|
|
19-12-2014, 18:35
|
#1
|
Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,109
|
Tale of an amazing AGM battery
The facts under service:
- Optima Blue Top Deep cycle D31M.
- Installed May 2003, build date quarter/1 2003.
- Used as an Anchor Windlass power source.
- Windlass amp draw 70 amp low 160 amp high.
- Charge/Maintenance Charge source = Balmar Digital Duo Charge.
- Battery Location 4 foot round trip to the windlass, #1/0 cable.
- Duo charge location at main bus, then 50 foot round trip #4 wire
- Anchor weight 70 lbs.
- Anchor chain 3/8.
- Average chain deployment 125 feet.
- Annual number of deployments 60.
- Years in service 11.
- Removed from service July 2014.
This is a tale of an amazing AGM battery. I pulled the battery in July of 2014, just before the annual 6 week cruise north. I was fearful that the battery would leave me to hand haul the anchor. Installed a new Full river Agm in its place.
Stowed the Optima in the the bat/tank room, forgot about it until last week. It's been sitting since July 2014 with no loads nor charge source.
I finally realized, oh yea the old anchor battery, need to get it off the boat. I put my multi-meter on it, voltage read 13.2 volts. Hauled it to my truck...forgot about it. 2 weeks later I removed it from the truck and decided I would give it a check. Ran a Midtronics load test, it rated at 975 cranking amps, at 52F. Wow, I decided to run a 20 hr rate load test it timed out at 16 hours.
Now I have vetted this battery, I can't throw it out, at the same time, I don't want to put it into a service that depends on the battery.
Just how good are the original Optima Blue Tops?
Lloyd
|
|
|
19-12-2014, 23:03
|
#2
|
Moderator and Certifiable Refitter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: South of 43 S, Australia
Boat: C.L.O.D.
Posts: 20,241
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
That one was pretty darn good
And a lot of CF folk bag AGM's but I like 'em
Why do you now doubt the battery, it appears to still have slightly better than 75% of it's original capacity?
__________________
All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangereous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. T.E. Lawrence
|
|
|
20-12-2014, 02:19
|
#3
|
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Poland, EU
Boat: crew on Bavaria 38 Cruiser
Posts: 654
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
Fairly good, yes, but amazing? What is amazing about a deep cycle battery which was never (or rarely) deep cycled and was kept automatically topped up? Drawing 160A for approx 2 minutes (assuming a windlass speed of 1 ft/s) equates drawing 5.34 Ah from the battery of a nominal 75Ah capacity. This is a depth of cycle less than 10% and immediate top up. And ~660 of such cycles total. So yes, a very good longevity but hardly any impressive work performed by this battery.
|
|
|
20-12-2014, 04:10
|
#4
|
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Thailand
Posts: 224
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
Its the only battery I used in my cars and trucks. The lilitary also uses the optima brand. The optima. The blue. Red and yellow are the only batteries ive used
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
__________________
If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it!
|
|
|
20-12-2014, 06:57
|
#5
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Holladay, UT
Boat: Nordic Tug 37
Posts: 394
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
I had a pair of Optima red tops last 10 years starting the ISB Cummins in my Ram truck. Even at 9 years, the red tops easily started the Cummins after sitting in the Squalicum parking lot for 3 months whilst I was out cruising. And they gave a jump to the truck parked next to me.
A pair of starting-oriented blue tops lasted 7 years starting the boat's Volvo 44 diesel. Those old Optima starting batts did a heck of a job, especially for their weight (38 lb for the 34 size).
__________________
Richard Cook
Dream Catcher (Nordic Tug 37) Poulsbo WA
"Cruising in a Big Way"
|
|
|
20-12-2014, 07:10
|
#6
|
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2007
Boat: Beneteau FIRST 42
Posts: 1,836
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
I believe there are many that look for the lowest price on batteries and then bitch when they fail..
