optima battery and capacitor or second battery?

[HvNd4Speed 10+ year member]

I'm shoppin for deep cycle batteries, seen the optimas and stingers, few others. to me a battery is a battery, it will fail at some point. ive heard people have to go thru 3-4 optima's over a course of a few years, although I do NOT want to deal with that I will.

What do you guys recommend? I have an 03 Tahoe, not sure what the standard alternator amperage is I think it is 145amp, most of my listening will be while car is running. I plan on doing the big 3 upgrade.

This is what will be needing power, kicker kx1200.1 and kx 600.4, Audiocontrol DQS, possibly a Pioneer Z110bt or x910bt and in future, couple of headrest monitors. Should I get an Optima and a capacitor (i know how most feel about caps) or a second deep cycle battery? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

This is a great forum! Everyone here has great insight on these things, I don't know what I'd do without it. Thanks to all!

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[ahole-ic]

I'm shoppin for deep cycle batteries, seen the optimas and stingers, few others. to me a battery is a battery, it will fail at some point. ive heard people have to go thru 3-4 optima's over a course of a few years, although I do NOT want to deal with that I will.
What do you guys recommend? I have an 03 Tahoe, not sure what the standard alternator amperage is I think it is 145amp, most of my listening will be while car is running. I plan on doing the big 3 upgrade.

This is what will be needing power, kicker kx1200.1 and kx 600.4, Audiocontrol DQS, possibly a Pioneer Z110bt or x910bt and in future, couple of headrest monitors. Should I get an Optima and a capacitor (i know how most feel about caps) or a second deep cycle battery? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

This is a great forum! Everyone here has great insight on these things, I don't know what I'd do without it. Thanks to all!

Do the big 3. Replace your SLA battery up front with an AGM battery. Go to your local battery place and ask for a deka intimidator that will fit. You can get a second battery (preferably group31) battery of the same make for the rear.

The only reason people say to replace the batteries is because it can reduce ESR going from a SLA to AGM. There really aren't any other advantages to it.

Also, learn how to reduce the amount of current your stock electronics draw from your electrical. Dim your gauges, turn off all lights you don't need, make sure there is no added stress on your pulleys from AC etc. This will all help when trying to run on stock electrical.

 

[CarAudioNewbie9 10+ year member]

Caps **** compared to batts.

 

[HvNd4Speed 10+ year member]

BCFosheezy....thanks for that info, so far, im reading lots of good things about that Deka Intimidator battery, i will have to stop by my local battery shop to see what kind of pricing he can get me on that, if not, found a place called autobarn.com (9a78dt for front) that has it for 150 shipped. just not sure where the hek to put a G31 battery in back.....decisions decisions

 

[the Answer 10+ year member]

kinetik makes good batts too

but dont run a cap

 

[pawn man 10+ year member]

forget the optima batt. paying alot for the name. deka intimidator batt is much stronger and better batt. forget the cap. (will burnup your alt)

 

[HvNd4Speed 10+ year member]

So im about to pull the trigger today on ordering a Deka Intimidator for under the hood of my Tahoe and a Optima G31 battery (local craigslist ad) for the amps.

Maybe I'm over analyzing this and I've never ran a setup with a second battery, I will be listening while driving, not doing shows or parking lot listening so i dont need an isolator.

How do you wire this setup? tried searching...no real solid answer on it and i know its probably simple, is it just like a cap? battery + to the second battery + and negative to a solid ground.

is that it? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

 

[BassAddictJ 5,000+ posts]

No cap

do big 3

get a second bat....those dekas are real nice for the money

 

[yischrax 10+ year member]

caps are buffers only needed if your deep cycle is slow to release its charge at least caps in the use as you speak of like most people have said skip on the cap not going to help your issue. You can also look at Jegs for a power master battery good batteries too if you do make sure you get the terminals I ordered from them didn't know the battery didn't come with top posts had to order them and wait to put it in good thing is there quick to do so. Ordering around town is always nice if you can get a decent price do to warranty issues. A lot of good info here as to what to do. Honestly if your just running with your vehicle on upgrade battery under the hood to the biggest thing you can fit and rather than having more storing capability get a bigger power maker (alt.) as it looks thought your not going to have a monster draw unless I missed something. Just cuz you only NEED 4 Gauge for the sub amp run 0 gauge lower resistance solder ring terminals keep grounds short and to bare metal in a good spot all the little stuff to utilize the most power you can that you already have.

