2nd Battery

[The Bottom Line]

Just a quick question. I've heard a lot about how great the Optima marine batteries are. Would they eliminate the need for a second battery? Is it more battery for the electronics and all of that? Does anyone use them and any feedback would be great.
Thank you

[tartuffe]

Originally Posted by The Bottom Line

Just a quick question. I've heard a lot about how great the Optima marine batteries are. Would they eliminate the need for a second battery? Is it more battery for the electronics and all of that? Does anyone use them and any feedback would be great.
Thank you

No matter how good the battery, the second serves more for the piece of mind that if when you turn that ignition after being at anchor for a while and hear that dreaded "click click click," you have another option.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by The Bottom Line

Just a quick question. I've heard a lot about how great the Optima marine batteries are. Would they eliminate the need for a second battery? Is it more battery for the electronics and all of that? Does anyone use them and any feedback would be great.
Thank you

Not trying to scare you or anything, but...how valuable is your life? You cannot control everything all of the time, especially when you're out on the water, so you try to control those things that you can, as best as you can. A second battery is peace of mind. It's another control.

So, what kind of a battery should you get? Well, only you can decide that, but, thanks to the internet, we can at least get a few guidelines.

Wet Cell (flooded), Gel Cell, and Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) are various versions of the lead acid battery. The Wet cell comes in two styles; Serviceable and Maintenance free. Both are filled with electrolyte and are basicly the same. (I prefer one that I can add water to and check the specific gravity of the electrolyte with a hydrometer). The Gel Cell and the AGM batteries are specialty batteries that typically cost twice as much as a premium wet cell. However they store very well and do not tend to sulfate or degrade as easily as wet cell. There is little chance of a hydrogen gas explosion or corrosion when using these batteries; these are the safest lead acid batteries you can use. Gel Cell and some AGM batteries may require a special charging rate. If you want the best,most versatile type, consideration should be given to the AGM battery for applications such as Marine, RV, Solar, Audio, Power Sports and Stand-By Power just to name a few. The Optima battery you asked about is an AGM battery

Now lets look at how batteries are rated.

CCA, CA, AH and RC. What are these all about? These are the standards that most battery companies use to rate the output and capacity of a battery.

Cold cranking amps (CCA) is a measurement of the number of amps a battery can deliver at 0 ° F for 30 seconds and not drop below 7.2 volts. So a high CCA battery rating is especially important in starting battery applications, and in cold weather.This measurement is not particularly important in Deep cycle batteries, though it is the most commonly 'known' battery measurement.

CA is cranking amps measured at 32 degrees F. This rating is also called marine cranking amps (MCA). Hot cranking amps (HCA) is seldom used any longer but is measured at 80 ° F.

Reserve Capacity (RC) is a very important rating. This is the number of minutes a fully charged battery at 80 ° F will discharge 25 amps until the battery drops below 10.5 volts.
An amp hour (AH) is a rating usually found on deep cycle batteries. The standard rating is an Amp rating taken for 20 Hours. What this means, say for a 100 AH rated battery is this: Draw from the battery for 20 hours and it will provide a total of 100 amps. That translates to about 5 amps an hour. 5 x 20 = 100. However, it's very important to know that the total time of discharge and load applied is not a linear relationship. As your load increases, your realized capacity decreases. This means if you discharged that same 100 AH battery by a 100 amp load, it will not give you one hour of runtime. On the contrary, the perceived capacity of the battery will be that of 64 Amp Hours.


So, we now know that AGM batteries are the best, and that if you want a good battery for your boat you should get one with a high RC and AH.

And lastly, a few do's and don'ts



Battery Do's

• Think Safety First.
• Do regular inspection and maintenance especially in hot weather.
• Do recharge batteries immediately after discharge.
• Do buy the highest RC reserve capacity or AH amp hour battery that will fit your configuration.

11. Battery Don'ts

• Don't forget safety first.
• Don't add new electrolyte (acid). (Use only distilled water)
• Don't use unregulated high output battery chargers to charge batteries.
• Don't place your equipment and toys into storage without some type of device to keep the battery charged. (Float charger)
• Don't disconnect battery cables while the engine is running (your battery acts as a filter).
• Don't put off recharging batteries.
• Don't add tap water as it may contain minerals that will contaminate the electrolyte.
• Don't discharge a battery any deeper than you possibly have to.
• Don't let a battery get hot to the touch and boil violently when charging.
• Don't mix size and types of batteries.

Hope this helps

[buckleyjr]

You're the man, Destroyer!

[The Bottom Line]

So I'm hooking up the 2nd battery along with a perko switch. On the diagram it says to hook the starter into one of the ports on the back of the switch. I have a 1989 yamaha, is it the positIve cable coming from the engine to my battery now?
Thanks guys!

[spareparts]

if you are running a yamaha, you all ready have a second isolated charging circuit built in the motor, look under the cowl for the # 8 red wire with the end taped off, it may be made into the battery cables(look for the pigtail), you can run it to charge the second battery, leave the switch on 1 while running the boat, and have #2 in reserve. As far as batteries go, spending extra money on high dollar batteries(Optimas) aren't going to make up for any marginal wiring or poor installation( I get in this argument a lot), no more than splitfire plugs are going to fix a motor that needs major service, or startron additive is going to let you run you engine on water. Use good cables, good connections, and good batteries. I've been selling the Deka 24M7 1000 MCA maintenance free batteries for a number of years, I haven't had one come back as being bad. IMHO its the best money you can spend on a battery in a boat

[reelapeelin]

Originally Posted by spareparts

if you are running a yamaha, you all ready have a second isolated charging circuit built in the motor, look under the cowl for the # 8 red wire with the end taped off, it may be made into the battery cables(look for the pigtail), you can run it to charge the second battery, leave the switch on 1 while running the boat, and have #2 in reserve. As far as batteries go, spending extra money on high dollar batteries(Optimas) aren't going to make up for any marginal wiring or poor installation( I get in this argument a lot), no more than splitfire plugs are going to fix a motor that needs major service, or startron additive is going to let you run you engine on water. Use good cables, good connections, and good batteries. I've been selling the Deka 24M7 1000 MCA maintenance free batteries for a number of years, I haven't had one come back as being bad. IMHO its the best money you can spend on a battery in a boat

And the DEKA is the same battery West Marine sells as Sea Volt...Spare advised I get one when we were setting up the '84...HOT, HOT battery no doubt!!!

But no matter how good a battery you buy, it's only as good as how well it remains charged over time during periods of non use...an onboard charger is IMO the perfect solution to the ongoing issue of maintaining boat batteries...I had great service from the two Guest units I had before...and the Minn Kota 3 leg unit I have now is doin' a great job!!...an added bonus to always having a hot battery, no matter when's the last time used, is that these chargers PROLONG the service life of any battery you buy...I got more than 10 years from a pair of AC Delco Voyagers used exclusively for a trolling motor and always kept on a charger when not in use...made a believer outta me...plug 'em in and FORGET 'em for any period of time...