Hi Kip, I was at my local marina here in Florida the other day looking at purchasing a new battery for my boat. I went to the marina because I assumed that is where you buy a boat battery. I wasn’t sure exactly what I needed, but basically needed a battery to just start my boat. I was wondering what is the difference between a marine battery and a automobile battery? The gentleman at the store told me that boats take special batteries, and that you have to buy a marine battery. What are the differences between a marine battery, and automobile battery?

Diehard Marine Starting Battery

Deka Starting/Deep Cycle Battery

BestBatteryTips.com

Brent, thanks for writing in with your question. Surprising enough Brent you are not the first one to ask us this question, however this is our first reply to this question. We would have like to known whether you have any auxiliary items hooked up to your battery on your boat, but will explain both ways.

A boat battery can be bought almost anywhere Brent, so shop around for a decent price. A lot of people don’t understand the difference between a marine starting battery vs a automobile battery. The Difference between the two is simple. A marine starting battery not only has positive and negative post on it, but it also has threaded positive and negative post on it as well. This allows boaters to wire up auxiliary items such as fish finders, and stereos. The Marine starting battery generally comes with wing nuts, or just standard hex nuts to secure wiring onto the threaded post. Don’t get confused and assume that a dual purpose Marine battery is the same as a automobile battery. A dual purpose marine battery is a starting battery and a deep cycle battery, where as a automobile battery is not a deep cycle battery. The only time they are the same battery, but with threaded posts is when its a marine starting battery only. With that said, if you are not running auxiliary items to your battery you can purchase a regular automobile battery with the proper cranking amps that your boat motor requires. A straight marine starting battery is made no different than a automobile battery other than the added threaded posts.

East Penn Manufacturing Company has allowed Carquest to offer their customers a diverse selection of auto batteries ranging from a value grade battery up to an AGM technology battery. Carquest has recently changed their warranties on their battery lines due to the competition. Carquest generally speaking would offer only a 12 month free replacement on most of their battery selections, with the exception of a couple. Carquest now has raised the standard of their battery warranties, and has had much success with the implementation of the new program. We are going to take a look at their Automobile battery line, and compare batteries vs warranties.

First on deck is the Carquest Red 50 Battery. This battery is considered Carquests Value grade battery. The Carquest Red 50 battery comes with a 12 month free replacement warranty. Once the free replacement warranty is up the Carquest Red 50 carries a pro rate warranty up to 50 months. The warranty on this Red 50 is nothing to get excited about, but the price reflects the quality. Another thing worth mentioning is that this battery is a sealed top, and a maintenance free battery which means a lot for a value grade battery.

Next in the Carquest lineup is the Premium Blue 60 battery, and the Premium Blue 70 battery.. The Premium Blue 60 battery is obviously a step up from the Red 50 battery. The Premium Blue 60 battery carries a 2 year free replacement warranty. Once the free replacement period is expired on the Premium Blue 60 the warranty turn to a pro rate for a period of 60 months. Like the Red 50 battery the Premium Blue 60 battery price reflects its quality. Let it be known that this battery also has a sealed top, and is maintenance free. The Premium Blue 70 battery is a slight step up from the Blue 60 battery in more cranking amps and another 10 month extension on the pro rate warranty. Based on the price difference between the two batteries, we would recommend the Premium Blue 70 battery.

Carquest offers European car enthusiasts a battery. This battery is a OEM exact fit for European cars. The battery is noticeably longer than other more standard batteries, as well as special cut outs around the positive and negative posts of the battery. Carquest offers a 2 year free replacement on this Euro battery. Upon expiration of the free replacement warranty the battery has a 70 month pro rate warranty that follows. These types of batteries can be very expensive to purchase, however Carquest has put a reasonable price tag with this jewel. (Note) the picture shows 72 month warranty, but this has been changed to a 70 month warranty.

Carquest offers the Gold Plus 75 Dual terminal battery in its lineup of batteries. This battery offers a 2 year free replacement warranty. Once the free replacement time has expired, the battery relies on its 75 month pro rate warranty. This is a very popular battery for Carquest because of its ability to go into automobiles with side posts or top posts.

