SN 196 1998 Battery Replacement

[Finnz]

Hello friends,

I need to replace the battery in my SN 196 98 model and I am curious what other members are using in their boats of that era.. I currently have an Interstate Battery in the boat and its about 4yrs old - i am not sure if it is a starting battery, deep cycle, or hybird. It's been a good battery but sometimes has difficulty starting the boat especially if I run the radio with the engine off. I am looking for something that will reliably start the boat and i can run a standard marine head deck and 6x9's (no additional amps or anything like that) without concern. Let me know what you think!!

[windsurfnut]

I run a Optima Marine Starting battery in my 196. I think in a tow boat a starting battery is wise, as its cycling on/off far more then most runabouts.
In my runabout (Baja) with a large stereo system I run deep cycle. Very few start/stops but long battery drain times.

[DVskier]

I had a 97 SN with GT 40 and I got a type 24 750 CCA battery at Walmart, it lasted 7 years. Never a problem, less than $100.

[bturner]

Best bang for the buck is always the Interstate hybrid. Cheap and typically of very good quality, your wallet will love you.

That said, I personally have been running Optima Blue Tops for the past 10+ years. They've been very reliable for me and the last set I bought were 9 seasons old when I sold them with my previous boat this past spring. I'm currently running an older Blue Top I was using for my boat lift winch in the my new (to me) 200 Sport Nautique. I swapped out the Interstate that came with the boat after discovering what I at first thought was water turned out to be battery acid in the bottom of the battery box. No idea how it got there, could of been from overcharging or a careless spill during installation from the dealer prior to purchase but after seeing it I was ready to be done (once again) with that mess. This for me has been probably one of the biggest reasons for moving away from lead/acid batteries. AGMs are sealed, there is no acid to deal with. Optima's don't need a battery box to confine the acid and have a number of mounting options. Right now mine is sitting in the old battery box but that will be swapped out for an aluminum tray next season along with probably a new Blue Top so the old one can go back to lift duty.

Be aware that if you do decide to go AGM you'll need a charger that is specifically designed for AGM batteries. Most people who've had issues with Optima's have typically tried using Grandpa's battery charger to maintain them. Doing so will leave you disappointed as you'll end up sooner or later with a battery that will appear to be dead. There's a ton of information on AGM and specifically on Optima's webpage should you decide to go this route. They are expensive and not for everyone so if it's not for you there's always the Interstate that's hard to go wrong with.