Which batteries are best for audio power??

[Coach]

Here is the link to the AGM at 200 Ah per 12 V cycle

http://www.trojan-battery.com/Produc...px?Name=6V-AGM

[Tequilasun]

Man, this got way to technical for me. I was thinking D-Cells for my boombox.

[Coach]

Man, this got way to technical for me. I was thinking D-Cells for my boombox.

Word Up!!!!

[TigeDuner]

Here is the link to the AGM at 200 Ah per 12 V cycle

http://www.trojan-battery.com/Produc...px?Name=6V-AGM

I have checked into all the batteries we have talked about and the price is really confusing. Costco sells 12V RV/Marine deep cycle/starting batteries for $60.00 that have a 20ah rating of 115. They are wet batteries but so are the Trojans. Is this rating a different amp/hour rating than your Odysseys? I know they are cheap, but Costco has a great return policy so I am tempted to give 3 of them a try. I am also interested in your charger. Did you hook up each battery seperatly to the three charger ports of did you charge the three batteries as a unit? I have also seen a couple of the 40+ true charge units at a good price. I am assuming this will work as good as the 20+.

Many thanks to you and spharis for your help. Your system is what I am using as a guide with a few exceptions (I'm cheap).

[Coach]

I have checked into all the batteries we have talked about and the price is really confusing. Costco sells 12V RV/Marine deep cycle/starting batteries for $60.00 that have a 20ah rating of 115. They are wet batteries but so are the Trojans. Is this rating a different amp/hour rating than your Odysseys? I know they are cheap, but Costco has a great return policy so I am tempted to give 3 of them a try. I am also interested in your charger. Did you hook up each battery seperatly to the three charger ports of did you charge the three batteries as a unit? I have also seen a couple of the 40+ true charge units at a good price. I am assuming this will work as good as the 20+.

Many thanks to you and spharis for your help. Your system is what I am using as a guide with a few exceptions (I'm cheap).

The costco batteries are a good choice as well. They have a great return policy and the price is right. Just remember to check the levels of the water often and use distilled water. The 40+ is a great charging unit. As for how everything is wired I have 2 banks. The starting battery is one and the 3 batteries are another.

[TigeDuner]

Thanks Coach, I think I will costco a try.

[jleger98]

Charger Specifics

Coach, can you post the specs on your onboard charger? I am putting in a system with two amps, a sub, ipod adapter etc. Following Spharis's calcs, altered for my setup, I'm wondering if I'm going to need one. I pull my boat every night (cause we don't live on the lake......yet) so a plugging in to charge is no big deal.

Also, with multiple batteries, what are they connected with to keep the system from draining the starter battery? I don't want to lounge in the lake for hours with the system cranking, then get in the boat to go home and have no battery.

Overtons has a charger, http://www.overtons.com/modperl/over...um=70853&fcat= its not the xantrex brand (and not 300-400 bux), Thoughts?

[chpthril]

Also, with multiple batteries, what are they connected with to keep the system from draining the starter battery? I don't want to lounge in the lake for hours with the system cranking, then get in the boat to go home and have no battery.

A Battery Isolator is the best way to go I think. The alt will keep a charge on all your batteries while the engine is running but it keeps the deeps and starter separated

[TigeDuner]

Is the isolator in place of the battery switch, which I have currently?

[chpthril]

Is the isolator in place of the battery switch, which I have currently?

Not on my 06, it came with duel batts, Iso and an on/off switch. I added a 2nd deepcycle and replaced the on/off with a Perko 1/2/both/off switch.

Here is a thread we had going awhile back about adding a 2nd Batt. Alot of good input from everybody

http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/show...hlight=battery

[Coach]

Here is the charger I have- this is what the stereo shop put in and likes on the boats they do (over 200 boats a year)
http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/69/p/1/pt/7/product.asp

You can seperate your starting batter from your stereo with an isolator or a perko switch. I use a perko switch.

[jleger98]

Thanks for the link to the other post. Lots of good stuff there. Now what I gotta do is figure out how much power my system is going to draw. I have no idea where to start. I never was all that good at the electrical stuff, and have forgotten most of what I DID learn in HS Physics 15 or so years ago.

That said, can anyone help me out in this area? Here is what I have:
1 Kicker KX400.1 - 442 Watts peak (for Sub)
1 Kicker KX650.4 - 680 Watts peak
1 Pioneer PH6800MP with Ipod Adapter

What sort of amp hours am I dealing with here?

My "starter" battery is an Interstate Marine/RV with 500 Marine Cranking Amps
and my second battery is a Deep-Cell (came from a UPS at work, batteries were in the UPS for 6 mos, never used - but they have to change them out) and it states 67 amp hours.

[jleger98]

Ok, so right after I posted this, I found another post with the calcs in it: http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/show...hlight=battery

That said, I think I've come up with 62.08 amp hours. Here is how I came up with it:
Current (A) = Square Root of (wattage(P) / resistance in Ohms(R))
Sub Amp - 442W peak @ 2ohms - mono: sqrt(442) / 2 = 10.5 amps
Main Amp - 170W peak @ 2ohms - per channel: sqrt(170 / 2) = 6.5 amps
HU - 22W peak @ 2 ohms - per channel: sqrt(22 / 2) = 2.4 amps
(I'm not running all at 2 ohms, but using that seems to be more conservative)
Then - Total amps * hours * 40% - 19.4*8*.4 = 62.08 Amp hours

So if I did this right, my one deep cell 67 AH battery should power my system for 8 hours. Right??

[spharis]

~60 amps sounds about right for a total of 600 watts....Also, your head unit should be at 4 ohms - 8 ohms (never bridge a sourc unit unless you like seeing them spit blue smoke), and it shouldn't be drawing 2.4 amps. I would be suprised it it pulled .5 -1 ....they usually use poorly designed Mosfet step ups so it takes minial current. I wouldn't even add it into the equation. You can get a much more accurate current draw by looking at the amp's specs. They should be listed on the product site. It will have a "current draw" listing.

Keep in mind, that you can draw that down in 2 hours if you are jamming. You need to recharge by running occasionally.

[TigeDuner]

One thing I now have realized after reading this thread is that if you continue to draw power from the deep cycles and only use your alternator to recharge them, they may never get fully charged. I experienced this several times this past summer when I was on deep cycle power for a hour of two and then tried to start the boat. The engine turned over slowly. I switched to the starting battery and it started up quickly. I will be adding a charger to the system once I get it back from Tige with the new system installed. We pull out each night so it shouldn't be a problem plugging in the charger.