I run two Stinger 1500. I nearly went with two Kinetik 2400.

My deep cell is a Costco. I have a Pro Mariner in boat battery charger and reading the literature they say you CANNOT have different types of batteries.
In fact the charger came with a different plastic piece for gel batteries that you could change out from the standard one that comes with it.
You either need all gell like the Optima or all standard. Just something to keep in mind if you are thinking about installing a charger.

lake - what store would I find stinger batteries at?

carter - so its a costco brand deep cycle marine battery you are using?

thanks!

Yes it is a Costco.

two interstate deep cycles I hate the gels if you drain to far they will never hold as much charge again I swear by interstate just look for the green top

My cranking battery is an Interstate.

I bought mine from the stereo install guy and he charged me about $325/each (he wanted $250 for the Blue Tops and $400 for the Kinetics). I base my decision on (1) price (2) how long the batteries would last and (3) how long the batteries would take to recharge. I chose the middle road among these 3 ( blue top was cheapest, Stinger 1500 was in the middle and Kinetic 2400 was top end). Reality is that the blue top would work great for me, but I did not want to get stuck on the 1 or 2 guys weekends when I am killing the system and trying to recharge the system.

you can buy the stingers online at several places. you are looking at $300-$350. I think all three batteries are great and you just have to decide how much you want. I think the Twins (LOC and WakeDoc) run Kinetics and I run Stinger 1500. My WS system and batteries are WAY MORE than I need. Like you, I have very young kids (1yr girl and 4yrs old boy).

Note: I really like the Stinger 1500. I cant pound it for 4-5 hrs and it recharges in about 5 hrs. The Blue Tops are slower and the Kintetic 2400 are faster (ie last longer and charge faster)

Makes a lot of sense... I appreciate the input.

I am going to check out all the batteries you guys recommended

Well if money was no object I probably would have went with some good sealed batteries. There are tons of options out there and some of them are unbelievably high priced. Like the Kinetics, etc. Look into Deka, they have a simular battery for less.

I just installed two 6v golf cart batteries in my boat. They have a few downfalls but are basically the same as the lead acid batteries that came in the boat which is one of the reasons that I went with them.

I all ready have an onboard charger and the stock starting battery which is an interstate lead acid battery and since it is best to run the same type of battery I installed the 2 golf cart batts. If you wire 2 6 volts in series it turns it into a 12 volt battery and these are great deep cycle batteries that have a lot of capacity! They are taller and slightly skinnier than the stocker. I actually have more usable space now then I did with the single stock battery under the observers seat.

The great thing is they have the capacity of about 4 optimas and since I would have had to change out my starting battery for an optima too then I would have spent about a grand. These golf cart batteries were $66 each at Sams.

What really made it work out well is the battery box that I found that is barely bigger than the batteries and holds them end to end which fit perfectly in my boat. The box was $40 plus shipping here:

http://www.allbatterysalesandservice.com/b....cfm/4,576.html

This post has been edited by Foiler: Mar 11 2010, 11:56 AM

I went with three D31T yellow tops. I ran 0 gauge to the switch and engine. I have one generic advanced auto marine battery for my starting battery. It has 2 gauge on it.

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okay... my next question is how do I wire the second battery to the switch? I currently have a switch with one battery.

You have a dual battery switch? off / 1 / 1+2 / 2, etc.? If so, run the ground to the same place as the other battery and then run the positive to the terminal marked "2" on the switch. I ran the ground for my three batteries directly to the engine because It's 0 gauge and the current wiring in my boat is only 2 gauge.

I am thinking of upgrading to three D31M's (Blue Top). But I'll use them for starting too. I do keep a separate disconnected battery charged on the boat for emergencies. I've never had to use it myself, but several friends have needed it. I am going to wire them all to separate switches though so I can operate on any single of the 3 batteries. I am working to get a billet cover for the battery with the Centurion logo. If it works out I'll post pictures of it.

LS1 - is that just a steel plate you used to connect the batteries with? It makes it look really clean!

Yes. It's 3/16" X 1". The one I used started out at 4 ft long. I cut two pieces out of it and drilled the holes. I do plan on spraying a few coats of black on the bars so I don't have any issues with it down the road.

You possibly have just a single battery on and off switch so you would have to change that out for a dual battery switch if you want to continue to use a switch however I am not using a switch in my boat. In my opinion there are much better options out there that make your battery system work without ever needing to be touched and that is to use a battery seperator such as a Surepower 1314 or a BlueSea add a battery system. These are voltage sensing relays. So basically you will have 1 battery that is only for starting and the other battery or batteries would be hooked up to everything else. The batts are hooked to the relay and when it senses 12.6 (not sure of the exact number) it combines the batteries and it would only be at that number when it is running or shortly after. Once you turn it off and the voltage drops below that number you continue to just use the extra batteries and the starting battery isn't used so it will all ways start. Once you start it the alternator brings the voltage back up and the relay connects the batts again.

I have a dual battery switch... I also do not have a huge system in our boat (we have basic tower speaks, cabin, sub, a couple amps). We rarely sit for hours and listen to the stereo. We either ride, pull kids on a tube or we dock the boat and chill in the house. I now have a much better idea of how I need to set this up - Thanks for everyones help.

elk,

I am powering 1500 watts and my Costco deep cell has no problem keeping up with it. I don't crank it unless my wife or I are riding so this limits drain. I did find however that the one deep cell would only go for about 1 1/2 days before fully drained.
I thought my Blue Sea might keep up but no luck there. I then went with the Pro Mariner charger and now I am golden. After a full day of boating I plug in and in about five hours it is fully charged.
I am considering taking Testemax soon so I can crank the stereo all the time. If it works I will need a second deep cell battery and some hair dye because I don't want the Devils Red Curley Hair.

LMFAO!