Dukk

Alrighty - so I'm in the market for batteries for the Hearse. Trying to keep the cost reasonable though as I have a lot of stuff to buy for that car.

Amplifiers will likely be (6) MTX TC8100 800x1 Class D and (3) TC6400 75x4 Class A/Bamps.

I had been considering 4 marine deepcycle batteries from either CanTire or WalMart cuz they are cheap decent batteries. ANd for $78 a pop at WalMart for a battery with something like 1000cca and 85 or 90aH reserve I figured that was alright. I'll try to get better details. One drawback is that the battery compartment is in the passenger compartment and these are traditional lead/acid batteries.

SO then a friend offers a pair of these to me for $50 a pop. Nice deal, but I know adding more is big cashola per battery:

http://www.optimabatteries.com/publi...31T_082104.pdf


So, 2 of the Optimas or 4 conventional marine deep cycles?

boombox

iTrader: (4)

go for it the cheaper the better but i would stay away from canadiantire stuff

Newb

iTrader: (4)

Aren't those the ones they sell at costco? For not much more than 4 average bateries you could have 3 pretty good sealed deep cycles.

SweetnLow91SC

The Optima #31 are very good batteries. but you alway have to monitor it, and don't let it sit too long when is discharged down to 11V.

Thats an awesome deal for $50 a pop! I'll take both if its available to me.

Brad-S.A.

iTrader: (35)

You know Exide makes there batteries right?

GrizZz

Exide makes a lotta batteries dude, sold with many many different labels. They're a decent battery. They corrode more than any other battery I know of (not including their Optima copy, the Orbital line), but if you clean 'em every time you change your oil, you should get 4 or 5 years out of one, just like the average car battery in Canada. Just because a major chain sells them doesn't make them a bad thing. You can get Optima's at most major chains now. Does that make them bad too?

Look at me, a battery retailer, giving kudos to Exide, and I don't even sell Exide.

I do, however, have an Orbital up front of my van, and a blue top Orbital for my stereo in the van. They've held up great, no complaints.

You can put liquid batteries in your Hearse, Dukk, if you tube them. Many maufacturers have flat top, or a certain capped style, batteries, that have provision for easily shoving vent tubes on and stick through a hole in the floor. Or you could put them in a battery box that is vented through the floor too.

Dukk

hrm.. I like the Optimas. I like that they are an easier install (no venting needed) and that these two are cheap.. I don't like that any additional ones have to be around three hun a pop and of course they will be different ages/condition.

Ratings wise though, I have to get another look, but IIRC the Optimas don't spec out any better than the $80 lead acid ones.

GrizZz

Oh but they do. Maybe not in IBC specs, but in reality, they sure do.

This is a test I've done numerous times over the years... Take a brand new Optima red top 34/78DT off the shelf. And take an equivalent lead-acid off the shelf too. Each are fully charged, sitting at 12.8 to 13.0V.

Snap, say, a 300 amp load test onto that lead-acid battery. Under that load, she'll be at 10.8v in less than 10 seconds. Hold that load for 30 seconds, and she might go as low as 10.6. There she will hold for at least a couple minutes (I never go much longer than 60 seconds, I don't have an extended use load bank).

Now do the same to the Optima. In ten seconds, she'll be at 11.5 to 11.8, and after 30 seconds she'll still be pumpin' 11.5v or better. That's damn near a volt better, under load, than the lead-acid one.

Now stick those batteries on two equivelent chargers (or alternators). That Optima will be fully charged in half the time or better than the lead acid battery.

Amplifiers love more voltage

Reekor

Installing lead/acid batteries in the passenger compartment is not only dangerous, but also illegal in most places. Hydrogen gas is very explosive.

GrizZzled

(GrizZz here, wife's PC)

mm Nope. If it's properlly vented, they can be installed in the passenger compartment or trunk.

Many BMW's, Porsche 911's, VW Passats, Oldsmobile Alero's, etc. ALL have STOCK batteries in their STOCK location, under the rear seat, IN the passenger compartment. Each one is properlly vented, utilizing tubing through the floor of the battery compartement. None of these are illegal, they never would've been sold.

Even NHRA Drag Racing Rules state that as long as it's in an approved battery box, and approved J bolts (NHRA approved battery J bolts are bigger & better than average ones) and crossbars are used, and the box is properlly vented, a liquid battery can be used. The only time I know of that they demand a sealed battery is if it's a smash up derby. However, this IS the 21st century, I don't know of any drag racers still using liquid batteries.

I stock NHRA approved battery supplies.