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I am replacing a battery after only 2 seasons. I did not know that older outboards ('86 Mercury) were not suited for maintenance-free batteries (or vis versa). They use an unregulated rectifier in the charging path that produces "spikey" charging - reducing useful life..

There are aftermarket Regulated Rectifiers for many older outboards, but I have not found one for mine. I am reviewing the Bluesea and Guest specifications to see if a smart battery switch (isolator, switch) could also smooth out the spikey charging.