Optima D34 Yellow top or SSB DryCell HVT-50D AGM

**drivesafe** · 21st March 2020, 10:28 AM

Hi folks and sorry for taking so long to reply but I am still trying to shake this flu.

Unfortunately one of the symptoms of this flu is a severe lack of concentration and this has resulted in the forced termination of the SSB test.

When testing any form of lead acid battery, I use a low voltage cut-out unit ( modified ABG-25 ) to set the exact discharge level I want to take the battery down to and to protect the battery being tested from being over discharged.

When testing my brand of lithium batteries, I deliberately delete the low voltage cut-out unit so I can test the effectiveness of the lithium battery’s BMS.

While down with the flu, and not firing on all cylinders, I inadvertently discharge tested the SSB with out applying the low voltage cut-out unit to set the limit of the discharge.

Next day, when I checked the monitor, the battery had been discharged down to 1.79v, an absolute no-no for any lead acid battery.

The first recharge after the stuff up shows a 30% loss in capacity and while I have carried out a number of different types charge/discharge cycles, to try to recover the lost capacity, the battery is now permanently down by about 20% and as such, is now useless for my tests.

Some good results and possibly good news, is that prior to my stuff up, I did manage quite a few charge/discharge cycles and the battery performed quite well.

While the manufacturer/supplier recommends a discharge voltage no lower than 10.8v, I have found that there is VERY LITTLE additional usable capacity to be gained by discharging the battery below 11.6v.

There was less than 2% more energy available when discharging bellow 11.6v and by limiting the the discharge to no less that 11.6v should help extend the battery’s overall lifespan while still supplying very good usable capacity.

I contacted the supplier to see if they could give me any ideas as to whether I could recover the lost capacity and explained what I had done, and they want the battery returned as they are a bit surprised that a single over-discharge has damaged the battery.

They want to conduct some tests of their own and have requested a copy of my test data.

Anyway, as soon as I have bought a new battery, I will start the testing again but so far, I am pretty impressed with the SSB.

**DiscoJeffster** · 21st March 2020, 10:31 AM

Thanks Tim. Glad to hear you’re on the mend. Now hunker down and make sure you don’t cop the COVID-19/SARS-COV-2 flu!

**Dagilmo** · 21st March 2020, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Anyway, as soon as I have bought a new battery, I will start the testing again but so far, I am pretty impressed with the SSB.

That's great news, I've just bought and fitted 2 to the disco.

And get well Tim, stay inside and wash wash wash.....

**gavinwibrow** · 27th March 2020, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by DiscoJeffster

I have to say, the irony that the Optima you got was a dud isn’t lost on anyone here

Optima D34 Yellow top or SSB DryCell HVT-50D AGM

Well Tim's Traxide system USI-160 with ABG-25 showed the way for another yellow top failure (admittedly after at least 3 years).

My rear auxiliary plugs, LED camping lights and CB all stopped working last week when I went camping. (I now know that they are all connected to the auxiliary battery via Tim's set-up which switched the power off to preserve the starter battery - a brand new humongous Varta).
Yellowtop was load tested this morning and found to be well on the way out.
Same SSB HVT50D as Tombie about to be fitted to my MY10 D4 2.7L.

**wiggy781** · 30th March 2020, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by gavinwibrow

Same SSB HVT50D as Tombie about to be fitted to my MY10 D4 2.7L.

Appreciate you sharing your supplier of the SSB HVT50D - local to Freo? Cheers

**Dagilmo** · 30th March 2020, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by wiggy781

Appreciate you sharing your supplier of the SSB HVT50D - local to Freo? Cheers

Goodchild Enterprises- $220 ex GST

**Bulletman** · 7th April 2020, 06:55 AM

I thought the selling point for the optima was how fast they recharged , can anyone tell me if the SSB recharges similar to the optima ?

I have a old optima that has done minimal work and altho it doesn't run my fridge as long as some of the slightly bigger AGM batteries ,its recharge rate , especially with my solar panel is amazing compared to the standard 80ah AGM battery I have. curious how the SSB compares in real world testing that many of you that have changed from the optima would have done.

Bulletman

**gavinwibrow** · 7th April 2020, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by wiggy781

Appreciate you sharing your supplier of the SSB HVT50D - local to Freo? Cheers

Was going to get straight from the local supplier Goodchild Enterprises Cockburn Central as recommended by CraigE, but then decided to use Freo auto elec (29 Strang St) to help a local business to stay alive. On hold for a week cos I've been in hospital, but will happen as soon as I get out (next week).
He's not a LR specialist but an elder statesman and always willing to help and very reasonable/negotionable on price.

**Narangga** · 10th June 2020, 07:39 PM

HVT-70D fits a D3.70D.jpg

**drivesafe** · 10th June 2020, 11:02 PM

Originally Posted by Narangga

HVT-70D fits a D3.70D.jpg

Hi and can you get the cover back on the battery compartment?

There are a number of batteries that fin in this location, but you can not replace the cover.

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Bye bye SSB battery

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