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Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       07-19-2007, 10:41 AM Reply   
Who said size doesn’t matter?

I’m talking about the amount of juice your battery bank has.
I get people asking all the time. How many batteries do you have? IMO it doesn’t matter. The question people should be asking is "How many amp hrs do you have" (I have 515 amp hrs)
That’s a little more than 9 Blue top Optima’s.
So if you asked me how many batteries do I have the answer is 5. Some people might have like 1 or 2 batteries that equal or exceed that amount of amp hrs.
Don’t let the amount of batteries fool you. IMO every boat with stereo or not should have a starting battery and a back up battery on some sort or perko,solonoid,combiner take your pick that eliminates the starting battery from the accessories. With all the information and products out there a dead battery on your boat should be a thing of the past. Depending on your draw (the amount of current your pulling) and how long you spend with your boat turned off will tell you what size battery bank you should be looking into. Or "How many batterys you should have"
Old     (lake_side)      Join Date: Jan 2004       07-19-2007, 10:52 AM Reply   
well I have 4,but don't know how many amp hours.
Old     (jv210)      Join Date: Feb 2006       07-19-2007, 11:01 AM Reply   
I have a little over 300 amp hrs.

I have 2 8D batteries with 15x amp hrs each for the system. That would be a little bit more than 5 blue tops
Old     (acurtis_ttu)      Join Date: May 2004       07-19-2007, 11:02 AM Reply   
225 amp hours.....it's all relative but isn't reserve capacity at a certain amp draw a better judge? I've gone as far as replacing all my amps with the new alpine PDX line to stay more effecient and save space. Keeping an mmats for the subs.
Old     (denverd1)      Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tyler       07-19-2007, 11:08 AM Reply   
4 w/ 225 for sound system and 110 for the rest. I agree, the question was a little vague. BUT, i was suprised by the results. 95% have 1 or 2 batts. I thought we would be a more energized group...
Old     (jonblarc7)      Join Date: Jul 2006       07-19-2007, 11:13 AM Reply   
I use 6 AA's for a total of 420 amp hours


(In my boom box) lol.


Just pickin 2 batteries don't know how many amp hours but I do know its not enough.
Old     (xaggie)      Join Date: Nov 2002       07-19-2007, 11:17 AM Reply   
Well for the stereo, which besides the HU is in no way physically connected to the starting batteries, I guess it's 450 amp hours. Thats 4 US-2200's. They are 6V and rated at 225 amp hours a piece. As per my understanding when combined in a 12V circuit the amp hours remain the same. Plus 68 each for the 2 boat batteries. So total I figure 586 amp hours? Even though that is combined time for 2 totally independent banks. Correct me if I'm mistaken. Cheers, Matt
Old    murphy8166            07-19-2007, 11:22 AM Reply   
My boat has four optima blue tops (3 dedicated to run my amps and one dedicated for the boat functions.) I have two amps (1000 watt and 500 watt) and I can usually play it pretty hard for 5 to 6 hours.
Old     (tyler97217)      Join Date: Aug 2004       07-19-2007, 11:23 AM Reply   
i just upgraded to 2 odyssey 1500's. Not sure amp hours, but they sure beat the snot out of my old optimas.....
Old     (denverd1)      Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tyler       07-19-2007, 11:26 AM Reply   
yea, i doubt I'll buy another optima battery.. Too many other solutions out there for the money.
Old     (wake1823)      Join Date: Dec 2005       07-19-2007, 11:30 AM Reply   
optima is like the JL of the battery world, good product but there is better out there...especially for the money. Both companies are great marketing machines.
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       07-19-2007, 11:44 AM Reply   
Matt your correct your US-2200's are 225 AH's for a pair. So your 4 US-2200= 550 Amp hrs.