 

[inkfx 10+ year member]

Make sure you can fit the Deka under the hood before you plan on buying it for that reason. That's the only thing which stopped me from buying one when my stock batt died. I ended up just running over to Autozone and grabbing an Optima as a under the hood replacement. In the future, I plan on putting Dekas in the trunk.

 

[HvNd4Speed 10+ year member]

Thank you all for the info, I bought a 9a78dt Deka today, it is the right battery for my vehicle under the hood, the G31 i have yet to buy but that will be going in the back.

yischrax, you are right, i am not going to have a monster draw, no more than 2K watts total so i dont see a need to upgrade my alternator....yet

 

[smoka 10+ year member]

Thank you all for the info, I bought a 9a78dt Deka today, it is the right battery for my vehicle under the hood, the G31 i have yet to buy but that will be going in the back.
yischrax, you are right, i am not going to have a monster draw, no more than 2K watts total so i dont see a need to upgrade my alternator....yet

Don't buy a used batt. 90% of the time they are crap.

Also if you don't want to use an isolator, then make sure the 2nd batt is the exact same brand/model/datecode as the 1st batt.

 

[yischrax 10+ year member]

smoka right with one point wrong with the other. As for used batteries yes. But remember there are such things as blemb batteries that had something wrong didn't leave the factory got fixed usually available at such places as interstate store and battery warehouses.

Your second point batteries should all be the same or you should be using a isolator technicly they should be the same age and the same brand as for the same size not needed brand and age so the loss of words for he exaxlct term. It boils down to same brand so that it has the same thickness of plates in it so when called on the only variance in time between the two is do to resistance in the wire. Same age this is obvious one will hold a higher voltage than the other and will pull on the newer battery first and the older one will fallow back to my first part of a slower response time.

As for using a isolator don't. OK there is a reason for this. If your anything like me I want the highest voltage possible using a isolator drops anything from the other side of the isolatilor than your run going to your back battery (front battery and alternator) this is because all a isolator is a set or small or 3 large diodes to allow power to go one way. If you feel it is a must to keep the front and back battories separated do to consistantly forgetting to start your vehicle from time to time to charge the batteries then look into the solid state relays like this one.SGP32 - Stinger PRO 200 Amp High Power Relay/ Battery Isolator

It is a isolator but not what most people think when isolator comes to mind it doesn't work as being a resistant part in line like the others but instead just a relay that depends on the ignition wire to flip the relay to connect to the front power supply.

I hope this makes sense and helps you. You couldn't use a normal relay do to the amount of power being sent threw it and if you use one of these you will understand it is a bit difrent than a beefed up normal relay. This isolator thing is kind of the same reason we don't usually use circuit breakers in car audio as they also cause voltage drop and as we all know every volt counts. The big anl fuses have a lower resistance than the agm cylinder glass fuses cheaper kits come with keeping as much voltage as possible.

 

[yischrax 10+ year member]

Just thought I would add how funny it is of all days for my battery light to come on it was yesterday got it checked at auto store but the Guy was quite the dunse didn't know how to use the machine on a agm battery so I need to get it checked from some one who knows how and charge it first. It couldn't have to do with when it grounded out on the wrong side of the 0 gauge fuse block on my clutch line do to kickers design of a clip on cap that the clips brake. Or do to recently putting my exile 2500.1 in the car and haven't got to put the second battery in and get the new alternator.

Sucks power master doesn't carry the 51r anymore get stuck with optima or kinetic. Not a fan of kinetic batteries but looks like they win this time do to more cca. The transision response on them **** though.

 

[pawn man 10+ year member]

forget opitma. get deka under the hook and for the amps.