The NorthStar AGM Battery + Voltage Booster Upgrade

Nope I can't. I was thinking about these guys. https://www.optimabatteries.com/experience/blog/optima-batteries-suck-the-truth

 

Years ago, Optima was sold to Johnson Controls. They moved production to Mexico. That is when quality tanked.

I'm sure in addition to moving production to a less expensive shop, they also changed some materials used.

Either way, Optima is the company you were thinking of. Odyssey quality is top notch - I have 2!

 

Excellent. I had an odyssey in a super jet about a decade ago and it was a great battery.

 

HKB doesn't exist anymore, nor does my $70 I paid them for the fuse

 

Little story here,
So my original northstar 27f shit the bed at the year mark. Company I bought it through (Samoorian supply) warrantied it but replacement was gonna take months as they come direct from the company. Samoorian felt that wasn't acceptable (agreed) and were able to get one to me quicker outta his contacts.
Battery showed up all is good. Little over a month goes by and another northstar battery shows up! I contacted samoorian to confirm they got a credit from the original one he sent me which he did and he also told northstar no need to send me one. So now I have a brand new in box northstar 27f. Anyone in the northeast need one for a good price? Not looking to ship.

 

I’m seein’ a Dual Battery setup in the near future here.

 

I see their site is down, but they are still selling on ebay. Are you sure they don't exist?

 

I guess that was just speculation. However, I still haven't received my fuse which I ordered months ago. I guess I can check back at another time.

 

Try to email Leigh Wagstaff at leigh@hkbelect.com

She was great communicating with me back when I ordered the MK4 Adjustable Alternator Voltage Booster for my 2011.

 

Awesome. I was going to dig through my email and find their contact info in there once I had a chance as well. Alternatively they could be messaged through eBay.

 

What was the final verdict on using the voltage booster?
If i get a 24f and its my only battery with no extras(winch,lights,appliances). Do i need one to maintain the battery or would it hurt battery life.
Also if i do get one and also do the headlight harnesses to boost headlight voltage would these two mods be to much and burn out bulbs? @crashnburn80

 

I think the 24F Northstar is the sweet spot if not running heavy draw mods. More power than stock and lighter than the Northstar 27F. Proper charging is required for optimal AGM battery performance, regardless of heavy duty usage or not. It will work without the booster, but sulfation of the battery plates will occur at some level reducing performance and battery life. Not drastically to the point of sudden death by any means, but won’t operate as well as it is designed to. In the 2nd Gen, the booster plug harness upgrade provides outstanding headlight performance. Boosting voltage increases output, but also reduces life span, I typically got 1yr out of my 200hr bulbs, which was well worth it to me.

 

Ok so the voltage booster is a must to maintain the battery. This will also slightly boost headlight voltage boosting lumen output.

Are you saying that combining this with the harness pushes voltage higher than bulb specs shortening bulb lifespan.

 

Alternatively you can use a plug in battery charger designed to maintain AGM batteries for maximum life.

The voltage booster will boost output more than slightly. Net voltage gain is greater than the harness, though the harness is still required for high wattage bulbs due to the high current draw and high heat. Correct that combining the harness plus booster significantly boosts output but also reduces bulb life. With the booster plus harness I got about 1 year out of the 200 hour Superbright/Hyper bulbs. Well worth it IMO. Running at lower (non-boosted) voltage you'll get lower output and a maybe 1-2 more months out of the bulbs.

 

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Its my DD and i have no garage so there no way im plugging in a battery charger every night.

 

For clarification, de-sulfation charging doesn’t need to be frequent, once a month would easily do. But without a garage it is much less appealing.

 

The battery size has no bearing on if you need a voltage booster. Battery type is what drives the need. You can get a normal 24F lead acid battery, and you won't need the booster. If you get an AGM battery, you'll benefit from the booster.

 

Any issues after use? I put a GM diode to get the extra voltage for my new North Star battery and all of a sudden a battery light came on (about to replace my denso alternator).

I guess my question is, has the OZ diode ruined your alternator or was my instance a coincidence? I want my battery to get the proper voltage.

 

If that light came on immediately after installing the diode it just means you turned it around. Diodes unlike fuses are directional.

 

True. I did it wrong the first time, turned it around and it worked well.
I have had the diode in the correct way for a few weeks and the battery light randomly kicked on. Went to measure voltage with a multimeter with the truck running and it was sitting at 12.36V.

Edit: I realize I said “all of a sudden”. Good catch and thank you for the information! I should have been more specific and said that the battery light kicked on a few weeks later.