Community Forums

RayandPamT · 04-29-2009, 07:51 PM

I recently acquired 12 Optima blue batteries and have been thinking of a way to use them? Any suggestions? Since our conquest only had one battery but room for two, I installed one parallel there.

Gary RVRoamer · 04-30-2009, 08:33 PM

Was the original battery in the Conquest an Optima too? Or some other brand of AGM? Best not to mix battery types or ages, so why not use two of your Optimas together?

DAN L · 05-01-2009, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RayandPamT

I recently acquired 12 Optima blue batteries and have been thinking of a way to use them? Any suggestions? Since our conquest only had one battery but room for two, I installed one parallel there.

OPTIMA BLUE top batteries are high quality agm starting batteries, not deep cycle batteries designed to be 50% discharged before recharging.
that said, the price was right, so i would use them in parallel with each other until they fail.

cb5300 · 05-01-2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RayandPamT

I recently acquired 12 Optima blue batteries and have been thinking of a way to use them? Any suggestions? Since our conquest only had one battery but room for two, I installed one parallel there.

I've had four Optima Red Top batteries in my Corvettes, and I can say right here and now that the only thing the Optima battery is good for would be a door stop, or a boat anchor. They are the worst battery made (IMHO) and you couldn't pay me to have another one. There are serveral posts on the Corvette Forum about Optima...some good, but mostly BAD.

DonavonP · 05-01-2009, 12:19 PM

OPTIMA Batteries

wa8yxm · 05-01-2009, 12:40 PM

Optima batteries are actually very good for what they are designed for. They are very very very rugged, they can, as the watch company used to advertise: Take a lickin and keep on tickin'

However... The spiral design means you only get about 3/4 battery, and the price tag is closer to 4/3 what the same size box would cost if you bought say MK AGM's

3/4 battery means that in the same space (roughly group 27) that MK or DEKA or Lifeline or Trojan or Interstate would park 100 amp hours

You get, as I recall, 73

This means that they are really NOT suitable for RV use.... Less of course you get one fantastic price

MK, DEKA, Lifeline all have AGM batteries, Thought they are "Flat plate" not spiral like the optima, they have all the same advantages as the Optima, save they are not quite as rugged physically.

But Motor homes and trailers are not designed to be driven like 4-wheelers and wave runners

cb5300 · 05-06-2009, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

Optima batteries are actually very good for what they are designed for.

I agree!!!.... If you're looking for a BOAT ANCHOR!!!

sknight · 05-06-2009, 04:43 PM

Sell one to me!

FWIW, I have two blue tops and I've had zero problems over four years. Also have two red tops in my truck for four years, again zero issues.

Seriously OP, if you'd like to unload one or two I'd like to talk.

wa8yxm · 05-07-2009, 10:49 AM

If you have room for 2 then put 'em in parallel, do not parralel with flooded wet cells or other maintenance free (Just with AGM)

Normally I'm very anti-Optima on these forums since there is only about 3/4 battery (the rest is air space) so they waste a lot of space, and you, again, normally, pay a premium for that waste too in that they are over priced.

However yours is the special case.. You got 'em free. can't argue with free

NOTE that Optima need not be mounted right side up so if you can squeeze in 3 or 4. Go for it