# Battery dilema



## ebrahim (Sep 21, 2009)

I have an Odyssey PC1200 up front and now I am looking at another battery in the rear for the audio system. Which one should I go with. 

Kinetik
Optima Red Top
Odyssey


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

Red Tops are not warrantied, or recommended for car audio applications.

I had a yellow top and it was great.


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## tinctorus (Oct 5, 2009)

alm001 said:


> Red Tops are not warrantied, or recommended for car audio applications.
> 
> I had a yellow top and it was great.


Yellow tops are not meant as a primary battery, and red tops SUCK as a primary battery...Plain and simple

I tried using a red top as a primary battery and in a matter of 2 years with NO system in the car I went through 6 red tops...I switched it over for a die hard platinum and havent had a problem since, even with 3 amps in the car now


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## ebrahim (Sep 21, 2009)

Well I have an Odyssey PC 1200 up front and looking to add another in the rear near the sub amp. I do have an 80 amp alternator and cannot upgrade it.

Thank you


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## tinctorus (Oct 5, 2009)

ebrahim said:


> Well I have an Odyssey PC 1200 up front and looking to add another in the rear near the sub amp. I do have an 80 amp alternator and cannot upgrade it.
> 
> Thank you


2 questions

1) how do you know it is an 80 amp alternator and why cant it be replaced??

2) where in Florida are you as if you are close I am willing to help you out, I am in the plantation area


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## ebrahim (Sep 21, 2009)

Dude I would be there either this month or next month for three days. I am going to be there during the week. Like Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Thank you.



tinctorus said:


> 2 questions
> 
> 1) how do you know it is an 80 amp alternator and why cant it be replaced??
> 
> 2) where in Florida are you as if you are close I am willing to help you out, I am in the plantation area


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## chapdawg1971 (Mar 8, 2010)

What do you mean Yellow Tops aren't to be used as primary batteries? I'll agree with you on the Red Top part, but....Tell that to the one I've had in my Jeep for over five years. I have winches and pull way more current than you could imagine and I wouldn't put a Die Hard in it.....same goes for my boat. Either Yellow Tops or Odyssey.


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## alm001 (Feb 13, 2010)

7 Years of HARD yellow top use here.... system, cold starts... jumping others with my car off... Highly recommended from me.


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## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

imo its hit or miss with optima's. I had a redtop last me 1 year as primary/system battery. Another redtop last me 4 years and still going. 

I also had a yellowtop last me a whopping week once :/


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## 3fish (Jul 12, 2009)

Brian_smith06 said:


> imo its hit or miss with optima's. I had a redtop last me 1 year as primary/system battery. Another redtop last me 4 years and still going.
> 
> I also had a yellowtop last me a whopping week once :/


WTF?!

You know I had great luck with my old red top, ran my system, multiple discharges (dome light on all night, stereo tuning too long...) and ran for 5 years. 

BUT, there are sooo many instances of bad optima product I'll never be able to purchase one again. It's incomprehensible to me that large, global company could manage a product so poorly.

I've good experience but would never recommend one because of all other terrible feedback.


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## dwaynecherokee (Feb 19, 2010)

I vote neither. Get something from powermaster and be happy.

I've used red and yellow tops, kinetiks and few others. I favor powermaster and few other unnamed companies.


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## betterbelizeit (Oct 4, 2009)

I used a yellow top on my system which at the time was running 2 ARC 4150XXK and 1 ARC 2500XXK. I ran it from 2003 to 2007 with only one batterry in the car, the yellow top. Sold the car in 2007 and bought another. Kept the original yellow top from the 2003-2007 car and installed it in the new car...it's now 2010 and it's still the same yellow top that I bought back in 2003. That's all I have to say about the yellow top. Now this being said, I'm not an expert on batteries and I am building a new system and even though my yellow top has done me well for 7 years now, I want a new battery for my new system. Hopefully, I'll find some good info from the folks here on DIYMA.


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## betterbelizeit (Oct 4, 2009)

betterbelizeit said:


> I used a yellow top on my system which at the time was running 2 ARC 4150XXK and 1 ARC 2500XXK. I ran it from 2003 to 2007 with only one batterry in the car, the yellow top. Sold the car in 2007 and bought another. Kept the original yellow top from the 2003-2007 car and installed it in the new car...it's now 2010 and it's still the same yellow top that I bought back in 2003. That's all I have to say about the yellow top. Now this being said, I'm not an expert on batteries and I am building a new system and even though my yellow top has done me well for 7 years now, I want a new battery for my new system. Hopefully, I'll find some good info from the folks here on DIYMA.


I failed to mention that the Yellow top was my primary battery. It ran my car and my car audio system.


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## TREETOP (Feb 11, 2009)

I've had bad luck with Optimas also.
If your 2 batteries will be hooked up in parallel, you're best off with the same battery in back as you have in the front. 2 identical batteries won't discharge into each other at rest as bad as 2 different batteries will.


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## gymrat2005 (Oct 4, 2009)

chapdawg1971 said:


> What do you mean Yellow Tops aren't to be used as primary batteries? I'll agree with you on the Red Top part, but....Tell that to the one I've had in my Jeep for over five years. I have winches and pull way more current than you could imagine and I wouldn't put a Die Hard in it.....same goes for my boat. Either Yellow Tops or Odyssey.


I find it funny that you say you wouldn't use a Die Hard, but you would use an Odyssey. The Die Hard Platinums, and the Odyssey batteries are one in the same. They are both made by EnerSys (yes, they make Stinger too!), and the Die Hard Platinum is one of the best there is. Not only for it's performance, but it's price and warranty as well. If you focus soley on the performance charecteristics of the batteries, you would see the Optimas are outclassed in every way, even if one has occasionally proven to be reliable over time.


