What am I looking for in a battery for a daily? Better discharge or better reserve?

[AcidikBass20 10+ year member]

I am going to be running, eventually, 2 BTLs off 2 Sundown SAZ-3000s. I'm throwing in a DC power AD 250 Special Purpose. DC is building it custom for my car and is the best offer I can find. Thanks Robbie. Anyways, now, the LAST THING I have to decide it what battery. I have it down to Batcap 2000(already have 1) and PM 3100. I'm going to get around 2 more for now, more later. What is better for a daily with a whole nutload of power? Could I mix and match? 2 and 2? try and get the best of both worlds? Thanks!

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[AcidikBass20 10+ year member]

Since I already have 1 batcap 2000, would it be good to get 2 PMs, so I have the reserve and a little punch when I need it?

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

How I look at it is this..If you compete exclusively and you have a # of batteries to stay at and under, so discharge becomes a bigger factor. In daily IF you have space I would run maybe a smidgin more than you need, because if you hammer on 12-16k watts off of just 2 800 cubic inch agm batteries there is not much load to spread around on just 2 batteries (there are many street max and street C cars that fit into that catagory in power infact I have seen people use more power than that even) In a daily application since you listen to it longer I would run enough batteries to spread the load more evenly so 1 or 2 batteries are not taking the brunt of the power demands. I know a few guys that switch their battery set ups between daily use and competion to keep their burp batteries fresh and to keep their amplifiers working propperly over longer listening. Go too small or two few batteries over the long haul will deplete the lead in the battery shortening it's performance and life. The same power demands on a smaller battery is a bigger depth of charge that it would be onto a larger battery or group of batteries.

In this case If you are running 6000 watts I would lean more towards 2 3100's and another PM under the hood for daily. For the Batcaps I would probably run 4 with 3 in the back and 1 under the hood. Might even need more with the batcaps depending on how they would handle it being that a heavy bass line is going to be a bigger hit (bigger depth of discharge) on the smaller capacity battery. I would think 2 3000d amps can draw more than 300 amps to music if you were getting on it.

 

[AcidikBass20 10+ year member]

But can I get 2 PM and run them with my current batcap? why does it matter if they are under the hood or in the trunk?

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

more than likely but having matching batteries is better than having matching brands which is more than likely better than mixxing different batteries. Will it work? I am sure it will but would it last as long??? hard to say. If they get used heavy the smaller battery might only last 3-4 years or less where the same brand set up the smaller battery may last 4 years and a matching set of batteries should last longer still. I know a couple cars running kinetik that are on a 7 year old matched up set of batteries and more than likely you can get the same better or slightly worse life span out of other batteries. Just depends what you put them through...as I know 1 guy who says a certain battery sucks because it only lasted 18 months but the things they forget to mention is leaving a wrench under the hood shorting across the battery terminals. This would shorten the life span as well as going into an over depth of discharge if you listen to your stereo engine off too long or leave your headlights on for 2 days LOL Also you could have an alt issue/wire issue that you catch but it does an overly deep discharge on the batteries.

 

[AcidikBass20 10+ year member]

or what about stinger?

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

or what about stinger?

would work out the same way. with different capacity batteries they wont hold the same charge, with different construction of battery brands they can charge differently enough to make a difference in life span. I have seen mixxed banks last a long time but again I think alot is due to who they are used and abused

 

[AcidikBass20 10+ year member]

Okay. so if i have to go one way, which way do you think i should take it? PM Batcap or Stinger?

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

Asking me personally I would look into Odyssey over stinger..longer warranty, costs less as a consumer and from what many say they are the same. all should give you good life but I think it would be easier to get a BC 2000 under the hood and you can add 3 to the back and be set.

Ask Batcap or Powermaster themselves what they would recommend for your set up. That is the best way to find out as they work with their product everyday.

Also look at the costs...what will cost you more what will cost less? I do not have any idea how much BC 2000's go for.

Another way to look at capacity is this if the batteries can cover the initial load but keep getting hit up for more juice the unit that stores more power over the long haul will not get used as hard. I look at it like 1 battery is a 5 gallon tank the other is 10 gallons but the same size hole in the bottom each tank and let it drain for 2 seconds which tank would lose a larger percentage of the water it holds? Which one would still have water in it after the other is dry? That is why I would run more of the smaller batteries instead of just trying to go off 1 vs 1

 

[Enellz 10+ year member]

Man theres been alot of battery questions lately. But x2 on the post above

 

[AcidikBass20 10+ year member]

my gut in goin PM