Optima battery question

So I've always ran optima's never had a problem with them, so i so I have stuck with what has worked for me. I was adding a second battery to the boat when someone in the know told me that I should be be running a battery that is 14v. All the optima's are 12v. I was told the battery should be able to hold a bigger charge. Any thoughts or relevance to this? As I said, never had a problem before, but maybe the newer boats need a different battery?

any input would be great

Ahahahaha, person sounds like they are in the "know nothing" category. I'd go elsewhere for your battery info from now on. I've seen an Optima hold a 14v charge, it was for about 1.5 seconds after I took the charger off of it then it slowly made it's way back down to 12.8-12.9v where it should be.

Fully charged flooded batteries usually rest at 12.7 volts while a fully charged AGM, including the Optima, may rest just a bit higher. The only real issue that I see with an Optima is if you are devoting space to a group 34 Optima, you could get 40 percent or so more amp/hour capacity out of a taller group 24 AGM that occupies the identical footprint. The 12 and 14 volt story is bogus.

David
Earmark Marine

Thanks, I thought it sounded a bit off, but it was the dealer telling me this. Sometimes one tends to listen to the "experts", but that why there are sights like this with guys like you.

Thanks for the insight

I've found that there are several dealers that know less about the boats they sell (and associated compenents) than the people buying them. Guess it's a sign of the times.

I've talked to a ton of guys at audio shops and battery shops who are "experts" and always pointed me in the wrong direction. When it comes to boat battery setup and stereos WW is the place to find your answers.

not sure the exact series, but optima blue's have done me well in my boat. i leave any and all electronics questions for david @ earmark. nicest guy around and knows his stuff.

David basically said exactly what I would about Optima batteries in boat use.

Here is something that was shared by an engineer at a leading charger manufacturer. And, this may help Optima owners.
An AGM, such as the Optima, would like to see a higher voltage over a longer period of time in order to fully charge. This is accomplished by a quality multistage marine charger as it delivers a higher voltage than an alternator but at minimal current as to not damage the battery.
Also, an Optima representative actually recommended a Ctek charger as they liked its use of pulse technology. The 7 amp unit is a perfect match for a Group 34 Blue Top and even a size up. The 3 amp model is fine for the starting battery.
So what I gather from a collection of sources is this.
If you are using AGMs then use a dual bank charger of adequate sophistication and capacity. But if you're not going to make the investment and be very disciplined in your charging routine then you are better off sticking with standard flooded batteries. A flooded battery is more tolerant in some respects and represents a lower investment.

David
Earmark Marine