Lifeline Battery Competitor: Odyssey PC1800-FT

[travelite]

These are interesting:

http://www.batterymart.com/p-pc1800-ft-odyssey-marine-battery.html?gclid=CL7PocrorNICFYc6gQodiyEDqA
(http://www.batterymart.com/p-pc1800-ft-odyssey-marine-battery.html?gclid=CL7PocrorNICFYc6gQodiyEDqA)
Made in the USA. Max charge rate of 3.1C. 3.3 milli-ohm internal resistance. 3800A short circuit current. 137 pounds, 214AH. All for $430 per battery.

[GoneCrazy]

Interesting Read. Is the price You quoted for a 8D ? I just got new Lifelines , And I hope My next Set will be Li ? ( Lithium Ion ) If the price of them come down enough in the next 4-5 yrs ?

[travelite]

Hi GoneCrazy,

They're a goofy size: 22.87" x 4.92" x 12.46" (LxWxH). Neither a 4D nor an 8D. The standard 4D is: 20.76" x 8.70" x 8.64". They're smaller in volume than a 4D, 1400 cu in versus 1560, but they weigh more than a Lifeline GPL-4D. I'm not sure if I have 12.46" of vertical clearance in my H3. May have to lay them down and stack them two high. Frankly, I'm not sure what Lifeline's are going for these days. Last time I bought a set was seven years ago. The cheapest I've found the PC1800-FT is $424 over here:

https://www.apexbattery.com/odyssey-pc1800-ft-marine-battery.html?gclid=CNCitt6or9ICFZKCswod06AF-Q

They still need to be tested in a Vantare using Donny Myers' methodology: turn off big loads and let the batteries deplete slowly, let the generator start, completely charge the batteries, repeat four times. If the generator struggles while starting, then the batteries don't have the reserve necessary for a Vantare. Remember, Vantare's don't have a separate generator start battery, but that's a different story. The PC1800-FT has more reserve capacity, 475 minutes at 25 Amps versus the Lifeline GPL-4D's 390 minutes, so I'm hopeful that the Odyssey will perform well in this test.

I've long been a fan of Odyssey AGM's. I use them just about everywhere: gates, tractors, motorcycles, etc. Great batteries:


https://youtu.be/JkstixBuwjc

[Gil_J]

I have wondered why converters haven't selected batteries designed for the Telecom industry. I guessing they haven't even considered them. Their foot print can be advantageous in some applications as it would eliminate stacked battery boxes. Telecom batteries also have to conform to some pretty strict Telecom standards for indoor use, which can't hurt with most converters installing the batteries in the storage bays.

Here's another respected US made manufacture's product, http://www.northstarbattery.com/blue-plus-battery. Northstar's also has a red series of batteries that are unusual in that they are designed for high heat applications.

I want to move my house battery bank out of the engine bay. If my Full River (Chinese made) AGMs weren't holding up so well, I'd give serious consideration to these Telecom batteries. Given the value of the Odessy battery David provided, it's almost a no brainerd for those that can easily adapt to that form factor.