Carquest offers its Advanced Generation batteries in the lineup. The battery warranties on the Advanced Generation has changed. The batteries used to carry a 2 year free replacement, and 72 month pro rate. The Advanced Generation battery line now carries a 3 year free replacement warranty, and a 84 month pro rate warranty. This battery line is Carquests premium battery warranty in the lead acid category.

Last but not least is the Carquest NGT Extreme AGM Dual Terminal battery. The AGM technology allows this battery to be spill proof, leak proof, and resistant to vibration. The Carquest NGT Extreme is a absorbed glass mat technology, doing away with the familiar lead acid filled battery as we know. The AGM battery allows for faster charge times, more available power for more applications. Information about the Carquest NGT Extreme warranty was unavailable at the time of this article.

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Mophie Juice Pack Air

Mophie Juice Pack Air Colors

Ever need to charge your Iphone, but don’t have the ability to plug into a receptacle? A Iphone battery extender is just the gadget for you when you are on the move. A portable battery extender is the cats meow when traveling, and sitting at airports for a large part of the day. Don’t like having to leave your Iphone plugged in while it charges? Mophie has the answer to your problem.

The Mophie Juice Pack Air (Mophie.com) priced in the neighborhood of $79.95, and can be found at most AT&T stores. The Mophie Juice pack is a Iphone case and battery extender all in one. The Mophie Juice Pack is certified by Apple with the “Works with Iphone 3GS product”. Once the Mophie is attached to your Iphone, the Iphone becomes about a inch thick. We were not impressed with the protection that the Mophie case offers once installed. However, some protection is better than no protection at all. Once the Mophie was attached we were unable to find a aftermarket case to add more protection to the Iphone. You can charge your mophie Juice Pack and your Iphone simultaneously. The Mophie Juice Pack has no problem doubling your Iphone battery life. Mophie Juice Pack Air comes with 3 color options Red, Black, Purple, and Silver. We were very impressed with the added benefits that the Mophie offered the Iphone. The product does exactly what Mophie said it could do, and is a quality made product.

Looking into the future Mophie is coming out with a case that will attach to your Iphone that acts as a credit card reader. That’s correct, you will be able to swipe credit cars underneath your Iphone. The card reader will offer encryption for added security as if you were at a retail store. Small business owners or salesmen will be able to get payment on the spot with this technology device. We tip our hats to Mophie for their state of the art technology, which makes them a leader in the aftermarket Iphone accessories.

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Icom Two-Way Radio

Buying two way radio batteries can be somewhat confusing for first time buyers. We have received several questions regarding this topic. Which two way radio battery should I buy? What battery composition should I buy? Does purchasing a battery with more milliampere-hour(mah) hurt anything?

A consumer has 3 choices of battery composition when looking to purchase a battery for their two way radio. Nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, and lithium ion. The 3 compositions are also referred to as Nicad, Nimh, and Lith-ion. Nicad is the oldest of the 3 battery compositions. Nicad batteries contain cadmium which is not very environmentally friendly. Nicad batteries suffer from memory effect, and as a result more times than not their life expectancy is cut short. Nimh batteries are proven to be environmentally friendly. They also have a higher capacity than Nicad batteries do. Shoppers can expect to pay more for the Nimh battery technology compared to the Nicad battery. Lith-Ion is the newest composition of the 3 types. Lith-Ion is also the most volatile battery chemistry as well. The Lith-Ion battery is said to be less maintenance than the Nimh or Nicad batteries. Lith-Ion batteries are becoming very popular among portable electronic devices due to their lighter weight. We would suggest purchasing a Nimh battery, they have been proven to handle thousands of cycles and are reasonably priced.

Two-Way Radio Battery

When purchasing a battery for your two way radio, battery manufacturers often offer several variations of the same battery. One of the biggest choice offerings is milliampere hour. You can use your radio longer if you purchase a battery with a higher mah. Choosing a battery with a higher mah will not harm your two way radio. Shoppers can expect to pay more however for a higher mah battery. We would have to say that if a little extra money is not an issue, we recommend upgrading to Nickel metal hydride or Lithium Ion if you are currently using Nicad. Please remember to always recycle your old Two-Way Radio batteries. We would like to remind all of our readers to take the time to recycle. Not sure where the nearest battery drop off station is? They are closer than you may think, read our article on Where To Recycle Batteries to learn more.

