i had battery problems too with corrosion from the battery eating my positive and negative cables which caused me to have to replace both cables plus the positive circuit breaker thingamajigs. figured, let me research the best battery alternative to crap batteries that eventually gas and spew acid. the odyssey does neither. anyways, here's the 411 on Odyssey batteries!
btw, here's the model you'll need to get: Odyssey PC1700MJT Battery
best deal i found on the net, plus because of its advanced Mil-Spec design its safe for shipping via UPS:
http://www.batterymart.com/p-odyssey...t-battery.html hmmm, looks as if its on back-order, but you get the idea. search the web, plenty more places to order it.
Your Question: Why is the Odyssey better than Optima and is it worth the cost difference?
When comparing Optima to an Odyssey, you are comparing a 10 year old technology to a brand new one. To be more specific, the parent company (Enersys) invented and has owned both products. They owned the Optima technology and plant and finally sold off Optima over ten years ago to move on to creating Odyssey. The older spiral product and technology was abandoned because of the new technology which is now Hawker, trolling thunder, and now Odyssey.
Specifics:
Warranty
4 year full replacement vs. 1.5 year prorated
1 to 2 psi vs. 6-8psi bunsen valves
lower psi still vent while charging and this alone can contribute to failure as well as gassing
pure virgin lead vs. recycled lead
pure lead lasts longer
old spiral agm vs. thin plate
spiral equals less usable space, less reserve, less shock and vibration ability
lower resistance
charges faster, puts out higher cranking amps, contributes to longer life
more lead in the same physical size
The last one here is critical for the troll motor application. The amount of lead in a battery is the contributing factor when determining reserve capacity, or the ability to run electronics, pumps, lights, or a troll motor. Look at the physical weight of a battery compared to the same group size of a competing battery. For example.
Optima grp 24 weighs 38 lbs (34M) and an Odyssey grp 24 weighs 55 lbs (1500T).
Optima grp 31 weighs 59lbs D31M and an Odyssey grp 31 weighs 78lbs (2150)
Flooded vs. AGM (a personal choice)
Flooded product is less expensive and lasts a couple of years. The good thing about it is it is cheap. The bad thing is you have to add water, you have to deal with corrosion, and you have to replace every couple of years. There are reasons why they do not last long. By design they calcify faster because they loose charge faster. This is an issue because it leads to internal failure. The more calcification the more resistance, the more resistance the more heat and finally failure. By keeping them on an onboard trickle charger you have serious gassing issues and drying out concerns unless you constantly maintain them. Most manufactures of flooded product use recycled lead with calcium and antimony which contribute to the internal failure of the product. It makes life shorter, but it makes manufacturing cheaper. That is why you can save money and buy a 50 dollar grp 24. I wanted to get away from all of that flooded maintenance. If you do go the flooded route buy the heaviest one you can find in the size you like because weight equals reserve capacity.
AGM is more expensive, it lasts longer, and can be a set it and forget it solution for many years. The bad thing is the initial cost and there are a lot of garbage AGM’s out in the market. Some AGM's dry out in the first couple of years because of poor bunsen valve technology. Some have little lead and are not good for reserve capacity. Some claim to be AGM and are a flooded/AGM product. A Odyssey AGM has a service life of 6 to 10 years. They are maintenance free and can be left on an automatic charger like a ProMariner for the life of the battery. No worries about gassing or drying out. Look at the warranty of the product you are going to buy. Most of the Odyssey batteries have a 4 year full replacement.
I spent some time putting this together and I really enjoy discussing batteries. I tried to just give the facts, but I am an Odyssey fan and have one in everything I own that takes a battery.
- reply i got from a battery supplier
found this video!
http://www.nmratv.com/index.php?stre...flv&playlist=1
here's the specs...
PC 1700MJT Specs:
1700 cranking amps for 5 seconds
1540 cranking amps for 10 seconds
1355 cranking amps for 20 seconds
68 amp hours
Short circuit current over 3500A
142 minute reserve capacity with 25amp load
With metal jacket and SAE automotive terminals
Length 13.02"
Width 6.62"
Height 7.68" including terminals
Weighs 60.9 lbs
Odyssey design:
3 year full warranty
Rugged Drycell sealed design
Military grade
Vibration resistant
60% more starting power
Deep discharge reserve power
2 year storage life
8-12 year design life
Can be mounted in any orientation
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per fellow titan forum member John Harden:
You get what you pay for.
In short, they are dry cell, dual use batteries in that they are BOTH a starting and deep cycle battery. They are also built for extreme use and have MilSpec high vibration resistance.
They also come with a non pro-rated warranty, which means if it fails during the warranty period for any reason, you get a replacement free of charge.
Are they the best batteries in the world. I doubt it, though they are extremely good. Mine in the bed is mounted on its side, which they are designed for.
Optima's are good batteries too as are the ProComp's, and all the other dry cell types. They don't quite have the power of the Odyssey's but they are still very good. You many not need all this power or care about the warranty, so it may not be the best choice for you. I particularly liked how the 1700 just slid right in and clamped down using the existing tray and clamping system.
The Odyssey I chose can provide 3.6 amps for over 20 hours before dropping to 10 volts, which is plenty of power for me.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
John
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The challenge with our trucks is that the positive terminal is the reverse of what is typical.
Optima's are great batteries, but in my opinion, Odyssey's are tough to beat. They are true, dual purpose batteries in that they are both starting and deep cycle. I just bought two, PC1700MJT's for my truck. One for the bed as an auxiliary battery and the other for under the hood. Shop around and you can find them for as low as $205 plus shipping of $25-$40 depending on where you are.
Nice thing about this model of Odyssey is it slips right in to the spot where your factory, 710 battery is. It is slightly larger, but MUCH more powerful.
Also, the positive terminal is on the correct side and position on the battery so your OEM positive terminal slides right down on it with no modification.
You can check out the Odyssey battery I bought at the link below. They make quite a few models with this one rated at 875 CCA's at 0F and 1700 PHCA's!!!!
http://www.batterymart.com/p-odyssey...t-battery.html
Regards,
John
