Second Optima Battery

[Geedublya]

Yes, I know this this has been done to death, however I just need to clarify the most suitable Optima battery.
Looking at the Optima website the D34M (blue top) marine battery seems a better bet than the yellow top as it is a reinforced marine type which can better handle the pounding of rough roads. The other specifications appear to be the same. Has anybody got a reason why the blue top is not suitable?

[Eevo]

i dont believe the blue can handle rough conditions better.

just different posts.

[Geedublya]

I think you are probably correct, the 300g is most likely due to the extra stainless posts.

[phl]

Am using the Blue Top; dispensed with post clamps, and screwed the eyelets directly to the screw posts.

[Robmacca]

The Yellow Top has a 3yr warranty where as the Blue Top is only 2yrs....

We bought the D34 prior to recent outback trip..... worked well but had to get use to that u can take them down below 12v which is not the case for your normal DC batteries....

But since getting home and putting the D34 on my Ctek charger to give it a good recharge... that's where the problem has started..... The Ctek comes up with an error after a period time.... taking battery back to have it checked...

BTW.... make sure u have a look at the 1st 4 numbers of the serial number. This will tell u how old the battery is. I bought mine in Apr'13 and the S/N had 2111, indicating the YOM was 2012 on the 111th day.... Not happy either

[Slunnie]

I use the large blue top as a cranking and winch battery, I can't speak highly enough of it in terms of performance and durability and its now probably 8 years old as opposed to the 2yr life of the batteries before it.

When I setup my 2nd battery however, the shop recommended that I didn't use the optima. Their reasoning was that the optima doesn't have as much stored capacity due to their spiral cells when compared to flat cells - the spirals are not space efficient, and that there are flat cell batteries with the same technology but greater capacity. I think my optima is 75ah and my 2nd battery (still original Lifeline) is 100ah or something like that. He also said that battery life relates to % discharge, so overnight you will discharge the higher capacity battery less.

[drivesafe]

We bought the D34 prior to recent outback trip..... worked well but had to get use to that u can take them down below 12v which is not the case for your normal DC batteries....

Hi Robmacca and you can take any deep cycle battery down to 20% SoC or 11.58v without harming them.

It’s cranking batteries that should not be discharged below 50% SoC or 12.06v

[discotwinturbo]

Hi Robmacca and you can take any deep cycle battery down to 20% SoC or 11.58v without harming them.

It’s cranking batteries that should not be discharged below 50% SoC or 12.06v

Though taking "any" deep cycle down to 20% state of charge too often will reduce the life span of some deep cycle batteries.

Brett....

[drivesafe]

Though taking "any" deep cycle down to 20% state of charge too often will reduce the life span of some deep cycle batteries.

Brett....

Hi Brett and correct BUT, it’s the number of times you do it that effects the life span of a battery and you need to work out how many times you are likely to discharge a battery down to 20% over the expected time you think a battery will last.

For example, if you check the battery manufacturers specs and they say you can only cycle the battery down to 20% 120 times before you loose significant battery capacity, what would you expect to get from that battery.

If this is the for your battery and you go camping every weekend and on every one of those weekend trips, you discharge the battery down to 20% SoC, you can expect to get about a little over two years use from that battery.

Whereas if you go camping once a month, cycling the battery down to 20% on every trip, you are now looking at only getting around ten years from the battery.

I don’t know of too many batteries that last that long, no matter how little you cycle them. The reality is that you are more likely to have the battery die of old age before cycling it down to 20% has any detrimental effect on the battery.

Nearly all deep cycle battery manufactures now state that their batteries can be cycled down to 20% SoC ( 11.58V ).

So unless you are living in a camping situation, where your battery is in heavy use everyday, again, you battery is going to die of old age before deep cycling effects it.

[ozetim]

I just want to hijack this thread to say a big thanks to Drivesafe for talking me thru some aspects of fitting the dual battery to my new D4. A top bloke.