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Old     (monkey_butt)      Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Twin Cities       03-29-2013, 1:09 PM Reply   
boat is originally equipped with 2 SRM-24 interstate batteries. Last year stereo was acting up at times and seemed to have a few other odd issues with power on the boat but never connected the problem to lack of juice ... winterized boat and the guy told me that one of the batteries is shot ... so took them home, placed the bad one in the garage (temps above freezing for the entire winter in it) and the good one into the heated home - both placed on wood blocks for the 'old' fear of draining them when sitting on concrete ... so long story short - recharging them since last week (good and bad one) but as soon as I take them off - they basically drop to 50% so I have to assume they're shot. Now I can go and get replacements but Interstate's warranty is not a full replacement - I will pay based on the age of the battery despite both of them being now max 2 years old ...

Looked up other threads first and people seem to suggest Lifeline but not sure if that's the only recommendation. One battery is for starting - the 2nd one is for all the other stuff (wetsounds syn 2 and 4, 14 speakers, LED etc.) ... any suggestions?

size wise I'm limited to the same type (at least I think but can't measure - boat is in storage) but if someone knows - it's an Epic 23V 2012 with the gravity ballast fill system (the plumbing for those runs thru the battery compartment).
Old     (bryce2320)      Join Date: May 2012       03-29-2013, 8:09 PM Reply   
If they will fit, I'd go Interstate 29's all the way. Im not sure what my cranking battery is, but normally I keep the perko switched to my battery bank, which is interstate 29s, and start the boat off of them anyways. If they're to low, then I switch it over. So for the money to Ah, you cant go wrong IMO.
Old     (Eppies07epic)      Join Date: Jun 2011       03-30-2013, 5:05 PM Reply   
Nick, check out VMAX Charge Tanks. They take a super deep charge, and are desined for starting as well. This will be the third season I've had mine and I think they're awesome! Google the name and all the specs are on their web site. They have several sizes by the way.
Old     (monkey_butt)      Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Twin Cities       03-31-2013, 8:14 AM Reply   
Eppie, thanks for mentioning that name again - I knew there's something out there ...

Bryce - I think they wouldn't fit - it's not the cranking power I'm worried about - the switch works fine but my amps (and the usual volume) is just sucking the batteries dry. However I have a battery tender and had it hooked up before we moved but couldn't get proper power to the boat lift last season so they were w/o it from July thru September until I got the boat winterized and then was told that one is already shot - kinda disappointing for 2 seasons with a battery. I might be that the boat wasn't used enough during the first season - boat had only 27 hrs on it when I got it ... and then was sitting in storage for another 5 months (no I didn't disconnect the batteries - just charged them regularly) ...

I just don't see to pay interstate a lot of money for getting replacement batteries - the warranty is 30 months but after 12 it's prorated so go figure ...
Old     (johnny_defacto)      Join Date: Sep 2006       03-31-2013, 12:58 PM Reply   
I have used the same two Kinetiks HC2000 for 5 years now with no problems. They are competition deep cycle batteries, sealed, but I use them as my starting batteries as well. I have had no issues with them and have only tended them a few times in the winter after they would sit for a couple months. I do not have a huge sound system, but I have left my stereo on for hours on end, multiple days in a row, with no charging in between (except when the motor is running to head back to the dock). I like them so much that when mine go out... eventually, I will replace them with kinetic.

You can find them (2000 amp) all day for under $200. Those Vmax tanks look nice too, but I have no experience with them.
Old     (chpthril)      Join Date: Oct 2007       03-31-2013, 7:17 PM Reply   
Nicolas,

regardless of battery brand, type or size (Ah), how they are used, how low they are discharged and how they are maintained, is key to their life span. Your battery tender may not be the right device to recharge a depleted house battery bank. You may also need to expand your house battery bank in order to lessen the degree that each battery within that bank is depleted on a given day on the water. As an example, depleting 2 batteries to 75% is better then a single battery to 50%. It will cost more up front in batteries and may require a larger charger, but your batteries as a whole will last longer.
Old     (monkey_butt)      Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Twin Cities       04-01-2013, 10:40 AM Reply   
@Mike, understood - as said - I really didn't have much control over it prior to really getting the boat and ultimately out of storage last spring - so the damage may have occurred prior to that - I simply wouldn't know. However as said earlier - the audio system started to act up in August and that was after we moved to the lake and the boat was pretty much used on a daily basis. The starting battery was never a problem but the auxiliary obviously was the issue and they shouldn't have been depleted as we normally run for 2 hours or so but never are on the lake for a full day and most of the time the engine is actually running - we can go back to the house to hang around - no need to anchor on the lake ... so theoretically they shouldn't have been discharged below 50% in the first place ...

@Johnny - thanks for the 2nd alternative - looking at those now too
Old     (Iceberg)      Join Date: Dec 2011       04-01-2013, 5:44 PM Reply   
Nick,

I don't know what charger you are using, but some smart chargers can not handle multiple batteries. Same for single charging if the batteries get too low. I have an electronic Schumacker that is useless for my truck with 2 batteries and it was nearly useless with the Epic, unless I did one at a time. If the batteries were low, it just would not charge them. I got a simpler charger and the batteries are working just fine... Speaking of that, it is time to go out and put the charger on for when the snow melts... was -2*F this morning. Last year I had already painted the trailer outside!
Old     (monkey_butt)      Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Twin Cities       04-01-2013, 9:28 PM Reply   
Frank,

My battery tender is for 2 batteries and I charged the batteries separately as they're not mounted. I got some good advice - I prolly get a new starting battery from interstate (hope to somewhat get a discount because both of them are fudged) and get a 2nd AGM battery - most likely Kinetik - for the stereo and all the other stuff ...

yeah thought about you up there - was chilly this morning but ice is melting fast already - I'm so ready to get out ... even though house needs a lot of attention but we're getting there ...
Old     (you_da_man)      Join Date: Sep 2009       04-01-2013, 9:50 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by monkey_butt View Post
Frank,

My battery tender is for 2 batteries and I charged the batteries separately as they're not mounted. I got some good advice - I prolly get a new starting battery from interstate (hope to somewhat get a discount because both of them are fudged) and get a 2nd AGM battery - most likely Kinetik - for the stereo and all the other stuff ...

yeah thought about you up there - was chilly this morning but ice is melting fast already - I'm so ready to get out ... even though house needs a lot of attention but we're getting there ...
Just putting it out there but it's not recommended to mix a wet cell and an AGM battery as they charge and discharge differently. You could possibly be over charging one battery and/or under charging the other since they will be on the same charger.
Old     (HighVoltage)      Join Date: Aug 2010       04-03-2013, 2:46 PM Reply   
I only see over/under charging one battery vs. the other if they were connected in series. I think he plans to put them in parallel, so they would both be at the same voltage. Both AGM and Flooded Lead Acid batteries operate in a similar voltage range, that's why you can swap them in and out to a standard marine or boat application without screwing with your alternator voltage regulator.

They won't share current equally, but the AGM (high power) may do most of the heavy lifting for hard bass/starter motor while the flooded (high energy) provides greater capacity for longer engine off stereo run times.

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