logic
20+ Year Contributor
- 921
- 32
- Jun 11, 2002
-
Berkeley,
California
Hi,
I've been doing a little battery research. I've settled on Optima, based on comments I've seen regarding them and the fact that they're a sealed setup. I'm now looking at the various versions of batteries that they produce, and I've noticed very little difference (from reading over their techinical specifications) between their various "colors" (red for engine use, blue for marine, yellow for deep cycle applications). For reference, here are links to the specs they publish for each major type of battery:
The "Red Top 34" engine starter battery:
http://www.optimabatteries.com/products/pdf/34.pdf
The "Blue Top 34" dual-terminal marine starter battery:
http://www.optimabatteries.com/products/pdf/34M.pdf
The "Yellow Top 34" dual-terminal deep cycle battery:
http://www.optimabatteries.com/products/pdf/D34.pdf
My question, then, is simple: what's the difference, besides packaging? The marine battery literature makes claims about not discharging as much over time and recharging faster, but that would seem to be about it between the red and blue (the yellow has a few obvious differences, such as resistance and power output). Am I misreading, or is there really very little real-world difference?
For the curious: the reason I'm asking is because I'd like to be able to run the blue-top to match the rest of the underhood setup (along with any advantages that might come from the discharging characteristics; it sounds like the perfect setup for a car that's stored over winter, for example). That's the kind of eraser-head riceboi I am.
(I was a little unsure of whether to post this in the Basic/Newbie forum, or in the 2.0 Turbo Performance forum. Mods, please feel free to move if you think this is too basic.)
I've been doing a little battery research. I've settled on Optima, based on comments I've seen regarding them and the fact that they're a sealed setup. I'm now looking at the various versions of batteries that they produce, and I've noticed very little difference (from reading over their techinical specifications) between their various "colors" (red for engine use, blue for marine, yellow for deep cycle applications). For reference, here are links to the specs they publish for each major type of battery:
The "Red Top 34" engine starter battery:
http://www.optimabatteries.com/products/pdf/34.pdf
The "Blue Top 34" dual-terminal marine starter battery:
http://www.optimabatteries.com/products/pdf/34M.pdf
The "Yellow Top 34" dual-terminal deep cycle battery:
http://www.optimabatteries.com/products/pdf/D34.pdf
My question, then, is simple: what's the difference, besides packaging? The marine battery literature makes claims about not discharging as much over time and recharging faster, but that would seem to be about it between the red and blue (the yellow has a few obvious differences, such as resistance and power output). Am I misreading, or is there really very little real-world difference?
For the curious: the reason I'm asking is because I'd like to be able to run the blue-top to match the rest of the underhood setup (along with any advantages that might come from the discharging characteristics; it sounds like the perfect setup for a car that's stored over winter, for example). That's the kind of eraser-head riceboi I am.
(I was a little unsure of whether to post this in the Basic/Newbie forum, or in the 2.0 Turbo Performance forum. Mods, please feel free to move if you think this is too basic.)