Sam: Your also correct IMO the Optimas are great but depending on your exact application there is a tone of diffrent choices. It seems like you could try a diffrent battery combonation every other week and still not hit them all.
Old    Ben Kerran            07-19-2007, 11:55 AM Reply   
I have 10 blue tops ....and my di#% is bigger than yours. Just kidding, for some reason I have always wanted to say that. Even with 10 blue tops, there have been many times when I was running low on juice and had to start the boat for a while to keep the volts high and amps cool. Now I usually look for other boats with a decent system when I know I will be tying up for a while. If I could start over again, I would prolly go with the Balmar system
Old     (acurtis_ttu)      Join Date: May 2004       07-19-2007, 12:03 PM Reply   
At roughly 120lbs a piece, if you have the cash and space this is the way to go. 840 amp hours with 2 of them...a little more amp hours than 15 blue tops. A guy who used to post on here a long time ago...Tom (..buiggs??) from Austin, Texas had a big system in a centruion and used forklift batteries.
http://www.trojanbattery.com/Products/ProductSpec.aspx?Name=L16H

(Message edited by acurtis_ttu on July 19, 2007)
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       07-19-2007, 12:18 PM Reply   
Benny: I dont care how may batterys you have and how big you charging system is you always seem to blow threw what ever reserve you have.
Depending on how much current your amps draw and what kind of music your playing and how loud you play it will determan how long you can play for. People saying they can play for 5-6 or 8 or 10 hrs. Yes I to can do that to. Thats with the Bass turned almost completley off. I can also play my system at a level that I can chew threw my batterys in 1 hr. Bass rips threw your batterys amp hrs. The more Bass the more power you can chew threw.

Adam: Tom used to use batterys called "Meridian" form a company called North Star. They were batterys that powerd remote cell phone sites.
Old     (sinkoumn)      Join Date: Jan 2007       07-19-2007, 12:27 PM Reply   
I have three batteries, but the AUX bank always drains dead when I hook up anymore than 1 battery

So I currently have 0 amp hours for the stereo/accessories...but the boat starts, so that's good
Old     (xaggie)      Join Date: Nov 2002       07-19-2007, 12:31 PM Reply   
"G", you on the sauce already today buddy? J/K, but as far as I know 225+225=450. I'm confused...
Old    bocephus            07-19-2007, 12:42 PM Reply   
Not sure how many Amp hours I have but it's about 500 lbs unless we get hungry...

Upload
Old     (sam8)      Join Date: Dec 2004       07-19-2007, 1:27 PM Reply   
Three D34M Optimas, two "online" at all times, running the boat and 1400 watts of stereo.
One "behind" a Hellroaring isloator/combiner to avoid the dreaded jumper cable dance.
That Hellroaring unit is the shiznit, IMHO.
I put the two primary batterys on Smart chargers after every outing, so the alternator doesn't get smacked to hard. The batts are on their third season.
I, too would like to move away from the Optimas some day to a more compact source, but buying new Billet Boxes ain't cheap. I'll probably try out an Odyssey in the Hot Rod first, then try to decide if it is worth the hassle.
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       07-19-2007, 2:29 PM Reply   
Matt: Whoops My Bad!
Yup 225 and 225= 450 AH.

Even thought I have the Super Mack Daddy charging system I still rely on overnight smart charging to charge me back to 100% Having a 210 Amp alternator and smart regulator only works while your running the boat. So the 8 hrs it would take to bring your batterys back to 100% at low amps is better spent IMO on the home plug in the wall smart charging system. I have found my self low on power and been able to start up and charge back the system at over 70 Amps and still keep playing at high volume.
Old     (sam8)      Join Date: Dec 2004       07-19-2007, 2:37 PM Reply   
Grant, with all them batterys you've got, I wonder how much faster the old meter spins when you plug 'em all in. Probably still not as much as the average blow dryer/curling iron combo..
Old     (iagainsti)      Join Date: Apr 2004       07-19-2007, 2:40 PM Reply   
2 Dual Pro Lightnings each @ 110 ah = 220 ah
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       07-19-2007, 2:52 PM Reply   
My smart charger go's between 2 and 30 amp's

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/232562/377%20710%201646/712//Primary%20Search/mode%20matchallpartial/10/0?N=377%20710%201646&Ne=712&Ntt=&Ntk=Primary%20Sea rch&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&Nao=10&Ns=0&keyword =battery%20cahrger&isLTokenURL=true&storeNum=null& subdeptNum=null&classNum=null
Old     (johnsvt)      Join Date: Dec 2006       07-19-2007, 8:33 PM Reply   
I have 2 kinetic hc2400's 256aH total and I use a powermaster 16v/12v smart charger, completely automatic and will charge agm or wetcell batteries and of course the 16V in my "street" car.

