Which Battery for Dual Battery Setup?

[cbboard]

i got my traxide dual battery setup in from australia last week and plan to install it this weekend. i haven't decided on my second battery yet. it seems like most people are using the yellow top D34. i am thinking of getting this diehard marine battery platinum PM-2-34M. i am hoping it fits. if any one has any thoughts, they would be appreciated. thanks!

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...blockNo=3&blockType=G3&blockNo=3&blockType=G3

 

[ryan-in-oregon]

Definately go with a deep cycle battery which ever you choose......Especially for running the accessories with out the engine running!!

 

[Disco Mike]

Well, as you can see, I run Yellow Tops and have for sometime. That being said, you must run matched batteries when running dual and if I had to do it over, I might switch to the Sears battery based on it's manufacturer and output.
What will you be using your's for?

 

[cbboard]

Well, as you can see, I run Yellow Tops and have for sometime. That being said, you must run matched batteries when running dual and if I had to do it over, I might switch to the Sears battery based on it's manufacturer and output.
What will you be using your's for?

thanks for the replies. what do you mean by matched batteries? my main cranking battery is an interstate mega-tron plus. the main use of the 2nd battery will be to run an ARB fridge full time. the two new 12 volt sockets in the rear will be used for fans/lights/inverter when camping.

http://www.interstatebatteries.com/...17&Title=Mega-Tron+Plus+-+85+Months+-+720+CCA

http://www.sears.com:80/shc/s/p_101...o=3&blockType=G3&prdNo=3&i_cntr=1284734009443

i went to sears and fitted the Diehard platimun marine D34 into the 2nd compartment. it fits, however the leads are a few millimeters to tall for the cover to fit just perfectly over them. the specs on the diehard are way better than the yellowtop as is its warranty (plus its about $20 cheaper).

i just don't know if the fit is going to be a big issue. will it be a problem if the leads come into contact with the plastic cover? or would it be a problem to just leave the cover off? i might just get the dremel out and cut several holes in the battery cover and rig up a new clamp to go over the battery. modifying the leads on the battery will void the warranty.

sorry for the stupid questions. i am an idiot when it comes to electrical projects.

 

[Disco Mike]

Is this a D1 or D2?
Matched batteries usually are used when you are maintaining a charge on both batteries at the same time. Most systems will not totally charge both batteries the same if they are not the same brand, age and condition.

 

[whydahdvr]

On my old Army jeep (1952 Willys M38) it uses a 24V system - two matched batteries in series. Both need to be charged together on a compatible system or separately as they can drain each other if one is low, particularly on cranking and starting.
A matched set where both are being fed electricity by your alternator will help to reduce poor charging or odd loads on the electrical system. That's about the extent of my knowledge but I know on this and the disco3.uk site there is a lot of discussion about dual battery set ups.

 

[schafari]

I have the DieHard Platinum and althought it could fit wiht modification, I decided to go with the Optima as it is a perfect fit. I have both batties. I use the Platinum in the rear of the truck in a battery case with the Traxide Anderson connectors on it. I have the big charging cable from the front going to the back wiht the Anderson connectors on it. I have the Opitma in the 2nd battery area. In this config, my truck as three batts. Two AGM and one wet starting battery. It is all managed by the Traxide controller. Love the set up.

My two cents, even though I already had the fantastic Die Hard Platinum (Really the highly regarded Odyessy batt) battery, I purchased a new Optima due to it being a perfect fit, while the Platinum would require much visible modification.

 

[gdrider77]

I put in both a new optima redtop for main, and a yellowtop for my second. Didnt want to pay/wait for the official LR batt brackets, so fabbed my own it actually works better than the stock one, as it is made to fit the optima, vs the factory which is raised and fits a bit funky...

 

[MilehighLR3]

First, I'll qualify my answer . . I'm an engineer, working the battery business for more than 25 years .. . . more than 15 of my 25 was spent actually designing and developing automotive batteries . . . . up until almost 2 years ago I was employed by Optima, if you've ever been to SEMA and stopped by the booth with questions, I was likely the person that answered them.

I'm not going to try and convince everyone that Optima is the beat all, end all.

DiscoMike is right, the reason you want to pair like tech and age batteries is because in a parallel string, the batteries will always "search" for a level voltage state. You have a much better chance of achieving this by matching the batteries.

The example of the old 24V Military setup is a little different, while an engineer would say it's not an ideal situation to put two different batteries in the series string, provided the batteries are both nominaly 12V you can get away with it, for a period of time before imbalance occurs (unless there is excessive discharge currents).

DiscoMike is also correct that the Odyssey and Platinum come for the same producer. Actually the same plant in Warrensburg, MO. Internally they are identical.

Personally I own a Optima for my Jeep and an Odyssey for my track-day M Roadster. I've not changed out my Rover battery yet as I've only owned the truck for two weeks.

When picking the battery, you really have to ask yourself (and be honest) how the battery is going to be used. Note, the battery ratings are industry standard values (better said, SAE specification attainment values), so use caution when using the ratings as a primary decision factor. For those like DiscoMike that likely use their accessories (winch/off-road lights) more frequently than say, someone using their third row seating, Optima is probably the better choice. It's more tolerant of voltage swings, has overall better high current power (meaning less voltage drop under high loads, ie a loaded winch pull)

For those that are more into dry camping or like to illuminate their campsite with their bank of OR lights, the Platinum/Odyssey would be the better choice. They offer generally better Ampere Hour capacities (ie fuel tank) in the same footprint.

If you blend both of these worlds, I would choose the Platinum/Odyssey as that is likely what I'll put into my LR3. Although, admittedly, I've had my Optima for almost 8 years.

Brief history note, Odyssey and Optima were born out of the same R&D lab in Denver, CO. Their technologies are very similar, although the design/construction approach is different.

Hope you found this to be a non-biased opinion, and I'm happy to field any battery related questions.