. Full, Medium and then trickle charge. There is a diagram of the amp and voltage vs time on the box.

    Quote Originally Posted by Big Zig
    Looking for anyone that has used these batteries in a 24 volt system and an on-board charger/maintainer. The ProMariner Pro Sport charger has a wire to clip when used with gel pack batteries (which forces me to get a third Optima for my starting battery), but I haven't seen any discussions using these batteries with a constant charge (maintenance) charger.
    Anyone have experience with this?
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    Regards,

    Moose1am

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    All I got to say about my blue top is that I have tried to see if I can wear it totally down but have only got as far as 50% charge on it after using it constantly for about 9 hrs of 55 l;bs thrust on about 3 all day. Then it was fully charged in less than 8 hrs. Would buy another in a minute if I could afford another one.LOL
    If in doubt, cross their eyes!!

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    How much do they cost each?

    And just to double-check they are lead/acid and not gel, right????
    I won't be at work........I'm feelin' crappie today!
    ><)))*>

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    Quote Originally Posted by GABoy
    How much do they cost each?

    And just to double-check they are lead/acid and not gel, right????
    That is what the manufacture said. In fact I called them today.
    Fair Winds and Following Seas

    Bill H. PTC USN Ret
    Chesapeake, Va


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    They use lead and an acid which is locked in a spiral bound cell technology. They can't leak unless you shoot holes in them with a rifle or something. You can lay them in any position. They are 25 times more resistant to shock than ordinary lead acid batteries. It because the lead plates are wrapped aound in a cell type structure with a fiberglass type matting in between the cells. They look like a battery made out of 6 D cell batteries put in an array of 3 x 2 and blown up in size about 10 times and coated with a hard plastic outer case.

    Advanced Auto Parts is where I got my two Optima Batteries.

    I paid almost 200 bucks for the blue topped Trolling motor and it was the smaller of the two deep cycle blue tops that Optima Makes. The other blue top deep cycle cost over 200 bucks but it's got more reserve capacity.

    I also have a blue top Cranking Optima Battery that I use to start my boat and run the accessories like the live well pump and the cigarette lighters etc.

    I can run my 50lb All Terrain Minn-Kota trolling motor all day long with the smaller of the two types of Blue Top Optima Deep cycle batteries

    They are said to last twice as long as the regular lead acid batteries. If that is true I will tell you in anohter 4 years. I normally get a regular lead acid battery from Walmart to last only 3 years. These optimas should last for 6 years if the marking people are telling the truth. Only time and my testing will know the truth. If I am still around crappie.com in the next 4 years I will tell you what I found out. Hang in there

    These batteries are suppose to have less internal resistance to taking a charge and therefore are said to charge up faster than a regular lead acid battery. I have found that this is true. They do charge up fast when using my old Sears Battery Charger that starts out at 10 amp and lower the amps down until the batteries are fully charged up. Then the battery charger supplies a trickle charge. I am finding that my new Minn-Kota Portable Battery charger is charging the Optima Deep Cycle up pretty quick even after I have used the battery for a long day of fishing. Remember that I fish lakes that don't allow the use of the gasoline motors so I am using the trolling motor the entire time all day long unless I anchor which I seldom to. If it's not windy I am using the Optima Deey Cycle all day long or about 8 to 10 hours at time

    I have a back up battery just in chase and use a another portalbe battery charger/jumper battery to provide power for night fishing. It also will jump start my boat or truck batteries.

    Quote Originally Posted by IBNFSHN
    That is what the manufacture said. In fact I called them today.
    Regards,

    Moose1am

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    I recently bought a large blue top for around $180. It sure is heavy, it weighs over 60#s. So far, I like it just fine but I want to wait until about 3 years from now to pass final judgement on it.

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