Battery

[Pnut80]

What kind of secondary battery are you guys using for all your Audio Equipment.
I just have the main boat battery now, (but do have the Perko switch)
Will be adding another battery to support new stereo system this year

[MJHSupra]

What year boat do you have and how big is your stereo system?

Many of the new models already have a switch, so depending on your dealer, at the time of prep, they decide what brand to install.

When I reworked by 2007 Supra system, I installed the:
Blue-Sea Add-A-Battery ACR System.
Two Deka Series AMG 27 batteries - replaced the orig one in the boat - Series 24 Interstate that lasted a long time
Onboard Smart Charger
Wet Sounds System - two Rev10s and six 650s with a JL Sub.

If the second battery is the "stereo battery", then go with a higher Ah (amp/hours) battery

For batteries, there has been a few threads on here and on other forums. You will get different options depending on who you ask:
Optima
Interstate
Deka
Everstart (wal-mart)
Odyssey
XS power
etc

[MLA]

Is your battery switch (likely a Blue Sea not a Perko if OEM) single bank ON/OFF or Dual Bank? Is there a dual-bank Charger?

Size of battery will depend on the potential current draw and how long you would want to spend on the hook with the engine off. A single group-24 deep-cycle will do fine for short periods at anchor, up to 4 pair of 6V golfcart batteries for an all day concert on the lake.

[Pnut80]

Battery Switch is not Factory. Was added. 13 Moomba lsv
Sound System is following
2 - 8" Kicker Towers
Kicker 400 watt amp
Rockford Fosgate 1200/1 amp
Wetsounds 12xxx
Will be adding a 200 watt amp for cabin speakers later on


Time radio would be on with out motor running would be a hour at most. (family doesn't let me rest much)

Link to the Battery Switch i have _ https://www.westmarine.com/buy/perko--medium-duty-battery-selector-switch--281469?&mrkgcl=481&mrkgadid=3076578849&cm_mmc=PS-_-Google-_-GSC%3ENonB%3EVendors-_-281469&product_id=281469&creative=108421560124&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CjwKCAiAob3vBRAUEiwAIbs5TsHX8mspidkCNRbbyqIX ONQf3NmdchYmGgNll25nMwD2P2WVdHlcIhoCvCkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[MLA]

A group-29/31 wet cell marine deepcycle should do the trick.

[Branden967]

I personally love the optima batteries. I like the idea of no water all sealed cell etc.

[MLA]

The debate between wet cell and AGM is certainly a worthwhile discussion. But I have 2 hangups about the optima brand. 1), for a house bank, they have the lowest Ah to $$$ ratio. So poor value for a house bank compared to other same sized wet cell and other AGM. 2) in a house bank setup where you might need to rely on shore charging to replenish the battery, the optima needs a different charge profile compared to other AGM and wet cells. In the above scenario, one might end up with 2 chargers, where as a single 2-bank on-board charger would do the job. One for the existing wet cell, one for the optima.

[MJHSupra]

When upgrading the stereo system , I replaced my existing one and bought a new battery.

I knew the older Interstate had some life left in it, but when your spending bigger money on a stereo upgrade, why get cheap on the battery.
Ended up I overcharged that darn thing and that was it for the Interstate.

As MLA said, Ah to the price. I did not know the Optima looked for different charging.

[Jeepers]

I upgraded both my batteries to 31M: I’ve been running 2 VMAX Tank XTR31-135 12Volts 135AH Deep Cycle, XTREME AGM Battery. 265 min or reserve capacity each.

They’re expensive, but they’re with it! My stereo system pulls a ton of amp and this set up has never failed me.

I’m paranoid about running out of juice on the water.


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[ajbrooks1]

I upgraded both my batteries to 31M: I’ve been running 2 VMAX Tank XTR31-135 12Volts 135AH Deep Cycle, XTREME AGM Battery. 265 min or reserve capacity each.

They’re expensive, but they’re with it! My stereo system pulls a ton of amp and this set up has never failed me.

I’m paranoid about running out of juice on the water.


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Dude 100%!

I’m runnin three Optima Red Tops for the stereo alone and a Marine Deep cycle for the engine.

I forget the name of the switch but as soon as my ignition switch is put into the “on” position, it connects all 4 batteries together to start. I like that.

Other wise the one battery is for engine only and completely independent of stereo power.

[OptimaJim]

Hello, I noticed your conversation involving our products and wanted to provide our perspective on what was posted. If you are running multiple batteries in your boat and they are not properly-isolated from each other or are all being maintained with a common charger, they should be identical in age, size and type. So in reference to MLA's scenario, even if you put a new flooded battery in with an old flooded battery of an identical group size, you should be using either a multibank charger or two different chargers to maintain those batteries.

Regarding Ah ratings (and ratings in general), Optima tends to be very conservative in how we rate our batteries, preferring to under-promise and over-deliver. Performance over the lifespan of the battery is important to a lot of people on the water, but rarely mentioned until after batteries have been purchased. I routinely hear feedback from anglers who are disappointed to see so much drop off in reserve capacity on their trolling motor batteries (from many different brands & manufacturers) within the first two years of use.

Part of it is that some of these folks don't recharge their batteries as soon as they get home. Instead, they allow sulfation to build up on their discharged batteries and wait until the night before their next trip out on the water to put them on a charge. However, part of it is that the decline in performance on some flooded products is steep and steady. Manufacturers and brands know consumers are chasing many different numbers when buying batteries. Some are looking for the lowest price, some are looking for the longest warranty (and will overlook pro-ration penalties), while others look at standardized ratings on the labels. Some brands have even created proprietary ratings, which sound impressive, but don't allow consumers to do apples to apples comparisons. Consumers have choices in every regard, although options directly contradict others- it has the longest warranty, but it also costs the most, etc...

As important as it is, it's difficult for anyone to accurately and consistently measure battery capacity over time, but just about any auto parts store can load test your battery and most will do it for free. That will give you a good indication of how that battery is performing, relative to the ratings on the label. Most new batteries should test above their rated CCA, but some test far higher than others and are able to continue testing far higher, for far longer.

If you do choose to upgrade the stereo system in your boat, it is a good idea to upgrade your battery at the same time. However, consideration should also be given to the quality of your wiring and your alternator. Any system will only be as strong as it's weakest link, so the improvement in one area may be minimized or negated if the other areas are deficient.

Ajbrooks1, our RedTop batteries are designed and warrantied only for starting/lighting/ignition use, not deep-cycle use, which would include audio. In those applications, we would recommend our YellowTop batteries or our BlueTop batteries with light gray cases (D34M, D27M or D31M).

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries