Re: [T2] Gel Battery

[George Lyle <glyle@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 28 Sep 2001, Jim Hood wrote:

> John:
>
> Optima's are great.  More expensive, but worth the money.  You'll need
to get a starter battery (red top) and a deep cycle battery (yellow top).
They're about the same size as any other battery, so they'll fit fine.
If your charging system is working for the 2 batteries you have now,
it'll work with the 2 Optima's.  By the way, don't pay retail.  I just
bought a yellow top from a place in New Mexico called TNT Distributing.
$127, plus $16 shipping, $143 to my doorstep.  I can get you a phone
number if you can't find them on the web.

Let's see.  I pay about $40 for a Pep boys "72-month" Exide battery, which
lasts about 5 years and which can be refilled with water if needed.  Pep Boys
gives no hassles if I do a warranty return.

To get the same value, the Optima would have to last for 15 years.  A
listee (forget if it was the VB or T2 list) recently had an optima fail.
He had to wait while the battery was shipped back to Optima to be
"evaluated" and then had to pay a "restocking fee" to get a replacement
battery under the Optima warranty!  What a hassle!  Read the fine print!

Also, if your voltage regulator goes out and boils the electrolyte away,
you are out of luck with a sealed battery.  With the normal battery, you
pop the caps and put a little water in.

Think before you spend big bucks on an Optima.  They are a trick item,
good for high-vibration, unusual attitude applications, but a bus is
really neither of these.

George Lyle