Outdoor Adventure USA

This battery would only be used to power a stationary dual band radio and will never be used for starting a car. I am considering the Optima D34M Blue Top. This would be used to power a FT-7900R.

The Optima Blue Top is a good choice for powering radios - it is a AGM (Advanced Glass Mat) Gelled electrolyte design, which has excellent storage capacity and a quick recharge rate. The Blue Top is a marine type battery, so it has both standard automotive terminals and wing-nut marine terminals (easy radio connections) on the top.

The only battery I'd recommend over the Optima is the Odyssey - it's mil-spec, and available in a metal-jacketed version for protection when being knocked around from place to place. The Odysseys have a longer warranty and more sizes to choose from, but they are more expensive as well.

You also want to be sure to use a battery charger / maintainer that is designed specifically to work with AGM-type batteries. The charging current and algorithm are different than for a free-acid style battery, and many low-cost chargers will not do a good job of keeping an AGM battery up to snuff.

cruiserlarry wrote:You also want to be sure to use a battery charger / maintainer that is designed specifically to work with AGM-type batteries. The charging current and algorithm are different than for a free-acid style battery, and many low-cost chargers will not do a good job of keeping an AGM battery up to snuff.

What type of battery tender do you recommend? I now have two AGM batteries in my truck and need something to keep them ready to go until I get all my wiring sorted out.

EDIT: just found this one. Would this work for full-sized truck batteries?

http://www.powerwerx.com/batteries-char ... r-12v.html

sdnative wrote: What type of battery tender do you recommend? I now have two AGM batteries in my truck and need something to keep them ready to go until I get all my wiring sorted out.

I suggest this one: (waterproof Battery Tender 5.0A output)

Here is the link to the web site... http://batterytender.com/products.htm/ Cool products! Very interesting. Thanks Larry.

JJ

My understanding is that AGM battery chargers need to have a specific AGM setting on them or they can damage the battery. My batterytender does not work on my yellow top. It will always say charging. This is because AGM batteries have a lower peak voltage than a lead acid. I use a charger like this that has a setting for Lead acid, AGM, and gel cell. (this is similar but mine is the 12a)
http://www.apexbattery.com/schumacher-s ... leproducts

jgorm wrote:My understanding is that AGM battery chargers need to have a specific AGM setting on them or they can damage the battery. My battery tender does not work on my yellow top. It will always say charging. This is because AGM batteries have a lower peak voltage than a lead acid. I use a charger like this that has a setting for Lead acid, AGM, and gel cell.

You are correct in theory, but the Delron Battery Tender I posted is designed with circuits specifically for AGM batteries. I'm not sure what model you have, but I've been using them for over 10 years with no issues.

cruiserlarry wrote:You are correct in theory, but the Delron Battery Tender I posted is designed with circuits specifically for AGM batteries.

I found this on their site.

This charging profile was developed by Deltran engineers in conjunction with manufacturers of Sealed, AGM (Absorbed Glass Matte), Lead Acid batteries. This particular algorithm, the Adaptive 4 Step AGM Charging Algorithm is only available on the higher-powered Battery Tender? products: the 300 and 600-Watt SuperSmart® High Frequency (Golf Cart style) chargers, and the High Powered, DVD and DVS dual and single output portable chargers.

Mine is the 1.25A and does not support the AGM batteries.

jgorm wrote:Mine is the 1.25A and does not support the AGM batteries.

I use the 5.0amp waterproof units, and they do support AGM...AGM batteries generally require higher charging currents, so that would explain the 1.25amp model being unable to use the AGM algorithm...

The smaller 1.25amp units are designed more towards motorcycle / small capacity batteries, IMO...

cruiserlarry wrote: The smaller 1.25amp units are designed more towards motorcycle / small capacity batteries, IMO...

I bought it to maintain batteries on vehicles that i don't drive often enough. I use that 12a charger i mentioned earlier for all charging.