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Hello, I was hoping you could help me with some cordless drill buying tips. I’m wanting to buy a Cordless drill, but have no idea which one to buy. I’ve been all over town, and have seen so many different name brands. How important is the voltage of a Cordless drill battery? Could you shed some light on the buying process for me?

12 Volt Cordless Drill

14.4 Volt Cordless Drill

18 Volt Cordless Drill

BestBatteryTips.com

Steve, thanks for writing in and allowing us to help you out. Buying a cordless drill can be confusing to say the least, especially if its your first time purchasing one. You posed the question of how important is battery voltage? Voltage is the heart of the drill, and is crucial in the buying process. Depending on the intended application the cordless drill will be used for, will aid in deciding the voltage one should purchase.

The most common cordless drill voltages are 12 volt, 14.4 volt, 18 volt, and 24 volt. The most common battery chemistries are Nicad, Nickel Metal Hydride(Nimh), and Lithium Ion. Obviously when looking at these two deciding factors, your available budget is a large part of the equation. You can spend anywhere from 50 dollars to 300 dollars depending on the combination above that you choose. Cordless drills that have the Nicad battery chemistry will generally be cheaper than the same drill with other battery chemistries. Primary reason for this is due to the Nicad is the oldest of the battery technologies. Nicad battery packs do not have near the capacity that Nimh, and Lithium Ion do. Nicad batteries suffer from the so called memory effect. This is due to the user not running the battery all the way down before attempting to fully recharge the battery pack. Consumers expectations of Nicad battery life are often cut short due to the weaknesses of the Nicad chemistry. Consumers on a budget however, Nicad cordless drills are a practical choice. Nickel metal hydride battery packs are light years ahead of Nicad battery packs. We here at BestBatteryTips.com would not bat a eye at buying a cordless drill with the nickel metal hydride technology. The capacity is far greater than the nicad battery pack. Nimh can handle 1000 plus charge, and discharge cycles. Nimh can also be charged or discharged at any time regardless of the batteries state of charge. Lithium Ion battery packs are the latest battery technology in the cordless drill market. Lithium Ion has excellent battery capacity, and is not susceptible to the memory effect. Lithium ion battery packs can handle thousands of charge and discharge cycles as well. Consumers can expect to pay more for cordless drills with the lithium ion technology. For the money we would suggest the Nickel Metal Hydride (Nimh) technology battery pack. We feel it has the best of all worlds, and is the most bang for the buck so to speak.

When deciding on battery voltage it comes down to the applications the drill is being used for. Purchasing a drill for light jobs around the house does not require a 24 volt cordless drill.  A 12 volt cordless drill will due just fine for hanging curtain rods, pictures, and putting together miscellaneous furniture. Homeowners who are into bigger projects such as building outdoor decks, roof repairs, or additions should consider purchasing 14.4 volt battery pack, and it would not be uncommon to purchase 18 volts. Commercial contractors are prime candidates for the 24 volt battery option. These drills are designed for use on commercial job sites where heavy usage is on top of the list.

Buying a drill should be a enjoyable experience, not a stressful experience. We hope we were able to provide you with some fundamental basics of cordless drill shopping.

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Prostart Value Grade Battery

Prostart Platinum Battery

Pep Boys is one of the largest Auto Parts stores in the United States. Pep Boys is known for their excellent auto parts pricing, and a one stop shop for all your auto parts needs. Not only does Pep Boys sell auto parts, but they also install a lot of various auto parts. The auto parts store combined with a full install garage has been Pep Boys trade mark to success. Among Pep Boys bigger parts hitter is their battery line, and battery installation. They offer a wide range of batteries for every consumers need, and in turn has been a big part of Pep Boys business. We are going to test and review the Prostart Value Grade battery, and Prostart Platinum battery that Pep Boys offers. We will test the Prostart Value Grade, and Platinum Battery under the same distress. One question has always been for budget shoppers. When spending more money, how much more do you really get?

