OptimaJim
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Re: Optima, Gel or AGM, Advertised as both, which is it?
Hi MEXICOWANDERER, the cycle defined in that chart is a discharge down to 10.5 volts. The comparison battery used in that chart was a standard group 31 flooded battery. Jim McIlvaine eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries www.pinterest.com/optimabatteries455Views0likes0CommentsRe: Optima, Gel or AGM, Advertised as both, which is it?
NinerBikes, the percentage state of charge can vary by battery brand, manufacturer and type. Generally speaking, 12.4 volts is more than 30% discharged for our RedTops (and 34M BlueTop) and more than 40% discharged for our YellowTops and BlueTops (except the 34M). BFL13, if batteries have become sulfated, our engineers have indicated that cycling them down to about 11.5 volts and fully-recharging them at 10 amps two to three times can sometimes help break up some of that sulfation and restore some performance. I should point out that batteries resting between 10.0 and 11.0 volts tend to be more likely to have a bad cell, as the math typically suggest about 2.1 volts per cell. Take one cell away from a 12-volt battery and you drop into that 10.0-11.0 range. That's not to say that a good battery can't be discharged into that range and recovered, but that batteries that tend to settle into that range after charging is attempted usually need to be recycled. MEXICOWANDERER, you pretty much hit the nail on the head...if I'm reading your post correctly. For RV applications, the amount of reserve capacity remaining after a battery has been cycled dozens or even hundreds of times is what often matters most, although short of running such a test in one of our labs, most folks won't know until they hit that 300th cycle (if they get there at all). Generally speaking, the shallower the discharge cycle, the longer a battery will last in a given application. In the examples you cited, the battery cycled to 80% DOD will probably not be able to be cycled as many times as the same battery that is only cycled to 60% DOD. What capacity the OEMs expect probably depends on the OEM and whether that refers to the battery manufacturer or the RV manufacturer. This is a chart we use quite often to illustrate the difference between the cycle life of our batteries versus traditional flooded products (note the identical group size comparison). Jim McIlvaine eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries www.pinterest.com/optimabatteries455Views0likes0CommentsRe: Optima, Gel or AGM, Advertised as both, which is it?
Hello, I noticed your conversation regarding our batteries and wanted to offer some assistance. Rich, we know a lot of folks confuse gel and AGM technologies, so we make sure if someone is searching on the internet for “Optima” and “gel” that they're still able to find our products. We never advertise Optima as having gel technology and as Chris indicated, we do specifically indicate on our site that Optima batteries are not gel batteries. Our YellowTops and BlueTops (except the 34M) are all designed and warrantied for deep-cycle use, they all use 99.99% pure virgin lead (not recycled) and are found in a wide variety of consumer, commercial and military applications. Each manufacturer comes up with a combination for their batteries, that they believe will be of most benefit to their customers. Generally speaking, there is a trade-off between batteries of like sizes in terms of cranking amps and reserve capacity, where more can be had of one at the expense of the other. As a result, comparing a single aspect of a battery's specifications does not always present a clear or accurate representation of the product. We encourage comparisons, but prefer that they accurately represent all products, using identical battery group sizes (we don't manufacture a Group 29 battery) and indicating cranking amps, reserve capacity, warranty terms and conditions and of course, price. In the case of tournament anglers and racers, we also encourage a weight comparison, as that is an important consideration for those folks. Even at that point, what won't show up in a spec sheet is how the battery performs after 10, 50 or even 100 cycles. This is often where there is the greatest difference between products. The key to long battery life, regardless of brand or manufacturer, is proper voltage maintenance. Whenever any lead-acid battery is discharged below 12.4 volts and is left sitting in that state, sulfation begins to form, which diminishes capacity and lifespan. That makes a quality battery maintenance device an excellent investment for any vehicle that doesn't see regular use. Jim McIlvaine eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries www.pinterest.com/optimabatteries370Views0likes0Comments
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