(Message edited by johnsvt on July 19, 2007)
Old     (oaf)      Join Date: Jul 2002       07-19-2007, 9:16 PM Reply   
3 Odyssey 2150's = 300 aH and my starting battery which I don't even know what it is.
Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       07-19-2007, 9:24 PM Reply   
Speaking of batteries, I just picked one up from a guy that works for a yacht company. I guess they pull all the batteries from their new yachts and replace them with something different that their customers prefer. So this guy is stuck with a garage full of brand new deep cycle marine batteries that he's been selling on Craigslist for pretty cheap.

So if you're looking for a good battery deal and you're in the San Diego area, you might contact this guy. I know that I already have a few friends that want one.

Here is the link to the ad as well as a copy of the ad in case it rolls off Craigslist.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/rvs/373885798.html

Upload
Old     (kingskrew)      Join Date: May 2004       07-19-2007, 9:29 PM Reply   
WOW! great find Dave!

-Steve
Old    Ben Kerran            07-19-2007, 10:06 PM Reply   
Mr. Williams- Good find. You might tell that guy not to store them on concrete
Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       07-19-2007, 10:37 PM Reply   
Isn't that an old wive's tale? Does that really discharge the batteries?
Old     (denverd1)      Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tyler       07-20-2007, 7:42 AM Reply   
rebar in the concrete will cause a slow discharge. I guess the question is.. how long have they been sitting there?

sweet deal tho!


(Message edited by denverd1 on July 20, 2007)
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       07-20-2007, 8:35 AM Reply   
Im kinda with Dave. I have never seen any or had a battery go dead because its on the concrete. But Im sure if you started a new thread asking the question you could get all the resident elecrtical experts in a rip roaring debate
Old     (denverd1)      Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tyler       07-20-2007, 8:38 AM Reply   
I had a couple of batts die sitting on the concrete. They were pretty old -- prolly had more to do with it than anything else!

new thread? no thanks!
Old     (johnsvt)      Join Date: Dec 2006       07-20-2007, 9:57 AM Reply   
Batteries will discharge over time, agm will discharge less quickly than typical wet cell.
Old     (air210)      Join Date: Jun 2007       07-20-2007, 5:43 PM Reply   
I run 2 Kinetik batteries- HC2400 for sound and HC1800 for starting and accessories. I run JL 500/1, 2 300/2's and 300/4. We use a battery combiner and have never been stranded and have pounded the system for hours. Knock on Wood... I believe the total amp hours is somwhere around 209......J
Old     (air210)      Join Date: Jun 2007       07-20-2007, 5:52 PM Reply   
http://www.kinetikaudio.com/hc600.asp
FYI- this is the smallest in their line up and has the storage of 100 1 farad caps.... Now that is reserve.....The HC2400 is equal to 4 HC600's... Now that is some power. See product info below....

Kinetik HC600 Power Cell
More powerful than 100 1 farad caps!
Extreme power in a small package. Mount near your amplifier for 800 amps of power reinforcement. Easily starts a V8 engine!

Specifications
Weight: 14 lbs.
Ah: 20
Amps: 850
Dimensions: 7" x 3" x 6.5"
Suggested Retail: $199.00

Kinetik HC2400 Power Cell
MOST POWERFUL audio cell anywhere, PERIOD! Used in the loudest vehicles in the world and boasting over 180dB when used in competition. This bad boy has more current than power cells twice its size. If you want the BEST, this is it. Providing thousands of amps at near dead short, this power cell performs best when abused.

Specifications
Weight: 69 lbs.
Ah: 128
Amps: 2600
Dimensions: 13" x 6.7" x 8.5"
Suggested Retail: $449.00
Old     (jv210)      Join Date: Feb 2006       07-20-2007, 5:56 PM Reply   
Those batteries are all hype IMHO.

