The charger I'm using for these batteries is a small shumacher ( so not sure what amps), have to check the model # they dont really get hot more just warm to the touch.
CK5
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Optima batteries, 4/10/18...battery status update
- Thread starter 76zimmer
- Start date
yep, I flew in by helicopter to a remote deposit with a tool bag, two new optimas and 3 cans of starting fluid , got the Cat running after doing a quicky rebuild of the pony motor carb ( previous attempts had failed hence the dead batteiries ) replaced, I then walked the Cat 27 miles to where this pic was taken at a remote airstrip that was abandoned in the early 80's the plan is to use the cat next season to repair the airstrip so they can haul in fuel and supplies to base camp there for future exploration
Sounds like a great fix and epic adventure but I gotta ask, how many chicks in swim suits did you run into?
Man, I bet that was a looooong 27 miles. 
Sounds like a great fix and epic adventure but I gotta ask, how many chicks in swim suits did you run into?
Not enough...... but looking back the girls at that camp were all granola munching hippies not sure I could have handled the hairy legs and pits!
Man, I bet that was a looooong 27 miles.
at 5 mph it damn sure was but something I will never forget I just wish i had my camera that day
chulisohombre
1/2 ton status
Nice story and pic from home. Crazy you had to drive the cat 27 miles. At least you had a nice view. 
Gus, I'm glad to hear you were able to recover those batteries and are looking to load-test them before using them. Whenever any battery sits in a discharged state below 12.4 volts, sulfation will begin to form, which can diminish capacity and lifespan. Sometimes these batteries can be recovered, but that isn't always the case.
I would also discourage anyone from using dissimilar batteries in parallel or series applications. Batteries in those applications should always be identical in age, size and type. Even if both batteries came out of the same D8H, because they were both deeply-discharged and sat in that state for so long, it is really a crap shoot as to whether or not they would both respond in similar fashion.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.pinterest.com/optimabatteries
I would also discourage anyone from using dissimilar batteries in parallel or series applications. Batteries in those applications should always be identical in age, size and type. Even if both batteries came out of the same D8H, because they were both deeply-discharged and sat in that state for so long, it is really a crap shoot as to whether or not they would both respond in similar fashion.
Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.pinterest.com/optimabatteries
I was surprised that these batteries came back as they had been discharged for so long and had been subjected to such cold temps while discharged I put them in my plow truck this morning and so fsr they seem to be working decent. Starts the truck 6.2 diesel and operates the plow and auxillary lights with no issues. The lights were dimming when I would operate the plow before with the walmart max batteries that were in the truck
Optimas may not be the "best" batteries out there but for me they have out performed lead acids by a large margin I will continue to use them .
Optimas may not be the "best" batteries out there but for me they have out performed lead acids by a large margin I will continue to use them .
This sounds awesome. What do you do for work?
Im a generator and power distribution systems tech. But I also do alot of heavy equipment and diesel work. I quit the power company this spring and took a job for a small copper and cold exploration company deep in the alsakan arctic I was in charge of all there powered equipment from chainsaws to D9 cats . It was a great gig and will be doing some "consulting" work for them in the future. But now I work for Conoco Phillips on the North Slope of Ak
dammm, burr this time of year...I like my fermentor plant job in the winter, short duration outdoor exposures, and heat is only a few hundred feet away!
Sounds awesome Gus, your living the dream for many of us I'm sure!
Sounds awesome Gus, your living the dream for many of us I'm sure!
The new job is pretty tame . Its honestly so safety and enviromentally concious that you would reaaaaaaally have to **** up to get hurt . The weather is our only real excitement lol . As close to desk job as I can handle
Wow, so close to 6 hours driving to get to where you were going? Ouch!! My butt hurts now!
about 8 hrs there were a few spots were I had to build road to get around spots where landslides had taken out the trail . the original trail was built in the early 80's and the cat had been there ever since
That's awesome. I probably would have taken the extreme cold weather sleeping system and just broke it up into a couple of days. Regardless, an adventure for sure!!
This is a new Redtop, I bought in March/2010 for my Daily Driver. I will try to keep track of these and post up good or bad news on a 6 mo. basis (if I can remember)
Just for the record as I mentioned I would try to do with these two new Optimas':
The Yellow top was new in May of 2010 and tonight it shows 13.6 voltage. It has had a couple of battery tender feeds since it was new. But not on a contiunual basis, and it has been sitting in my shop for about a month with no attention, and had numerous starts of the BBC with it before that, so it hasn't had any tender in about 2-3 months.
My Redtop I bought in Mar 2010 shows 12.7 tonight. It is in my daily driver 2500.[/quote]
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update 5/22/12
today I checked my Redtop DD battery...12.83
the yellow top in the Maiden was 13.2 has been sitting with the battery switch off for about 3 mo.[/quote]
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Update 4/25/13
Redtop in the DD 99-2500...hasn't been driven in a week (driving BART) battery shows 12.3 the phone charger is plugged into the cig lighter (with a small power light on it) other than that stock GM stuff.
Yellowtop for the Maiden is sitting in the Maiden, not hooked up to anything and shows 13.4, hasn't had a charge in months.
My 76 CC has an unknown battery in it, and was on a maint charger all winter and showed 12.6...I have no idea how old it is.
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Both my sets of "zombie" optimas are still rocking along as well, the set from the D8 will be headed to the wall of Power as soon as I can arrange shipping.
