For more info on this see the May 2015 and August 2015 issues of Practical Sailor. In testing specific to sailboat cycling type use they do not handle PSOC cycling very well and are not a true deep cycle design. #4 The East Penn AGM is NOT the quality of the Lifeline batteries so they can't really be directly compared. This usually stems from abuse and not tracking battery state of health on a regular basis. #3 What you are experiencing is likely an internal failure/short if the batteries is heating that badly. AGM's require significant cost to charge them properly, and if not charged 'properly' meaning temp compensation, minimum charge currents and regular 100% SOC recharges, you can destroy them far sooner than they should be and the cost will be higher to you when they are destroyed. Deep cycle batteries such as golf cart batteries in either GC2 6V or GC-12 12V are a good long cycling option. #2 Flooded are not 'better' but for many boaters they do often represent a 'better value' and yield similar cycling lives for a lot less money. One large banks is better for many reasons, #1 Why do you have two house banks? That is likely issue number one. Trojan makes GEL, AGM and flooded batteries.Д¬lick to expand. When AGM's first came out the claims were BETTER cycle life than wets as that web site still seems to claim. I find this to be an interesting quote by Trojan Battery. The fact is that AGM's don't always offer longer life or deeper cycling and this has been proven time and time again in the 'real world' under PSOC cycling. How many boaters can do that or expend all that money just to hope they 'might' get 400 lab cycles.

If this is an alternator you'd need a cold rating of about 200A to have 160A when hot. So a 400Ah bank needs a charge source capable of maintaining 160A even when hot. Remember that to even attempt to come close to 400 cycles at 80% DOD with Odyssey batteries you'll need a minimum of 40% of capacity in charging current. One should keep in mind that this 400 cycles is in a laboratory with white glove treatment and not at all reflective of what happens in the real world in a PSOC environment. Odyssey still sells on 80% DOD but they readily admit that at 80% DOD you only get 400 cycles (in the lab). all recommend a 50% DOD not 80% DOD for optimal cycling life. Today nearly every maker of AGM batteries, (except for Firefly) Lifeline, Deka/East Penn (and all their private labels), Trojan, Rolls etc. These far fetched marketing attempts really bit the AGM makers in the ARSE because cycle life at 80% DOD really sucked and still does for most AGM products, the only exception being the Firefly. Those far fetched promises of longer cycle life and more usable capacity than deep cycle flooded batteries was soon ousted as a mistruth in the 'real world' of PSOC use where battery cycle life really matters. That statement was exactly how AGM batteries marketed and launched themselves into the marine market. This is what is so frustrating about the internet, that poor information, is trumpeted as truth when it is simply not. While most wet batteries are supposed to only go to about 50% depth of discharge, the AGM's are able to go to about 20% depth of discharge without harming them PROVIDED that you don't overcharge them at too high a voltage on their return. This is exactly how AGM's were originally marketed to US boat buyers in order to justify the cost difference:ДЄGM Pro's: better cycling and depth of dischager over the wet or gell batteries. Keep in mind that AGM batteries cost more, tax alternators and belts harder, need to get back to 100% SOC as often as is humanly possible, and generally have a shorter cycle life (in the real world) than deep cycle flooded batteries or GEL batteries. Keep in mind that Deka rates their own AGM at HALF the cycle life of their own GEL's.ДЇor a starting AGM the Deka is not bad but for cycling I would go with Lifeline or Odyssey. Conditioning or equalizing charges can greatly extend the life of Lifeline AGM batteries beyond the competition.Дeka makes great GEL batteries that will outlast even the best of the AGM's. Lifelines can be equalized Deka and Odyssey can not. Click to expand.Lifeline & Odyssey are the two 'premium' AGM's.

Deka batteries