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Brian Brown (Rtiqulatendisco)
Member
Username: Rtiqulatendisco

Post Number: 66
Registered: 01-2004
Posted on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 02:49 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Will be purchasing a new battery soon and wanted a yellow top but the local costco only has red or blue. The blue top is only $139 which is slightly less then some of the yellow tops I've seen. Is there any reason not to get the blue over the yellow? Looks like the blue top has additional terminals for electrical equipment.

Thanks
 

Sven S (Sven95lwb)
New Member
Username: Sven95lwb

Post Number: 28
Registered: 08-2003
Posted on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 02:58 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Blue is meant for boats, marine, etc. I think it has wing nuts on it for the terminals.
 

Loyd Stearman (Loydster)
New Member
Username: Loydster

Post Number: 14
Registered: 02-2004
Posted on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 04:48 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Blue is deep cycle only. I dont think it will work well for an automotive application. I had a yellow top in my Zr2 Blazer and will purchase another one when it is time.
 

Brian Dickens (Bri)
Senior Member
Username: Bri

Post Number: 1049
Registered: 08-2002
Posted on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 06:25 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

IMHO there is no reason to get the Yellow. Maybe a winch with a dual battery setup would rationalize a yellow but as long as you have a red as well.

Seriously though red is the way to go for a general purpose battery if you must have Optima.

BUT, I'd do a cheaper battery next time. Likely something like a good exide or duralast along with a yellow for the winch.
 

Captain Spalding (Captainspalding)
New Member
Username: Captainspalding

Post Number: 6
Registered: 03-2004
Posted on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 11:54 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Blue and yellow top optimas are both deep cycle batteries. Many people who run a two-battery system use a red top and a yellow top. The red for starting the engine, and the yellow for the winch or light bar or other heavy-drain applications.

From the Optima Battery Website FAQ:


What is the difference between your deep cycle and starter battery?

The OPTIMA deep cycle battery utilizes a different chemistry for the active paste material on the plates, and a slightly stronger acid. This chemistry changes allows for a much longer life in cycling applications, with only a slight reduction in power.


What does deep cycle mean?

Deep cycle means using the battery in an application that will typically discharge 60% to 70% or more of the batter y capacity. An automotive battery is an SLI (starting, lighting, ignition) battery. It's plates are designed to deliver maximum power for a short duration. Starting a car typically discharges an SLI battery only 1% to 3%. When an SLI battery is used in a deep cycle application, or in a vehicle with heavy accessory loads, the battery life will be shortened proportionally to how deeply it is cycled on a regular basis.


When should I consider a deep cycle?

Any time you need the battery to supply all the operating power for a vehicle or other device. Additionally, deep cycle batteries should be used in vehicles that have heavy accessory loads where the alternator cannot maintain the battery in a fully charged condition.


When should I use a Deep Cycle OPTIMA as a Starting battery?

"Deep Cycle" batteries are designed for applications that require deep, repetitive amperage drain, like trolling motors, golf carts, and electric wheelchairs, or RV house power sources. However, there are other applications, called "Heavy Cycling" or "High Cycling", when a Deep Cycle OPTIMA can successfully replace a starting battery to provide longer life and better performance.

In heavy cycling or high cycling applications, a vehicle will pull unusually high amperage levels from the starting battery due to extra accessories or limited alternator capacity. Public safety professionals, such as police, fire, and ambulance fleet managers often find that traditional starting batteries cannot provide adequate life and performance due to heavy cycling. This is an excellent opportunity to provide your customer with longer life and better performance by using an OPTIMA Deep Cycle battery in this type of application.

In any vehicle or equipment that will use the battery only for Starting, Lighting, & Ignition requirements and has a properly working alternator, the OPTIMA Red Top Starting Battery will perform extremely well, often providing up to two to three times longer life than conventional batteries. If the vehicle has few or no after-market accessories and uses a stock or upgraded alternator, the OPTIMA Red Top Starting Battery is the appropriate choice.

Remember, it is possible for the customer to have a completely discharged Yellow Top OPTIMA that will not start their engine; the advantages of the Yellow Top are that it can accept a rapid recharge and it will recover from discharge many more times.

To provide the customer the best OPTIMA solution, it is, necessary to consider both the application and the charging system before recommending the correct OPTIMA. For example, if your customer has a Ford Expedition with an after-market alarm system, which OPTIMA would you recommend? If the customer drives the car every day, the Red Top would be the correct choice, since the amperage drain will be nominal and the battery would be recharged on a daily basis. However, if the customer stores the vehicle for a long period of time with the alarm system engaged, you should recommend the OPTIMA Yellow Top, since the amperage drain over several weeks would damage a Red Top and reduce its life.
 

Brian Brown (Rtiqulatendisco)
Member
Username: Rtiqulatendisco

Post Number: 67
Registered: 01-2004
Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 01:13 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Red is out of the question. Yellow can be used to start the truck just fine. I use yellow tops in the land cruiser. So, from the various correct/incorrect responses, there is no real difference between the blue and yellow? I'll be using it with lots of extra electrical equipment from winches to blenders and computers.
 

Loyd Stearman (Loydster)
New Member
Username: Loydster

Post Number: 15
Registered: 02-2004
Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 02:55 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

yellow is a mix of the red and blue. blue is a true deep cycle marine battery. yellow has (i believe) more cranking amps for sarting and less deep cycle properties than blue but more deep cycle properties than red and less cranking amps than red. I ran yellow due to a winch, multiamp stereo, radar detector and othe relctronics.

red if you crank and drive
yellow if oy want to run a winch etc
blue if you're a boat
 

Paul D. Morgan (V22guy)
Dweb Lounge Member
Username: V22guy

Post Number: 2684
Registered: 02-2002
Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 07:54 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post


quote:

red if you crank and drive
yellow if oy want to run a winch etc
blue if you're a boat




Listen to the Loydster.

 

Chris von C. (Chrisvonc)
Senior Member
Username: Chrisvonc

Post Number: 488
Registered: 07-2002
Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 09:49 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I agree, Loydster summed them up nice there.

Reds can be used fine in daily drivers.

Yellows are perfect for daily driving wheeling rigs running lights and winch. I have had a yellow in my disco for 4 year (w/stock alt) running 8 lights and a warn winch as well as a complement of various electronic here and there and its never sputtered in reliability once. The yellow is a very proven battery for Rovers.

 

charles pastrano (Charles)
Senior Member
Username: Charles

Post Number: 396
Registered: 08-2002
Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 09:56 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Sometimes I think and use my rover as a boat. Does that count?
 

Ed Mah (Emah)
New Member
Username: Emah

Post Number: 34
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 06:50 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

What about dual yellow top vs. blue D31m battery? Familiar with that beast and those specs.? I know it's not double the specs. of the 2 yellows but it seems to be adequate for most off-roading applications and cheaper. Thoughts on the single D31M beast vs. cost of dual set-up w/isolator etc....worth it or not?
Ed

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