Whats the amh hrs on those things.

I put in my rms watts and it says I only need 1 battery, I wish.
Old     (johnsvt)      Join Date: Dec 2006       07-20-2007, 8:41 PM Reply   
hc 2400 is 128 aH, 2600 watts and 1700 ca they are a very good battery. A 2400 can be had for 250-270 shipped and is equal to two optimas.
Old     (air210)      Join Date: Jun 2007       07-20-2007, 9:57 PM Reply   
No hype- I had 1 HC2400 running everything with no problems....I added the 2nd battery when I put the lights on.... I have a buddy with 3 blue top optimas that lasts only a couple of hours beore dead. i have cranked my system several times for several hours and with a Fluke Meter that battery never dropped below 11 volts....

ewing is right, I got mine at millionbuy.com for under $300.
Old     (no_bank)      Join Date: Jul 2007       07-20-2007, 10:50 PM Reply   
1-Alpine PDX 1.1000
2-Alpine PDX 2.150's
2-Wetsound's Pro-80's
2-Kicker CVR 12's
6-Polk MOMO 6.5's

Playing annoyingly loud,ear splitting,hard hitting bass music for a couple of hours on "1" $50 Wal-mart battery and boat starting right up:

PRICELE$$
Old     (bcard)      Join Date: Apr 2007       07-21-2007, 12:14 AM Reply   
I have three Stinger SP1000 batteries, a Kinetik HC600 battery to act as a large capacitor (one is more powerful than 100 1 farad capacitors), and the stock battery. I have a smart charger on my boat so I can just plug it in at night. That way it's always fully charged when I go out and I don't have to worry about the alternator charging it. I have been really happy with this setup!
Old     (big_ed_x2)      Join Date: Jul 2004       07-21-2007, 9:23 AM Reply   
G,Sorry I didn't read the whole thread since it just blew up out of nowhere but how can I found out how many hours I have?
I got 4 blue tops all together.

Sorry if this has been covered already.....
Old     (drewsnautique94)      Join Date: Nov 2006       07-21-2007, 10:35 AM Reply   
......maybe you guys can help me out here.....i have one 12"polk momo sub and all polks(4) on the insides...running a monoblock and a four channel bazooka amp.....have 2 autozone batterys, one is a marine grade other just a regular, all connected to a perko switch.if i blast the stereo with the engine killed i might get 30 minutes on "battery #2" and it starts cutting out so i have to turn it down..this continues til i fire here up. whats the cheapest way to keep this from happening?......thanks in advance
Old     (nvsairwarrior)      Join Date: Aug 2003       07-21-2007, 10:50 PM Reply   
Back to the poll,
This is my third season using 4 Trojan T105's that are rated at 225 each. Yes each, which makes it 900 total. I also have an onboard multi bank smart charger. Total system watts is about 5KW
Playtime at about 50-60% volume (subjective), at least 2 hours. (my neighbor needed some house music)
Old     (jv210)      Join Date: Feb 2006       07-22-2007, 10:46 AM Reply   
J(air 210) I can bet you that I could kill those batteries with one song. for 300 dollars for 1, there are batteries out there for way less that do the same.

Duane I think when you hook those 6v batteries together, you dont add the amp hrs together. I think you have 550 amp hours with those batteries, which is pretty good for only 4 batteries.
Old     (lukeduke95)      Join Date: May 2002       07-22-2007, 11:30 AM Reply   
Duane, Jason is correct. You add the volts when running in series, but the amp hours stay the same.
Old     (wake_pirate)      Join Date: Mar 2007       07-22-2007, 12:46 PM Reply   
Regarding today's batteries, this is a myth. A battery placed on concrete will not discharge any faster, but a battery will discharge over a period of time wherever it is placed. If the battery has a surface layer of acid or grime which is conductive, the battery will self-discharge more rapidly than if it were clean and dry.

