Actually the only lithium batteries that XS Power currently has is their 16V lithium. They should have a 12V lithium out in a few weeks to a month that will be around 6.5lbs.

 

I know I am a newb here, but if you look at the dimensions, weights, and ratings you come up with the same exact thing. The one thing that makes the Braille battery's a little different is a little higher power ratings.

Another thing to look at on relying only on CA ratings and CCA ratings is that those test were developed back in the early 1900s. They really do not have much relevance in today's AGM batteries. For instance the CA rating is putting a charge on the starter for 30 seconds. If you turned your ignition over for 30 seconds on your vete your starter would burn up in probably about half that time.

Todays AGM batteries put out instantaneous power, which turns the engine over quicker and they can also hold up to the charging and discharging demands of todays cars better than the old flooded batteries. An example of that is looking at the Richard Petty Racing Experience cars. They are using a battery that is rated at 525 CA and those are 800hp race cars that putting a beating on an electrical system.

Again I am not trying to start anything just passing on some info that may help someone out in the future.

 

All batteries aren't created equal
Batteries fail for alot of different reasons one of them being resistance going up over time and that is a good way to tell the condition of the battery but you have to have a base line to trend off of and also a way to test that and the testers aren't practical for home use.
The best way is to put a meter on the battery while the car is cranking and see how far down the voltage drops.
I am looking at odessey batteries for my street rod because they are a dry cell and are very small and light, also pricey.
Not sure if they have one that would work for the vette haven't had to look for one for my C6 yet.

 

Odessey makes a good battery. XS Power Batteries also has light weight batteries and can be purchased through one of the site vendors Ecklers.

 

Being made by the same manufacturer does not mean they are the same battery.

 

Exactly, just like a Cobalt and Corvette are not quite the same. And last I heard they are both made by the same company.

 

Agreed, but they do not have the same internals and R&D behind them.

 

For instance I just completed a test on a battery with the Midtronics battery analyzer. This is the analyzer that this recognized as the analyzer to use when testing if a battery is good or needs to be replaced. Midtronics will openly tell you that their analyzer should not be used to rate a battery's power, and should only be used to test if the battery is still good or not. The analyzer uses conductance testing to determine if the battery is good or not.

Well the battery is a 190 CA. When tested with the Midtronics analyzer through conductance testing it actually rates the battery at 257CA, which is not its true CA rating and is actually a fluctuated rating of approx 26%. A battery company could use this testing method to rate their batteries, although it is not the correct way to rate them. Also to get that fluctuated rating I had to select the USED battery option. If I selected the NEW battery option it would not give me a CA rating at all and would have only told me if the battery needed to be replaced or if it was still good.

To get that rating you have to enter the data into the analyzer selecting it as a used battery. If you select the new battery option and run the same test it will not give you a CA rating.

Again just some info. I have the print out of the test here if anyone wants to see the actual results.

 

This thread has really turned into a silly pissing match, so let's get real for a moment.

The only REAL reason for worring about 15 or 20 lbs of weight difference is if you are running your car HARD in some sort of competition ie: Road racing, Autocross or Drag racing. For those applications, the Deka battery mentioned in this thread is more than sufficient.

That battery has been used successfully for these applications. We have also had members take the time to show the DIYers on the forum how to mount and install them.

However, the people that participate in competitive events regularly work on their cars and completely understand the limitations of compact batteries. As such, they aren't concerned with whether the battery keeps a charge over a 7 month storage period while the car sits in the garage nicely polished under it's car cover.

So, if you are a competitor, the Deka is a great, lightweight battery that will function very well for your application, with the caveat that you might want to keep it on a charger if the car is not raced for extended periods.

If your car is primarily used for cruising and shows and you aren't driving your car competitively (an occasional HPDE or AutoX does not count) stick with a full size battery.