Which battery for primary?

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

I honestly believe the whole thing about red top is a myth......least in my experience. I have ran many redtops up front with batteries in the back with not one problem. Hell I had a redtop in my protge and when I lost that car, went into the cutty.......so 2 cars in 4 years as my starter battery and they both had huge systems in it and never had one problem ever.......without an isolator to boot.......
I currently run a group34 redtop in my Focus with a 5100 Powermaster in the back......again with no isolator without any issues.

I have always got mad discounts on Optimas......//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

And before anybody says, why didn't you get a blue or yellow for audio..........that was before I read up on them and the company stating use the red for only starter. Well it worked for me, so said what the hell and swapped them out as I had it already.

The one I have now I picked up used for 75 bucks and works like a gem!

I know what the company says, but it don't state you can not use it with any audio, just might not last as long.........well if I can get 4 years out of one, then that is good to me. Hell the car got stolen, so who knows if it is still working or not. Longest I owned 1 ride has been 5 years, lol!

i know several people who had redtops die even happened to me in SQ at IASCA world finals

 

[JarvisB 10+ year member]

Powermaster if you can afford it.
The Redtop is a cranking battery designed to output for a short time to start a car. It doesnt have the reserve of a Yellowtop, which is a deep-cycle battery that is designed to be drained and recharged over and over. It doesnt have the sheer cranking amps that a Redtop has, but for playing a system you need the reserve of a deep-cycle, not the extra few cranking amps of a starting battery.

If you do decide to go with Optima, I would go after the G31, not the 34/78. The G31 is much closer is performance to the big Powermasters, Kinetiks, Dekas, etc then the 34/78. Its just a bigger battery.

Either way I would take Powermaster if you can afford it, if not go after a big Yellowtop. Those are awesome batteries as well.

optima does not have group 31 batteries from what I recall?

I even checked their website and I dont see any G31 battery? unless it is the D31A battery under commercial batteries category then you are correct..

I think now Optimas come with adapters on top of batteries when bought brand new.. it will be considered as your battery tray so you can remove your stock battery tray and install the new one to make the new battery fit

Keep in mind those G31 batteries are 9 3/4 inches tall which are more likely unable to fit in your stock location with the hood closed.. but if you do a good job of hacking the stock tray out then it is possible.. I am thinking about picking one of those up and put it under my hood in my 04 ford explorer

EDIT: I take what I said about the adapter plates back because I just looked around and found out that the adapter does not come with group 31 batteries which kind of sucks.

 

[WOT]

Ive got a G31 blue top and a BIG generic truck battery (biggest reserve and cranking amp one they had) under the hood. Best setup Ive owned to date for only $225 total in batteries.

 

[JarvisB 10+ year member]

where do you all get your awesome deals on those batteries?

I would like to pick one up for a decent price..

 

[Walled_Taurus 10+ year member]

I would but your battcap 800 under the hood and get a batcap 2000 for the back. That way you have the same brand batts and no fight between agm, and gel cell.

 

[RCobra07 10+ year member]

I would but your battcap 800 under the hood and get a batcap 2000 for the back. That way you have the same brand batts and no fight between agm, and gel cell.

I'm not sure I know the diff between gel and agm...will this create an issue? I am using the 800 in the back b/c it fits under a panel in the floor perfectly. With anything else, i would have to mount in plane view and the box would not fit as intended

 

[galacticmonkey 5,000+ posts]

AGM is absorbtion glass matt. Gel is well... Gel. I never ran an isolater and it never caused a problem for me.

This is the Optima G31.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/products/129_0502_optima_group_31_battery/index.html