Prostart Value Grade Battery

Pep Boys Prostart Value Grade Battery is exactly what the name implies, its Pep Boys base grade battery with price at the for front for shoppers on a budget. The Prostart Value Grade Battery offers a 12 month free replacement warranty and a 60 month pro rate warranty. We wouldn’t say the warranty on this battery is anything to get excited about, but how good of a battery is it? Now a cheaper battery does not mean the battery lacks in quality or performance, you may be surprised as to what we found when we tested this value grade battery from Pep Boys.

BestBatteryTIps.com started out with a brand new Prostart Value Grade battery as well as a brand new Prostart Platinum battery. Our goal was to see how long the batteries would last under certain extreme conditions. The test would be installing the battery in a truck and leaving the lights on bright until there was nothing left. How long would the battery last under these conditions?

Testing the Prostart Value Grade vs. Platinum

We wanted to test the durability of the Prostart Value Grade Battery as compared to the Prostart Platinum Battery. We thought that these would be good batteries to test solely based on their price. The consumers when possibly looking at batteries would pose the question as to what the difference is from the value grade vs a Platinum battery. You may be getting more with your money, but how much more are you getting? We put the Prostart Value Grade battery in a 1978 Ford Truck. We chose this vehicle because we didn’t have to worry about the truck lights being on a delayed timer and shutting the lights off on its own as do some newer vehicles.We turned all accessories off and then turned the headlights on bright and waited. Needless to say it was gonna be a little longer wait than we anticipated. One hour went by and guess what? We were still waiting on the battery to die. We could tell that the lights were dimmer than when we started, but still had some time to go yet. 2 hours and the battery had about all it wanted to take. The clock read 2 hours and 10 minutes when the battery was dead. We felt that was a pretty good time considering it was a Value Grade Battery. I mean really, how long did you expect it to last? What we didn’t know is how long a Prostart Platinum battery would last under the same conditions? A true test of two different grade batteries under the exact same extreme conditions would prove interesting to say the least.

Prostart Platinum Battery

Next on deck was the Prostart Platinum battery. The Prostart Platinum battery offers a 2 year free replacement and a 72 month pro rated warranty. We wasn’t sure what to expect considering the higher price tag for the Prostart Platinum battery. We did notice that the Prostart Platinum weighed more than the Prostart Value Grade battery. We attributed this difference to more lead in the Prostart Platinum battery. That is not surprising considering that more lead should be in a higher grade battery.

Platinum Series Battery

The question would be is what does more lead get you?

We installed the Prostart Platinum battery into the truck, and followed the same steps as we did with the Prostart Value Grade battery. One, and two hours went by and we were right back in a familiar place again. Would the Prostart Platinum make it past the 2 hours and 10 minute mark? We passed the Prostart Value Grade mark of two hours and ten minutes and still had positive steam. Three hours later from the time we started the Prostart Platinum battery was dead.

After conducting our test, we had to ask the question. Is the Prostart Platinum battery worth the extra cash considering it went another 50 minutes? Considering the amp draw from the headlights, another 50 minutes is a sizable difference.  The Prostart Platinum offers 12 more months of free battery replacement, and 12 more months of a pro rate warranty. We don’t concern our selfs with the pro rate side as it is hard to come out ahead with those programs. However, 12 more months of free replacement is with out a doubt worth looking at. We were mainly after to see if you get more battery just because you pay more. The answer to that question is yes, but how much more do you get? We’ll let you the consumer be the judge of that.

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Lithium Ion Batteries

Nickel Metal Hydride Battery Pack

Energizer NIMH Batteries

Lithium Ion Button Battery

Buying a battery for your portable device can be very confusing. More times than not consumers are unaware of the differences between the different batteries available. Comparing apples to apples is very important in the battery world. Consumers get so caught up in comparing the price that they don’t understand the different types of batteries. When I say apples to apples, I’m referring to the exact same battery in size, chemistry, manufacturer and milliampere-hour (MAH). The size generally speaking is correct, however the consumer don’t thoroughly understand the chemistry and Mah side of the equation. The old saying that all batteries are created equal couldn’t be further from the truth.Battery technology has come so far over the last decade alone to squash those beliefs. We here at BestBatteryTips.com want to provide some insight to consumers on purchasing the right battery for their portable electronic device.

