Got new OPTIMA for trolling - HAVE QUESTIONS ??!!! -Charging

[Kuba]

Well, bit the bullet, got the biggest blue optima out there, let me tell you, she is heavy and big! and akward too....

Went to friends cottage for 3 days for the weekend, used the trolling motor for trolling, anchoring, etc... it got used A LOT.

Battery lasted till the third day, last day it died...

Weird thing happened though...

When "Battery Check" on my Terrova was pressed, it would show a full charge....... ???????

We came back on sunday, around 5pm i hooked it up to my charger right away, selected COLD/AGM on it and left, in the morning i came back (8:30 am) and it was showing less than 25%, left it to sit more, around 11 came back home unplugged it and went fishing, around 5pm got back hooked it back up, about 9pm it was showing 75%...

why is it like that??? does the COLD/AGM setting take longer? is it because of the size of the battery too???

I use this charger, it charges regular batteries overnight

http://www.geniuschargers.com/G3500

This is the monster,

[K Gonefishin]

That charger only charges at 3.5 amps. Another thing about agm batteries don't kill them completely it takes longer to bring them back to life for whatever reason. I have 3 in my boat for my terrova if I run them down to far I can't use my boats charger I have to hook up a regular charger and brings the dead one up some before the 4bank can do its thing

[NitroMusky]

Like K said, don't run it down completely, and if possible charge it after every time you use it, because the AGM deep cycle batteries are not like other types that need to be discharged completely or loose usable range, in fact the opposite: if left not fully charged, over time they will not take the full charge. You will start to lose usable capacity.

I wouldn't trust the battery meter on the MK, it's really not a high quality gauge, as you found out.

and you may want to invest in a charger upgrade at some point. 3.5 amps vs. 15 that a top end charger puts out will eventually seem like a necessity on a big deep cycle battery.

[NitroMusky]

Btw I'm sure you'll really like that battery

[ray koziatek]

to help ya figure it out (kinda sorta) ... yer charger 3.5 amp output per hour...X 10 hrs = 35 amps if ya have a 100amp battery ya need close to 30 hrs charge time.....at full output.... and the small output chargers are better for "maintianing" a good battery between trips.. if ya want to get a good charge I might suggest a 10amp charger with a auto off feature....

Do a search (online ) on the "Best way to charge a battery" all the info ya need is at yer fingertips...

[Kuba]

My bows to you guys, thanks for the great info.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[L&M]

Optima recommendations:

http://www.optimabatteries.com/us/en/su ... /charging/