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During a long hectic show like the SEMA Show, [2] it is always good to sit down and recharge every once and a while. So, we opted to recharge our batteries with the guys at EnerSys [3] (makers of the ODYSSEY [4] batteries), to see how they keep their batteries charged and always ready to go.
Grant Grunewald, Technical Marketing Manager, explained the reason for their stellar performance is due to the premium materials that they use within their batteries. The lead plates are 99.99% pure lead, which transfer electrons easier and quicker than lead with impurities. The other half of the chemical equation is the electrolyte. ODYSSEY batteries use an AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt) instead of liquid acid.
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There are quite a few benefits to this. First, this means that they do not have external leakage issues. Secondly, the AGM can help absorbe vibration which has a huge benefit. They are able to pack (or sandwich) more plates together than a conventional battery. Add up all of these benefits and you have a battery that has a longer service life, can be stored for a longer duration before complete discharge, and is safer to transport.
Since the internals of the battery are able to discharge so much quicker than a standard batter, the terminals on the Extreme series of batteries are a tin alloy coated brass instead of the standard lead. This means that the battery connectors won’t corrode over the winter season and start to lose contact.
All these benefits and more make the premium Extreme series a battery that is able to discharge quickly for good starting, but due to the large number of plates and design inside of the battery, it is also able to get pulled way down like a deep cycle battery. So, in essence, one ODYSSEY battery replaces or acts like a standard and deep cycle battery all-in-one.
During the SEMA Show, EnerSys also introduced a new line of batteries called the Performance series. Both series come in a wide range of sizes and configurations but Grunewald points out the two most popular for automotive use – the 34-PC1500 (mostly for cars) and 65-PC1750 (mostly for trucks), but they have applications for everything in between, including boat, atv, tractors, etc.
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