8 replies to this topic

[Scarface]

Why did they place the 2 batteries where they did!?!?! I am convinced it was to keep the consumer coming to the dealer....Lets just say that I had an unfortunate Sat afternoon getting off in the water to only find that my batteries were dead! Dumb me didnt test them before I set the boat in, I was too excited! Getting them out isn't that bad, getting them in is what SUCKS! I took them out to make sure they had water in them... I hate how they made it to where you have to have the small nut in place on the inside where it is hard to get to, then tighten up the bolt. Took me a frustrating 1.5 hrs to get them back in...Almost tempted to relocate them to the storage place in front of the steering wheel where the fire ext. and tools are...Thought about putting a cd player there since I do manage a car audio store, cool custom idea, but it would be a heck of alot easier to have the batteries there!

[tiggerman]

Don't know why they did that. My 97 has only 1 battery, and it's in the rear corner on the port side. It is a single 12V, I think maybe yours are 6V?? Not sure. Seems there would be ample room under the storage bucket you are talking about. OR, see what it would take to convert to a single battery and get a tray for a 97....it has a strap that holds the battery down. Easy removal.
I've thought about a CD player for my boat, but haven't quite come up with the funds to doo it yet.

[Scarface]

Yeah I may see about relocating them up there, it's gonna be a job, I think for now I will wait until I absolutely have to do it, but the cd player idea keeps beating on my brain....I think right under the steering wheel there is enough room for a single din radio(standard size) but I am scared of cutting into the fiberglass, so I think I am going to make the storage area near the steering wheel into a spot to hold one..Then the only problem is finding somewhere for some marine speakers to mount, thats gonna be scary, I don't want to cut holes, if anything I might get some small enclosed speakers that use brackets to mount and use them to listen to....

[tiggerman]

Yeah I may see about relocating them up there, it's gonna be a job, I think for now I will wait until I absolutely have to do it, but the cd player idea keeps beating on my brain....I think right under the steering wheel there is enough room for a single din radio(standard size) but I am scared of cutting into the fiberglass, so I think I am going to make the storage area near the steering wheel into a spot to hold one..Then the only problem is finding somewhere for some marine speakers to mount, thats gonna be scary, I don't want to cut holes, if anything I might get some small enclosed speakers that use brackets to mount and use them to listen to....

....loud a$$ music!! I don't know if there is room under the wheel or not. Have you taken the bucket out of the storage arear and looked in there?
I'm with you as far as surface mount speakers go. I really don't want to cut big holes in the glass to mount speakers.....

[tiggerman]

Why did they place the 2 batteries where they did!?!?! I am convinced it was to keep the consumer coming to the dealer....Lets just say that I had an unfortunate Sat afternoon getting off in the water to only find that my batteries were dead! Dumb me didnt test them before I set the boat in, I was too excited! Getting them out isn't that bad, getting them in is what SUCKS! I took them out to make sure they had water in them... I hate how they made it to where you have to have the small nut in place on the inside where it is hard to get to, then tighten up the bolt. Took me a frustrating 1.5 hrs to get them back in...Almost tempted to relocate them to the storage place in front of the steering wheel where the fire ext. and tools are...Thought about putting a cd player there since I do manage a car audio store, cool custom idea, but it would be a heck of alot easier to have the batteries there!

I knew if I looked hard enough, I could find the article I read about converting from 2 batteries to 1. Look here for info on that as well as pics....... assuming yours are in the same location. http://www.angelfire...conversion.html

[Bob86ZZ4]

I like that idea about switching to one battery. I did find that getting the absorbed glass mat batteries made a big difference in my boat. I was always having the water/acid leak out of the standard batteries. But, those agm batts are expensive.

[tiggerman]

I like the idea of the AGM, expensive or not. I don't like the idea of battery acid leaking on my fiberglass, it could tend to rot it out. Where I work, we are an Interstate Battery dealer- I am waiting on a restock of the Optima AGM batteries so I may get one for myself. I'm sure the weight is about the same (the Optima weighs in at a whopping 43 pounds)as a wet lead acid.

[Scarface]

I like the idea of the AGM, expensive or not. I don't like the idea of battery acid leaking on my fiberglass, it could tend to rot it out. Where I work, we are an Interstate Battery dealer- I am waiting on a restock of the Optima AGM batteries so I may get one for myself. I'm sure the weight is about the same (the Optima weighs in at a whopping 43 pounds)as a wet lead acid.

you are an interstate dealer too? What type of work doo you doo?

[tiggerman]

Well, we are a home improvement center that happens to sell Interstate among other things. We deal mainly in distressed, closeout, and discontinued building materials. We also sell appliances at wholesale and retail.
The Optima SC34DM is the right one for the job, but is a little steep at $151, but it is a deep cycle. You could probably get by with the SC34M, which is a cranking battery. It runs $121- but I guess you already know that. I've got wireless computer carts that I use the deep cycles on, and of course, Interstate has the best battery you can get. There's my plug for them!