Dead Optima Battery

That's my point Jerry, I like the Optima for this reason and never said there weren't other non-corroding batteries, just none with free replacement warranties.
To my knowledge, Optima is still the only one with a free replacement warranty. This is the main reason I stay with them.
What you're not getting is for the same $$$ an Optima costs you can go with a different brand of AGM battery and not have to repeatedly get free replacements as you do because your Optimas continue to fail. I've yet to have to even look at the warranty of my non-Optima batteries. I'm nearly at year 7 of my current North Star (which I bought in a local brick and mortar store) and my previous Odyssey-manufactured battery (also bought in a local brick and mortar store) was over ten years old when it finally gave up.

I believe you'd go for cheap store-brand sensors and store-brand radiators too due solely because they'll give you a free replacement when they fail prematurely. Why pay the same thing for something that fails sooner than a far better quality battery will for essentially the same cost? And we all know of Optima's significantly and well-known higher failure rate.

To me loving Optima for its free replacements is like loving a crack whore. Yeah she'll pass out and nearly die repeatedly and Narcan will revive her but not change the fact she remains a crack whore that will always need help lol.
 
I'm not quite sure we are speaking the same language. I want nothing to do with anything in the form of an Optima battery and that damn sure includes sending them to someone with obviously compromised standards.

But you already said you'd like to send the pallet to my door to prove you're not lying, so now you won't?
C'mon Blain, pick a lane and stay in it.
 
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What you're not getting is for the same $$$ an Optima costs you can go with a different brand of AGM battery and not have to repeatedly get free replacements as you do because your Optimas continue to fail. I've yet to have to even look at the warranty of my non-Optima batteries. I'm nearly at year 7 of my current North Star (which I bought in a local brick and mortar store) and my previous Odyssey-manufactured battery (also bought in a local brick and mortar store) was over ten years old when it finally gave up.

I believe you'd go for cheap store-brand sensors and store-brand radiators too due solely because they'll give you a free replacement when they fail prematurely. Why pay the same thing for something that fails sooner than a far better quality battery will for essentially the same cost? And we all know of Optima's significantly and well-known higher failure rate.

To me loving Optima for its free replacements is like loving a crack whore. Yeah she'll pass out and nearly die repeatedly but Narcan will revive her but not change the fact she remains a crack whore lol.

HEY! Crack whores need love'n too! lol
 
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You don't read so well.

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So there's a brick and morter store I can walk into and swap out a dead battery? What store?

I do wish that were true, but basically you buy another battery, once the new one gets to you, ship the old one back and they give you the money back including tax and shipping… so basically you end up paying whatever the cost is for a USPS flat rate shipping box for replacements.

Best of all, you dont have to wait till it actually starts giving you problems. Just as soon as you start seeing it have a bit less voltage, get a new one on it’s way.
 
How big was the panel? That honestly surprises me a bit. Had been thinking of getting one of these solar panels for the hood…

https://www.cascadia4x4.com/products/jeep-wrangler-tj-lj-2003-2006-only-80-watt-hood-solar-panel

No first hand experience with that particular panel...but...in general you need to align it with solar south for max efficiency and an angle depending on your longitude. Any shade drastically reduces the efficiency.

I'd go for a folding panel. If you're driving the Jeep your charging the battery anyways.

And then you can use the setup anywhere.

-Mac
 
How big was the panel? That honestly surprises me a bit. Had been thinking of getting one of these solar panels for the hood…

https://www.cascadia4x4.com/products/jeep-wrangler-tj-lj-2003-2006-only-80-watt-hood-solar-panel
It's been several years but I think it was around 24" x 12" or thereabouts. I hooked up an ammeter to test its output and on a sunny day (just about all of them are in Phoenix) around noon it put out around 200 mA when it was pointed directly at the sun. Any little bit off-axis and the output dropped off significantly.
 
No first hand experience with that particular panel...but...in general you need to align it with solar south for max efficiency and an angle depending on your longitude. Any shade drastically reduces the efficiency.

I'd go for a folding panel. If you're driving the Jeep your charging the battery anyways.

And then you can use the setup anywhere.

-Mac
Absolutely correct. As I posted above, keeping it aligned with the sun is extremely critical and the output decreases significantly being off-axis, even in full sunlight.
 
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I do wish that were true, but basically you buy another battery, once the new one gets to you, ship the old one back and they give you the money back including tax and shipping… so basically you end up paying whatever the cost is for a USPS flat rate shipping box for replacements.

Best of all, you dont have to wait till it actually starts giving you problems. Just as soon as you start seeing it have a bit less voltage, get a new one on it’s way.

Yea, that’s not gonna work for me, I like being able to get it done in one hour or so.
 
It should be stated that NAPA has a 4 year free replacement, just show up with it and say "this shit died". I doubt they would even test it to verify you're not full of shit. Optimas 3 year free replacement is like being loyal to McDonalds because they made your fries extra salty back in '03.
 
It's been several years but I think it was around 24" x 12" or thereabouts. I hooked up an ammeter to test its output and on a sunny day (just about all of them are in Phoenix) around noon it put out around 200 mA when it was pointed directly at the sun. Any little bit off-axis and the output dropped off significantly.

You'll want something at least 100w or so or the largest foldable you are willing to carry around.

The panel you had should have gotten at least and amp or two in full sun. I'm guessing it was a 30 or 40w panel? Definitely sounds like it was defective at 0.2A

Id buy a general purpose "12v panel" and a dc dc charger for the battery. The panel will put out around 18v and be useful for other projects too.