We spent the bucks when we built the bank in our boat and went with Lifeline,
and that was 11 years ago.. they are still working great,
|
|
|
20-12-2014, 07:14
|
#7
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Caribbean live aboard
Boat: Camper & Nicholson58 Ketch - ROXY Traverse City, Michigan No.668283
Posts: 6,353
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
Both house banks are Lifeline AGM; 660 AH total. Installed 2009. We take care of them & they take care of us. Sounds like you have a spare starting battery for you generator - or sell it.
|
|
|
20-12-2014, 08:22
|
#8
|
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Nova Scotia
Boat: TaShing Baba 40'
Posts: 3
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
I am currently researching the proper battery charger and regulator for AGM batteries. What I found out is that current chargers are mainly made to recharge Wet Cells (acid-lead) batteries. Even if manufacturers claim to have AGM preset programmation, their numbers when reaching Abs stage and float stage do not match what battery maker demands.
I intend to install the same AGM batteries for both the house & start banks; therefore the same recharching program for both banks.
As Lifeline and Rolls are my favorite batteries, could someone suggest me what to buy as 120VAC battery charger and 12VDC regulator?
NB. the discontinued IMC series from Charles Industry seem to me the best AGM charger so far.
Cheers
Mag
|
|
|
20-12-2014, 08:36
|
#9
|
cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Probably in an anchorage or a boatyard..
Boat: Ebbtide 33' steel cutter
Posts: 5,030
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mag Dumais
As Lifeline and Rolls are my favorite batteries, could someone suggest me what to buy as 120VAC battery charger
|
Well he seems to wind people up the wrong way and the manuals aren't the best, but as for the unit, I'm very happy with a year so far sterling pro charge ultra.
Set your own absorption and float voltages. Plus a manual equalisation sequence. Hidden away.
|
|
|
20-12-2014, 09:13
|
#10
|
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Marina del Rey, California
Boat: President 43 Sportfish
Posts: 4,105
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
Quote:
Originally Posted by Randyonr3
...We spent the bucks when we built the bank in our boat and went with Lifeline, and that was 11 years ago.. they are still working great,
|
Yup. A client got 10 years out of his 8D Lifeline batteries.
__________________
1st rule of yachting: When a collision is unavoidable, aim for something cheap.
"whatever spare parts you bring, you'll never need"--goboatingnow
"Id rather drown than have computers take over my life."--d design
|
|
|
20-12-2014, 09:29
|
#11
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,453
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
It's great to see these kind of posts.
It's also an interesting post because some people swear you have to have huge battery cable running up to a windlass battery. This unit just had # 4 running 50 ft.... and works fine.
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard
|
|
|
20-12-2014, 09:38
|
#12
|
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Marina del Rey, California
Boat: President 43 Sportfish
Posts: 4,105
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheechako
...some people swear you have to have huge battery cable running up to a windlass battery. This unit just had # 4 running 50 ft.... and works fine.
|
Not sure how you reached that conclusion. But it sounds like a criminal act to wire a windlass with 50' of 4-ga wire. It may not hurt the battery. But it will surely destroy the more expensive windlass.
__________________
1st rule of yachting: When a collision is unavoidable, aim for something cheap.
"whatever spare parts you bring, you'll never need"--goboatingnow
"Id rather drown than have computers take over my life."--d design
|
|
|
20-12-2014, 09:45
|
#13
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,453
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
Quote:
Originally Posted by Terra Nova
Not sure how you reached that conclusion. But it sounds like a criminal act to wire a windlass with 50' of 4-ga wire. It may not hurt the battery. But it will surely destroy the more expensive windlass.
|
Did I miss something?
"Installed May 2003, build date quarter/1 2003.
Duo charge location at main bus, then 50 foot round trip #4 wire
Years in service 11."
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard
|
|
|
20-12-2014, 09:47
|
#14
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: canada
Posts: 4,633
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheechako
It's great to see these kind of posts.
It's also an interesting post because some people swear you have to have huge battery cable running up to a windlass battery. This unit just had # 4 running 50 ft.... and works fine.
|
The 4awg was his charger wire....
|
|
|
20-12-2014, 09:51
|
#15
|
Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,109
|
Re: Tale of an amazing AGM battery
- Battery Location 4 foot round trip to the windlass, #1/0 cable.
- Duo charge location at main bus, then 50 foot round trip #4 wire
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheechako
It's great to see these kind of posts.
It's also an interesting post because some people swear you have to have huge battery cable running up to a windlass battery. This unit just had # 4 running 50 ft.... and works fine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Rate This Thread |
Linear Mode
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Advertise Here
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vendor Spotlight |
|
|
|