One of the first steps to purchasing a battery is knowing what your battery model number is. The model number on a battery represents everything about that exact battery. The battery model number tells us what electronic device the battery will fit in, MAH capacity, and chemistry. You will find that while shopping online some battery websites have cross-reference search engines for battery model numbers to take you right to the battery you are needing. Once you find the replacement battery you may have several selection options. Two of the primary selections will be MAH and Chemistry. You can always go with more MAH, it will allow your electronic device to last longer on a charge. However, you will have to pay for more available power. Depending on whether your comfortable with your existing MAH will depend on if you want to upgrade or not. Chemistry is also a very important consideration. Generally speaking I would stay away from any Nicad chemistry batteries if at all possible. These batteries suffer greatly from the so called memory effect. Nicad batteries as compared to Nickel Metal Hydride and Lithium Ion, don’t have the capacity of their superiors. When we talk about purchasing a battery for your power tool, its difficult to buy anything but Nicad. There is some new power tools out there using Lithium Ion technology, but it seems Nicad is in most. Lithium Ion also called Li-ion is what consumers are most familiar with. They are in most phones,cameras, watches, and camcorders. They don’t suffer from memory effect and also have a excellent available capacity. When purchasing a new battery, you can’t go wrong with Lithium Ion. Nickel Metal Hydride also known as Nimh, is also a excellent choice. Nimh can be charged and discharged thousands of times without deteriorating over time. No need to worry about memory effect with Nimh. With Manufacturers its hard to tell whats going. Consumers are gonna be hard pressed to find a portable electronic battery made here in the USA. 99% of all the batteries for these Gizmo and Gadgets are made over seas. Now that doesn’t mean you can’t get a quality product. However its hard to know what you are buying, and sometimes may feel like a crap shoot. Your best bet is to purchase the battery from a retailer who stands behind the product they sell.

So when we speak of comparing apples to apples, be sure to look over the batteries stat sheet. What chemistry am I looking at? How much MAH does this battery offer? Does this retailer stand behind their product? What will this battery cost me? These simple steps will help your battery buying experience, and will make sure you get the right battery for your needs.

Duracell NIMH Batteries

Duracell Alkaline Battery

Alkaline are the most common used batteries in households. The number one reason for this is because of the cheaper price that alkaline batteries have over their competition. Consumers seem to buy the alkaline batteries thinking they are saving money at time of purchase, when they are really spending more money over time. Alkaline batteries are not designed to be recharged, and are generally discarded once the the battery is exhausted of its stored power. The only advantage that alkaline batteries have over NIMH batteries is cost and discharge rate. The NIMH batteries cost 2 1/2 times more than alkaline batteries, and have a high discharge rate as compared to the alkaline battery. People who keep equipment stored for emergency purposes, such as flashlights when the power goes out. NIMH batteries do not store well over long periods because of their high discharge rate. When the flashlight would need to be used, you could possibly only have 65 to 70% of stored power depending of course on length of time stored. Alkaline batteries have a very slow discharge rate, and are a excellent choice for these applications. Now with that being said its time to take a look at what NIMH batteries have to offer over alkaline batteries. NIMH batteries have a much higher capacity than alkaline. Bottom line, NIMH batteries have a lot more power to offer for high drain devices such has digital cameras. NIMH batteries are rechargeable batteries, and consumers can expect to get 750 to 1000  or more charge discharge cycles out of them. That’s a huge advantage over alkaline batteries for applications such as remote controls, wireless controllers, and kids toys. NIMH batteries can also be recharged to full capacity in less than a hour. As we mentioned above, the NIMH batteries have a higher initial cost than alkaline batteries. Consumers can expect to pay around 29 dollars for a 15 minute quick charger and 4 AA NIMH batteries included. Keep in mind you get 750 to 1000 recharge cycles with that purchase. A pack of alkaline batteries will cost you almost 5 dollars a pack. So you can recharge your NIMH batteries 5 times and you get your money back on the alkaline batteries, and still have 750 to 1000 recharge cycles left! The NIMH batteries are also good for the environment because they have no cadmium in them as opposed to NICAD.

