Dave, never thought that for a moment my friend. I don't bruise that easily and certainly didn't feel I was being dug up.
One really crucial, important, deciding factor here that I wouldn't want to you overlook is that I didn't fit an Optima in the boot because I was all starry eyed about Optimas. I have said already it was the ONLY battery that would fit. It's a really tricky space next to the wheel tub and there are braces from the drawers etc. I went to a big battery place (and I mean like area 51 battery warehouse) and they brought out all sorts of batteries for me. I could fit a small one but it was about the size of my quad battery. Every model had an issue. Too wide, too tall, too long. And then this chap wanders out on his lunch break and says "You need an Optima." They all looked at him and called him names as he shuffled off with his tuna and sweetcorn wrap. He ambles back with a dummy Optima yellow and plops it straight in the space. Because it has 6 off set coils it doesn't have a square foot print. And it was a perfect fit. End of story.
So that's why I have one. OK so why do I have two then? Well simple. I have tried to build in all manner of redundancy into my vehicle. And I figured that having interchangeable parts was the key. So the front battery will fit in the back battery space. The Optima having central lugs will also swap and fit in the cranking space.. The only thing I can't do is put the cranking battery in the leisure space, but if both Yellows are down it must be the end of the world
So, love em or hate em. Used to love em, now think they're crap. Think people talk hokey about them. Think they're over priced and no better than one from Halfords, it really doesn't matter a shit to me. They fit and work just fine in my build and that's all I can really say. They are not just an overpriced battery, they are different. I have a Victron system on board and I monitor the energy consumed and the voltage against the state of charge. It seems clear to me that they run in a different way a bit like some of these fancy LED torches. They push out an almost constant voltage and then stop. Unlike the more familiar linear drain I get from a normal battery. Even when the Optima gets to something like 60% charge it's still up in the 12 point something volts. Between the Victron and the CTEK I do believe that this is a good combination. Would I buy Optimas to drop left and right into a standard 80 for starting the engine? Not a chance. What the hell would I do that for. Nope. Normal car parts shop for me and I'd probably get 6 or 7 years out of them. Where you need a normal battery, buy a normal battery. An Optima isn't going to give you anything extra. But so far in this set up, I'm liking the Yellow.
Did I mention that it fits .....
By they way I have battery temp sensors on there too. Not a freakin clue if they do anything.
One really crucial, important, deciding factor here that I wouldn't want to you overlook is that I didn't fit an Optima in the boot because I was all starry eyed about Optimas. I have said already it was the ONLY battery that would fit. It's a really tricky space next to the wheel tub and there are braces from the drawers etc. I went to a big battery place (and I mean like area 51 battery warehouse) and they brought out all sorts of batteries for me. I could fit a small one but it was about the size of my quad battery. Every model had an issue. Too wide, too tall, too long. And then this chap wanders out on his lunch break and says "You need an Optima." They all looked at him and called him names as he shuffled off with his tuna and sweetcorn wrap. He ambles back with a dummy Optima yellow and plops it straight in the space. Because it has 6 off set coils it doesn't have a square foot print. And it was a perfect fit. End of story.
So that's why I have one. OK so why do I have two then? Well simple. I have tried to build in all manner of redundancy into my vehicle. And I figured that having interchangeable parts was the key. So the front battery will fit in the back battery space. The Optima having central lugs will also swap and fit in the cranking space.. The only thing I can't do is put the cranking battery in the leisure space, but if both Yellows are down it must be the end of the world
So, love em or hate em. Used to love em, now think they're crap. Think people talk hokey about them. Think they're over priced and no better than one from Halfords, it really doesn't matter a shit to me. They fit and work just fine in my build and that's all I can really say. They are not just an overpriced battery, they are different. I have a Victron system on board and I monitor the energy consumed and the voltage against the state of charge. It seems clear to me that they run in a different way a bit like some of these fancy LED torches. They push out an almost constant voltage and then stop. Unlike the more familiar linear drain I get from a normal battery. Even when the Optima gets to something like 60% charge it's still up in the 12 point something volts. Between the Victron and the CTEK I do believe that this is a good combination. Would I buy Optimas to drop left and right into a standard 80 for starting the engine? Not a chance. What the hell would I do that for. Nope. Normal car parts shop for me and I'd probably get 6 or 7 years out of them. Where you need a normal battery, buy a normal battery. An Optima isn't going to give you anything extra. But so far in this set up, I'm liking the Yellow.
Did I mention that it fits .....
By they way I have battery temp sensors on there too. Not a freakin clue if they do anything.
