jchappies

So you agree if we're talking about a 30ft pull any battery will work...even one that is half the price of the Odyssey....which has been my point the whole time.

jchappies

I know your an engineer which baffles my mind that you can't of don't understand the effects a high current dc motor has on a single source power supply and how that effects other systems on the same power source when voltage and current are being drained by the winch. If the alt can't keep up with the power draw at some point other systems will be effected....unless your on a dual battery setup. Yes the Odyssey and Deka or other battery will work for a 30ft pull but you've been throwing out this 300ft vs 382ft pulls but at that point the battery is drained. and on a single source power supply that is effecting other systems as well.

Rednroll

Yes, I agree. I said earlier that the Deka battery is one of the best values. Is there anything wrong with saying that? The only disagreement came in when you stated it performed just as good as the Odyssey/Enersys batteries and that is just not the case. That doesn't mean the Deka batteries aren't good. It just means the Odyssey is a step above in performance. In fact when Sears still sold the Diehard Platinum, we all knew that was a rebranded Odyssey, just like we know that the Die Hard Gold is a rebranded Deka. So they were even sold that way as being at different levels of performance by Sears. On par with the Odyssey batteries are the Nortstar batteries, but again they also cost more like the Odyssey.

We're just talking about 2 different options. You decided to go with a dual battery setup using 2 of the more cost effective Deka batteries. I decided to go with a higher performance, yet more expensive battery for a similar end goal because I didn't want a dual battery setup. I didn't feel purchasing 2 separate batteries at half the cost, and additionally spending another $480 on top of that really points itself to a good value setup but if it works for you, that's fine. A single higher cost, higher performance battery with a simpler mod path works better for me and if I was worried I would run into a situation where I found myself often draining my battery during winching, then I could just purchase a battery pack.

When I looked at the Genesis dual battery setup there were a lot of holes I could punch in this story they have shown.


What that diagram doesn't show is the 3rd power source which is the alternator. Their intended use seems to be....drain the AUX battery at some camping outing without your vehicle running, and the setup will protect you from running down the starter battery while you're doing that. However, notice in their diagram they don't show that 3rd power source and what happens when the vehicle is running, while you're running your accessories. I can draw that total circuit diagram up, analyze it and punch holes in that scenario since the alternator is directly tied to the starter battery.

So let me start with one of those questions to think about. They say "when" the "Main"/starter battery reaches 12.7 volts, it will isolate the Main battery from the Aux battery, so that your accessories don't continue to drain the Main starter battery. Ok...sounds great. What is it doing when the vehicle is running and the alternator is put in parallel with that Main battery and the alternator is now putting out 14 Volts? It's not switching off of that main battery if the main battery is actually sitting at 12.7 Volts now is it? The Main battery will now be sitting at 14 Volts due to the alternator running. So how much are you really isolating your main starter battery now that it is connected in parallel with that 3rd power source, which is the alternator?

Notice how they say in that diagram, "After 2 minutes" of the Main battery measuring above 13.2 Volts, it will connect the Main and Aux together. Well hello? They're not really measuring the voltage of the main battery in that scenario. They're measureing the voltage of the alternating and are just setting a 2 minute timer where the only thing they know when they connect the batteries back together is that your Jeep has been running for 2 minutes, because the Alternator raised the voltage above 13.2Volts.

Rednroll

I explained where the 300ft vs 382ft makes the biggest difference in detail. It's an extra 82 foot of winch pulling that can be done....BTW without the vehicle running...which would still leave you plenty of power still stored in the battery for starting/running.

Look, I stated this earlier. The Odyssey battery weighs 10 more lbs than the same size Deka battery. That's 10 more lbs of internal battery material compressed into the same Group size 34 package. That's the reason the Odyssey battery out performs the Deka battery. It's no secret that more material=more power when it comes to batteries. That's the reason the Odyssey battery has higher RC and CCA specs than the Deka battery of the exact same group size and that's a significant reason why it costs more as well. Look at the weight of the Northstar batteries I also posted. It's the same story.

jchappies

I can see how that can be confusing, according to Genesis and your diagram from them even if the engine is running the smart isolator will disconnect if the main voltage drops under 12.7, now in a winching operation this could happen multiple times connecting and disconnecting the main so it doesn't affect other systems on the main battery and it lets the aux battery be used to it full potential.