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    #1

    Battery question

    My stereo has been cutting out when in neutral (amps aren't getting enough power) so I took my batteries out (academy marine batteries, 800 cca) and had them tested at autozone. They said both batteries were fine, just needed a charge. They also had a used optima blue top for sale for $45, so I went ahead and purchased that. My question is, what's the most efficient way to use my batteries? I'm going to put the optima in with one of the old batteries. I would think my best bet would be to switch it to the optima only while hanging out listening to music with the engine off, then switching to both batteries before starting the engine and then leaving both on at all times while cruising/in neutral. Is this right? Anyone have any different advice?

    Thanks!
    Tags: None
    #2
    I had 2 big brand new cranking batteries as my first battery bank and my sub amp would shut off after a bought 5 minutes. I swapped them for to interstate 29 deep cycles and have played my stereo which is 3 amps pushing 2600 watts rms. the blue top would probably be your best bet for now. Tell us how many amps u have and how long your planning to play with the engine off and others will chime in to help u out
    Ain't no 1/2 steppin'

    Comment

      #3
      I've got 2 amps, one for my tower speakers and one for the rest of the boat, including a sub. I usually post up in a cove for a couple hours at a time, but sometimes up to 6 hours or so.

      Comment

        #4
        Take the Optima back and get your $45 back. The Optima Blue-top batteries have about 25% less Ah's (Amp Hours) then a basic group-24 deep-cycle.

        Now, lets look into your stereo cutting out. If the voltage is dropping to a point low enough for the stereo to power off while the engine is running, then I would suspect an alternator problem. This would be the reason the batteries tested fine, yet were under charged. Next, by what method did they test the batteries, heater grid style tester or an inductance tester? So first determine if the alternator is charging properly and that there is not a battery cable issue preventing the batteries from receiving full voltage from the alternator.

        Now, to make any recommendations to improve the battery bank, we need to know more about the stereo, how the battery banks are configured and how you typically use the system. At a minimum, I would suggest using a cranking battery as the primary starting battery and a deep-cycle for the house bank.
        Mikes Liquid Audio: Knowledge Experience Customer Service you can trust-KICKER WetSounds ACME props FlyHigh Custom Ballast Clarion LiquidLumens LEDs Roswell Wave Deflector And More

        Comment

          #5
          And don't mix your blue top with your lead acid batteries. The differences in discharge and recharge rates will kill one or all of them that are connected together for much time at all. One of them is always going to be in a state of being over or undercharged.
          Be excellent to one another.

          Comment

            #6
            Since we are on the battery topic..... Has anybody used A/C Delco deep cycle batteries? Are they any good? I can get them for about $35-40 less than Interstate's, and im thanking about installing 2 deep cycle's next spring, and loosing the starting battery. Any thoughts, or advice?

            Comment

              #7
              W.S.S,

              There are only a handful of battery manufacturers making all the batteries, so the odds are good that the Delco will be a decent deep-cycle. Kinda like motor oil and belts and hose. They are all made about the same. For a deep-cycle battery used as a house bank, battery Ah's are what you want to use to compare one brands group size to another. More Ah equals longer play time at a given load.

              As far as using a deep-cycle for your primary starting, im probably more comfortable with this, then using a true cranking as a house battery. So I guess it would come down to some unknown (by me) factors about how the battery scheme is configure, what your stereo consist of how you use the system. I would toss out for thought, keeping one of the cranking batteries and installing two new deep-cycles as a house bank.

              Having a pair of deep-cycles isolated via a dual battery switch would allow you to crank the engine one battery and hammer the on the other all day at the party cove, then rotate for the next weekend out. This allows both batteries to receive equal usage, BUT, its actually tougher on the both then if you had the two wired in parallel as one bank. Two batteries depleted to, lets say 75% on a regular basis, will last longer and recover more completely, then a single battery depleted to 50% on a regular basis. also, the larger the system, the larger the house bank and the manor that the system is used, you may find that you need to rely more on shore charging when the boat is off the water.
              Mikes Liquid Audio: Knowledge Experience Customer Service you can trust-KICKER WetSounds ACME props FlyHigh Custom Ballast Clarion LiquidLumens LEDs Roswell Wave Deflector And More

              Comment

                #8
                I have 2 Interstate Group 24 deep cycles and they work fairly well. I am running 4500 watts RMS and around 10,000 watts peak. I can get about an hour out of them before I have to turn on the boat. With a much more modest system say 2 amps like the OP has I could probably get 4-5 hours out of them now problem. I will be upgrading in the spring to charge tanks or something similar.

                Comment

                  #9
                  Originally posted by What she said View Post
                  Since we are on the battery topic..... Has anybody used A/C Delco deep cycle batteries? Are they any good? I can get them for about $35-40 less than Interstate's, and im thanking about installing 2 deep cycle's next spring, and loosing the starting battery. Any thoughts, or advice?
                  Consumer Reports did a test and Delco tested highest above Interstate in the larger battery category (GP 34). Group 24, just the opposite. Just saying what they found...
                  Last edited by wired1236; 11-07-2012, 07:36 PM.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Originally posted by wired1236 View Post
                    Consumer Reports did a test and Delco tested highest above Interstate in the larger battery category (GP 34). Group 24, just the opposite. Just saying what they found...
                    Do you have a link? Interstate does not have a group-34 marine deep-cycle or cranking. They do offer a group-34 in blue top Optima line, but we already know how they stack up to a lead acid wet cell.
                    Mikes Liquid Audio: Knowledge Experience Customer Service you can trust-KICKER WetSounds ACME props FlyHigh Custom Ballast Clarion LiquidLumens LEDs Roswell Wave Deflector And More

                    Comment

                      #11
                      You have to subscribe in order to view it on the web...

                      Let me try this:

                      car-ba.pdf

                      Now these are "car" batteries. I'll look for deep cycle too but my point is Delco and Interstate seem to be pretty close in overall quality.

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Your PDF worked, thanks. Those batteries are all automotive batteries and not marine cranking or deep-cycle. The lead plates in an automotive battery typically are not stiffened/reinforce to the same degree as a marine battery is. The extra reinforcement keeps the battery from coming apart through the rough waters.
                        Mikes Liquid Audio: Knowledge Experience Customer Service you can trust-KICKER WetSounds ACME props FlyHigh Custom Ballast Clarion LiquidLumens LEDs Roswell Wave Deflector And More

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Originally posted by chpthril View Post
                          Your PDF worked, thanks. Those batteries are all automotive batteries and not marine cranking or deep-cycle. The lead plates in an automotive battery typically are not stiffened/reinforce to the same degree as a marine battery is. The extra reinforcement keeps the battery from coming apart through the rough waters.
                          Yep - hence my disclaimer on my last post.

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Originally posted by wired1236 View Post
                            Yep - hence my disclaimer on my last post.
                            Sorry, the disclaimer showed up after I started my reply.
                            Mikes Liquid Audio: Knowledge Experience Customer Service you can trust-KICKER WetSounds ACME props FlyHigh Custom Ballast Clarion LiquidLumens LEDs Roswell Wave Deflector And More

                            Comment

                              #15
                              No sweat.

                              I did put a Delco in my truck vs. the CarQeust POS I had in there that was only a year old. Ya, there are only a few makers of the actual battery as most are just re-labeled. The Delco has a lot more lasting power. Same goes for my interstate in the boat. I don't think you could go wrong with either.

                              Comment

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