This myth does have some historical basis. Many years ago, wooden battery cases encased a glass jar with the battery in it. Any moisture on the floor could cause the wood to swell and possibly fracture the glass, causing it to leak. Later came the introduction of the "hard rubber" cases, which were somewhat porous. A current could be conducted through this container, which had a high carbon content, if the moist concrete floor permitted the current to find an electrical ground. The wise advise of the old days to "not store batteries on concrete" has apparently been passed down to us today, but it no longer applies.
Old     (tanner)      Join Date: Oct 2005       07-22-2007, 12:55 PM Reply   
I think Adam is right on when suggesting people look at the Reserve Capacity at X amount of Draw.

I see batteries like the Optimas that have high AMP hour ratings, but are crap in terms of reserve capacity (or play time in our case).

As for storing on concrete and causing a faster discharge... here's the answer to that.
"Long ago, when battery cases were made out of natural rubber, this was true. Now, however, battery cases are made of polypropylene or other modern materials that allow a battery to be stored anywhere. A battery’s rate of discharge is affected by its construction, its age, and the ambient temperature. The main issue with storing on concrete is that if the battery leaks, the concrete will be damaged" - http://www.trojanbattery.com/Tech-Support/FAQ.aspx

As for Duanes.... actually he's got 450AH's @ a 20AH rate.

As for what I'm running, I had 4 Trojan T-145's. Or 520AH... but the more important # was 290mins of play time on a 75 AMP draw. Or just under 5 hours (according to the Math only).

I experimented one day and learned I could drop down to the two T145's and play all day long with a 3500W system. Adam can back me up with this set-up as he has/had a similar set-up but was running T105's.

Most of us don't take into account We never really draw even close to the full amount that our systems are putting out. You must take into account the efficiency of our systems as well as the fact that music is so dynamic. Basically most of us could get away with alot less. Of course, more power never hurt anyone ;)


(Message edited by Tanner on July 22, 2007)
Old     (air210)      Join Date: Jun 2007       07-22-2007, 3:09 PM Reply   
Jason (jv210)- There are plenty of great batteries out there including optimas. Kill it with one song, It's the battery used in the vehicle that holds the top SPL record. Do your research before disparaging others. This particular set up has outperformed all others I have used. 1999 four winns with 2 blue tops- drained battery every trip out. 02 Xstar with 2 blue tops and a separate battery for starting, drained battery every time. 1 HC2400- NEVER BELOW 11 VOLTS..... Bing your song and money and lets test it out.....
Old     (grant_west)      Join Date: Jun 2005       07-22-2007, 3:45 PM Reply   
I see your 1 song battery drain point. Depending on the type of music your playing on "my boat" your boat can be totally diffrent. I can have like a 200 Amp current swing from one song to the next. Harrolds SAN will pull over 300 Amp on heavy bass hits. It dosent take much time with 300 amp stabs to pull ANY battery down. With my system the bass volume is like a gas pedal for the battery voltage. The more you lean on it the more your voltage drop's.
Top SPL cars can drain a huge battery bank combined with a big charging systems with 1-2 5 second test tone burp's
Old     (jv210)      Join Date: Feb 2006       07-22-2007, 5:44 PM Reply   
Grant, the bass knob is definetely like a gas pedal, it's addicting, turn it up and there goes the batterys.

Yesterday I accidentally had my switch to the starting battery, and the boat was cutting out while the bass was on, that was after being charged all night. I listen mostly to rap and hip hop with a lot of bass, it kills the batteries fast.
Old     (nvsairwarrior)      Join Date: Aug 2003       07-22-2007, 10:28 PM Reply   
thanks for the correction. Never dawned on me to simply apply ohms law.
Old     (sbilyeu)      Join Date: Jul 2007       07-26-2007, 5:55 PM Reply   
I was told by the people at Interstate batteries that the calculation for aH is - reserve capacity x .65 = aH. Since they almost never publish aH.
Old     (troyl)      Join Date: Feb 2002       07-27-2007, 3:30 PM Reply   
Running 4 blue tops here but have a question.

Why do i need a multibank battery tender? Won't a single point charger work, it will just take longer right?
Sorry for the hijack.

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