EDIT: Customer Service at Sentry Safe recommends Duracell or Energizer; see comment section

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NICAD AA Rechargeable

NICAD(Nickel Cadmium) batteries were very popular in their day, but now are obsolete because of NIMH(Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries. NICAD batteries suffered in available capacity,they were susceptible to memory effect, and not to mention they are not environmentally friendly. Nicad batteries contain toxic cadmium.  Nicad batteries needed to be fully discharged before charging again to 100%. On a cordless drill for example, if you used half the battery working on a project and then charged it back up again for the next day the NICAD batteries would start using only 50% of their capacity thinking it was 100% charged. NICAD batteries however were hard workers if you drained them all the way down and took them back up again to 100%. They would take a lot of abuse of heavy cycles, time after time but lacked high capacity. Nicad batteries had around 750 charge cycles in them.

NIMH AA Rechargeable

Nickel Metal Hydride is an excellent replacement to Nicad. Nickel Metal Hydride has no memory effect, so they came be charged back up at any time with no worries. NIMH also contains no toxic cadmium, and are environmentally friendly. NIMH offers 2 to 3 times the available capacity over Nicad batteries. NIMH are a excellent choice for high drain electronic devices like digital cameras. NIMH batteries have 1000 plus recharge cycles in them, making them a power house in the rechargeable sector. One of the draw backs to NIMH batteries however is their discharge rate when not in use. NIMH have a high discharge rate, and for that reason are a bad choice for emergency applications like backup flashlight batteries in cellars. NIMH batteries are a great improvement over Nicad batteries, and are a excellent choice for your next battery purchase.

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The Wii Controller

Energizer Rechargeable AA

Getting tired of your kids asking you to change the batteries in their video game controllers? Video game controllers can seem like they eat batteries like the cookie monster ate cookies. Why not save the environment, and save your self some green. Rechargeable batteries are a excellent invest for video gamers. Certain video game wireless controllers burn through batteries faster than others. Playstation 3 is rated worst with struggling to last 18 and a half hours. The WII comes in second lasting 36 hours and 30 minutes. Hard to believe, that’s double the distance of the playstation 3. The X-Box 360 cleans house at lasting the longest. The 360 was able to withstand 57 hours of gaming before falling on its face. Lets look at the cost of rechargeable batteries vs alkaline batteries. Lets also keep in mind that with the Playstation 3 we will need to buy batteries or recharge every 18 hours of play. Energizer sells 4 AA batteries and a 15 minute quick charger for $29.00. You can buy a pack of 4 energizer alkaline batteries for right at 5 dollars a pack. All of the above listed video game controllers require batteries in pairs. Gamers on average play their video game consoles 2 to 4 hours daily. Gamers that play 2 hours a day will need to replace or recharge on day 9. Gamers who play up to 4 hours a day will need to buy or recharge every 4 and a half days. You can start to see the savings in rechargeable batteries even if you don’t like the initial expense of them. The minimum 2 hour gamer will have to replace or recharge 3 times a month. On the other hand, the demanding gamer will have to replace or recharge almost 7 times a month. Now lets look at the invest in rechargeable batteries over alkaline batteries. The minimum gamer will spend 15 dollars a month for alkaline batteries. The demanding gamer will spend upwards of 35 dollars a month in alkaline batteries. Remember the cost of the 15 minute quick charger with 4 AA rechargeable batteries included? The minimum gamer has a 2 month pay off where as the demanding gamer is less than a month. We would like to add that when 2 people play your expense doubles!

• NiMH batteries pose less threat to the environment as they do not contain the heavy metal cadmium
• May be charged up to 1,000 times for years of battery power; use only NiMH rechargers

Why not go green, and save some green as well!!!

Recycle

Save Some Green