Sight and Sound

Your best bet would be to use Stinger SP1000(1000 cca) or SP1700 (1700 cca). I use these batteries all the time in my high end installs. The good thing about them is that they can go from almost nothing to fully charged in seconds! This allows you to install multiple batteries without having to worry about your alternator. Your alternator will charge these guys back so quick, that having two even three of them will not put any strain on it. I had a customer who we put two of the SP1000 batteries on his boat and he would sit for hours at a time listening to his stereo and not have any problems starting the boat afterwards. And when they do get low, he just has to start his motors for a few seconds and they bounce right back. The secret behind the batteries is that they are a lead based battery which means that they are very dense. This denseness allows the electrodes to travel through the battery at a very high rate bringing it back to life in no time. And of course I can give OSO guys a great deal on them! Optimas are great batteries, but these lead batteries are a step above. They are totally sealed and can be mounted on their side and even upside down. They come with a powder-coated housing that you mount and then the battery slides right in to it for a very tight fit. I put two in my boat three years ago and I have yet to have one go bad or even lose a charge. They set all winter long not being used, and come spring time they fire the motors up perfect on the first try! I highly recommend them to anyone!

russ

I also had a Stinger batt. Is a great battery even after 4 years. But from what I've read they are just rebadged Hawker Genesis batt's. Wish I would have known could have saved some money. Look here has some good batt info and places that sell all kinds. http://www.stealth316.com/2-dynabatt.htm

I went with 2 Group 24 SVR Batt's wired together for my stereo system last yr. Played the stereo for 6 hours straight only had to shut it down when the 3 amps got a little hot and they where still going strong.

I also installed a Batt charger for them so at the end of the day just plug it in and your done http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=DEL-022-0157-1

Pismo10

Mr. Cozzi makes a great comment, my Die Hards are used for 3-4 mths and then get stored in the boat fully charged at sub freezing temps for the remainder of the year. Cold is the best storage for batteries, and my Die Hards do very well in this environment and yearly schedule. Things maybe/probably are totally different in a warmer climate with a longer season. Great point.

ingveys

I cant believe all the myths people say about batteries, but then again before I has training I "thought" all kinds of crazy things happened only to find out it was not true.

mr mercruiser

wow-what everyone is failing to understand is that its not the manufacture its the application-if you are running efi you need a battery thats a minimum of 750-800 mca.and its gotta be a starting battery-i have seen a couple of posts that some of you are running deep cycle batteries-starting batteries are what they say they are for-starting-deep cycle batteries are for storage-oh by the way-no matter what battery you buy ,plan on throwing them out at 3 years cause anything longer in the marine world is borrowed time.also-automotive batteries dont have the threaded posts-heres one for ya,no matter what you want to put in your boat,make sure that you dont use the supplied wingnuts cause they are against coast guard regs now-use poly locknuts

BillR

Odyssey Batteries - hands down best battery.
Not for those that are "financially challenged"!

SkiDoc

iTrader: (4)

Last two years with Optima blue top, 2 went bad warranted though, but I was dissappointed.

Pismo10

Funny, I have used many different batteries in the SAME exact application and they all have very different performance characteristics and histories. Most were not very good and lasted 1-3 seasons, others much longer. Deep cycle or starting seemed to work fine with EFI or carb but then again I have always used large grp 27-29 batteries with big numbers.

Rippem

I got seven years out of a pair of Exide Nautilus Gold 27's. They went with the boat when it was sold and as far as I know he's still running them! 2-3 years later!

I was a fanatic about maintenence though. Topping off w/distilled water regularly in season, and putting them away fully charged. (I have a dedicated "deep cycle" charger) Those batts were so hot charged, they would gas over the winter and corrode everything around them under the bench. The sweat from being so gassy ate the concrete floor under the shelf.

Also no shorepower in the last boat. Shorepower is hard on batts.

Strip Poker 388

iTrader: (6)

I bought these Exide blue top batteries. I wonder if there the same as the OPTIMA Blue Top ???????????