+100000

Do not get Optimas!! My experience is the same with yellow, red and blue tops, never again
Interstate is the way to go for sure.

Use deka. One group 31 will play for a few hours and recharge easy. you need a square batt with massive lead plates that has tons of capacity.
Understand there is only like 3 batt factorys in the us. The best is considered east penn. they make deka which is their brand but can be hard to find.
Little know thing is that napa marine is deka rebadged. Same batt decent price and great warranty.
Kinetics is just a rebaged deka for 3x the price.
Round batts like optima are good for starting and quick recharge but not for long hi amp draw.
Also do not put a cap on a marine stereo. I see this a lot and is useless. Without a alternator turning all the time one good discharge and they are done. That and they will drain your batt trying to refill.
Good luck.

Thanks for the advice on the capacitor.

The first battery you posted is what has been in my boat since 2004...never let me down yet and I also have a big sound system. I'll have nothing but Optimas!!

I run two blue tops, I just replaced my first pair after 10+ years, actually one is still good and being used around the shop.

Optimas dont like to be trickle or maintenance charged. Better to check voltage and fast charge them every couple of months.

Do not leave them or any battery in a discharged state longer than absolutely necessary.

we had kinetics in our boat, we had to warranty out 2 after one year and we just threw them away this year. Those were junk batteries with not much customer support for the price paid.

Hello, I noticed your conversation regarding our batteries and wanted to offer some assistance. First and foremost, I want to make everyone aware that not everyone who sells our batteries online are authorized retailers and may not provide any warranty service.

OPTIMA-authorized online retailers will:

-Ship OPTIMA products in approved shipment packaging.
-Answer their own toll-free service phone number during business hours.
-Adhere to and honor the OPTIMA factory warranty policy.
-Provide an in-house warranty program.

Please ensure any retailer you are considering is in compliance with our recommended customer service requirements before making a purchase. If you are unsure whether someone is an authorized OPTIMA Batteries retailer, please call us at 1-888-8-OPTIMA.

mgoblue06, as fountain4play indicated, the 34M BlueTop is the marine equivalent of our RedTop starting battery and would not be appropriate for deep-cycle use, which would include large audio systems, trolling motors, etc... The Group D27M is physically larger than the D34M and will offer more cranking amps and reserve capacity, but they are also more expensive. If you typically run your stereo for extended periods of time with the engine off, you may want to consider an isolated starting battery. That way, you can run your stereo until those batteries are totally discharged and not have to worry about having enough juice to start your engine(s).

The only reason someone should use multiple RedTops in an application is if they need significant cranking amps to start an engine- my diesel truck uses two. Beyond instances such as that, multiple battery banks should use batteries designed for deep-cycle use, which would include any of our BlueTops, except for the 34M. Internally, our YellowTops are identical to our Bluetops, except for the previously-mentioned 34M, but YellowTops do not offer the threaded top post terminals.

While AGM batteries will generally perform better and last longer than their flooded counterparts, not all AGM batteries are the same. Some AGM manufacturers use recycled lead, which is still better than a flooded battery (which also probably uses recycled lead), but will not offer the same performance as a battery that uses pure lead. Manufacturers that use pure lead aren't afraid to let you know (we use 99.99% pure virgin lead).

As far as charging our batteries, most battery chargers will work just fine on our batteries, but we suggest avoiding “gel” or “AGM/gel” charger settings, as they may not fully-charge non-gel batteries and could damage them over time. All lead-acid batteries (including Optimas) will perform better and last longer when they are properly-maintained (using maintenance chargers is absolutely fine). Fully-charged, our BlueTops will measure about 13.0-13.2 volts, except for the 34M, which will measure about 12.6-12.8 volts.

Whenever any battery is discharged below 12.4 volts and left in that state, sulfation begins to form in the battery, which reduces performance and lifespan. That makes a quality battery maintenance device an excellent investment for any boat that doesn't see regular, year-round use. Chargers and maintainers that are microprocessor-controlled tend to be more expensive than those that are not, but they are worth the extra cost. If anyone has any questions about our batteries, I'll do my best to answer them.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.pinterest.com/optimabatteries

Yup got two engergizers from them and runs the stereo for 3-4hours without killing them.

Deka all the way. I have one that powers my 496 HO thats been in it for four years. I have one in my four cylinder outboard thats been in it for five years. Both recently checked with a load test and both tested fine for more service. Your choice...:Score-101010:

My first set of blue tops lasted 3 months. Complete junk. I returned them and swapped them out for a new set. Those replacements lasted 5 years. Not too shabby. They were my all purpose starting and tunes batteries. Despite that, I'd never pay that kind of money again. For that dough, I can buy 6 regular batteries and swap them out every two years and still be ahead.