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## DynaudioNut (Jan 1, 2010)

FYI I found a place in my area that just did a major upgrade to their solar system and got rid of 40-40 deep cell batteries. All the batteries are less than two years old and the shop is selling them for $150.00 They are equal to the 2400 by kinetic. They also have the 3800 series version as well. 

Im running two McIntosh amps and my car of the one equal to the 2400 and I haven't noticed any dimming of my lights when I really get on it while driving and I can sit in my garage for hours listening to music without the fear of not being able to start the car in the morning. Just thought I'd let you guys know about a hook up if you'd like to get one.


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## chapdawg1971 (Mar 8, 2010)

I say Optima(Yellow or Blue) because Die Hards have left me as well as my boat AND Jeep stuck at the most inopportune times in the past. I don't base it on price or warranty, I base it off of what has worked for me in the past, period. The only reason I mentioned Odyssey batteries is that a friend gave me one because it didn't fit his application and has worked great for me. I'm not familiar with who makes it, but I know that it stands up to the abuse I dish out and the the ones that I have seen on my deployments seem to last under the extremes as well.

There was a problem as well with those Die Hard Platinums where the side terminals would internally come unattached from the main posts a while back, I remember because I was actually going to get another and did some research on that. I checked pricing on them, I paid a whole lot less for my Optimas than the DH, but again, it's all preference and what works for you(the guy putting them in the trunk). I personally have four Kinetic HC800's under the back seat of my Nissan Titan, I would have put something bigger there, but those fit.


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

I would get the same battery as you have in front like state a few posts above. But if it were me, i would get the biggest die-hard platinum (group 65). This fit in my stock box up front so it isn't really that bad. Its got 930 cca too so its a beast. I have had no troubles so far, i have killed it once down to 1.xx volts (fog lights left on all night) and it charged right back up in a few hours and is like new.


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## gymrat2005 (Oct 4, 2009)

Not minimizing the struggles you've had with your Die Hard chapdawg1971, but again, the Die Hard Platinum is a different beast all together. It is the same as the Odyssey, and the Stinger...which are all made by EnerSys. Not similar, but the exact same battery.

Now assuming someone is posting in an audio forum looking for the Optimal Battery (pun intended) to both start their car, and run their accessories (high output stereo) You want the battery to have certain charge and discharge characteristics. First off, any battery worth it's salt will posses enough CCA's/CA's to start the cars, but you want high discharge rates to deliver the power when needed, you also need a high reserve capacity, so that if you choose to sit with and listen with the car off for an extended period of time, you know you will have the juice to start the car afterward. You want the ability for the battery to be drained over and over again, to an extremely low capacity and still have the ability to bounce back time after time (this is where the reliability comes into play). Based on this criteria, no one Optima excels at doing this (except for the cycle part). Will they work? Of course they will, but their just not the right tool, for the job. 

Now as far as value, again the Die Hard Platinum steals the show coming in at roughly $100 cheaper then their Odyssey/Stinger counterparts with the same performance. And they are still more affordable than an Optima as well as carrying a longer warranty period.

Do I work for sears? lol...No, in fact I have an Odyssey in my car, but knowing what's out there after doing all the research (Die Hard, Odyssey, Optima, Kinetic, Powermaster, Shuriken), it really is probably the best option for MOST applications.


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## Zuben (Dec 28, 2009)

I run a 2 battery system. My Tahoe came with a 2'nd tray which was nice. I run a deep cycle yellow top as my radio and amp battery. These are Amateur radio transceiver and amp. Going on 6 years and NEVER a dead battery. Full 500 watt rf output with the engine off.


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## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

3fish said:


> WTF?!
> 
> You know I had great luck with my old red top, ran my system, multiple discharges (dome light on all night, stereo tuning too long...) and ran for 5 years.
> 
> ...


I completely agree. This is why i now run stinger batteries. I have a pair of spv35's under the hood and an spv70 in the back. Im not saying they are the best out there but imo they are pretty solid batteries.


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## cobraa (Dec 4, 2009)

I went with kinetik and it's still going strong after 3 years.


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## Ovalevader (Jun 21, 2010)

gymrat2005 said:


> I find it funny that you say you wouldn't use a Die Hard, but you would use an Odyssey. The Die Hard Platinums, and the Odyssey batteries are one in the same. They are both made by EnerSys (yes, they make Stinger too!), and the Die Hard Platinum is one of the best there is. Not only for it's performance, but it's price and warranty as well. If you focus soley on the performance charecteristics of the batteries, you would see the Optimas are outclassed in every way, even if one has occasionally proven to be reliable over time.


While it may be true that both batteries are made by enersys, I assure you they are not the same battery.

First of all, the Die Hard batteries are whats known as an "MJ" battery, meaning it has a metal jacket around it. This isn't necassary in a car, but is commonly used in cheaper car batteries to fill up space with a cheaper material, and also allows them to advertise them as "robust casing" and "military grade" Odyssey batteries are available with a metal jacket as well, but for car use a non metal jacket is more than fine.

Trust me when I say enersys makes tons of cheap batteries that I wouldn't trust to power a lightbulb, so the fact that enersys makes both odyssey and Die Hard means absolutely nothing.

One last point... I would agree that optima batteries are outclassed by both Die Hard and Odyssey batteries, but when it comes to weight/size ratio, no one comes close to Optima.


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## gymrat2005 (Oct 4, 2009)

I know enersys makes a ton of batteries. I have a pallet of them at my work for PC Backups etc... But when researching the battery to use in my own car, I noticed not only the cases being the same, but every last published specification was the same. I spoke to Arty, or Arnie, or whatever our reps name is, and he assured me, the Die Hard PLATINUM (group 34/78) is the same battery..not the regular grade Die Hard, but the platinum line.


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