AGM DC for cranking battery?? Suzuki 250SS

[Plunker]

Whats the voltage/amperage output of the Suzuki that has you worried?

[Warreye]

54a alternator. As always the internet has some horror stories. Melts some electronic thingy on engine when using AGM, or that AGM's no likey a heavy charge continuous stream like an alternator puts out. Trying to separate what's truth from fiction is a dirty job and I'm not good at it when it comes to things I don't know much about, like batteries.

So what do I do? I ask the internet....

Originally Posted by Plunker

Whats the voltage/amperage output of the Suzuki that has you worried?

[JAK]

If you are concerned about using AGM batteries connected to your Zuki, then you might consider these ...Trojan SCS 225 group 30. You could run two of these in parallel and not have the charging concerns.

These batteries have some of the best specs I have found for a wet cell lead acid battery. I have one of these for my Starting/electronics battery. I run 3 Solix units and two live wells along with other normal boat stuff. I do not have any issues with running out of power.

Here is a link to the specs. - https://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/da...ata_Sheets.pdf

I will warn you, they are not cheap, but they are a quality battery! Look at the RC, the 25 amp draw capacity, and the battery weight. These 3 things should give you a good indication of how strong this particular battery is.

They don't list marine cranking amps (MCA), but the CCA is 625 @0 degrees F. and the CA are 820 @ 32 degrees F. That means the MCA should be around 920-950 for one battery. Combine two of them in parallel and you would have well over 1800 MCA.

Just make sure to use at least 6 gauge jumpers. Also hook the engine positive to one battery and the engine negative to the other battery. Yes, it does make a difference!

My plans are to add a second one of these and run them in parallel if I have issues running out of juice.

I do use group 31 AGMs for my 36 volt T/M system.

Good Luck

[Keuka]

If you haven't already done so, it may be a good idea for you to refer to websites like "Battery University" or others if you're searching for a clearer picture of the pros and cons of the different types of marine batteries along with their limitations . These sites usually have a search function where you can compare, for example, "Wet Cell vs AMG". I've found their information valuable and you may find it helpful also. They will likely also refer to the requirements or limitations regarding charging systems.

As we push our charging systems and electronics closer to their upper limits, it tends to complicate things. Remember how simple and fun it was back when we were kids, fishing with just a worm, a bobber and a push button Zebco Reel off the dock? Myself, I seem to be spending more time working on fishing gadgets than I do fishing.

[Warreye]

Yes, it was fun, simple and wonderful. I also think the ability to hunt fish w/ the use of electronics is awesome. CPR Catch Photo Release

[TomP.]

On my boat I run an Exide( l labeled for Menards $119 ) group 31 dual purpose 1050 CCA it runs 3 helix 12`s and everything else on the boat and up to 9 hours of fishing with out starting the big motor has been great. My Opti always starts right up and they recommend minimum of 1000CCA to start it.

[Warreye]

I decided this week I'm going with 2 Duracell platinum AGM 31 DC's. 1000 ca. Sam's $179 Running them in parallel for all start and house tasks. I can monitor the volts thru my Humminbirds or garmin and if it ever gets close to 12.0, I'll start the engine. I'll take the gamble on AGM's as a start battery now and if they fail, I'll only have to get the lesson once.

Buying 5 of them. 3 for TM and the 2 mentioned above.

Appreciate all the input...

[Keuka]

I'm running two of them on my 24 volt Terrova. They're isolated from the engine and maintained only with the onboard AC Minn Kota Smart Charger. They seem to hold a charge very well.

[Warreye]

I knew I'd find more questions...

2- 31 DC AGM's of same batteries ran in parallel>>> 1 bank 10 amp charger? 2 bank x 10 amp charger? 2 bank x 20 amp (10 amps per bank) charger? I do not intend to isolate batteries while charging. They will remain in parallel.

[Plunker]

2 bank 10 amp charger would suffice in my opinion, that is 10 amps per bank. That is what I run.