Comparable Interstates are $340@ here at the Interstate outlet, although over the phone they mentioned the boss may concede a discount on 4. Still, presuming at least 10% off it’s still over $300. They also surmised they are built by Johnson Controls. The Apex is not Interstate according to him, and the Apex site’s photo shows that battery is Chinese. The best deal is still Costco’s wet cell Interstate at $99, but they told me they don’t sell the AGM GC2.
Tomorrow I’ll be in the vicinity of the Interstate outlet in East Portland and will drop in to get a more firm price and manufacturer ID, though I’m pretty sure it’s Johnson Controls. I’d be highly suspicious of the reference you saw to Interstate by Apex. Plus, after adding in $39@ shipping, you’re at $220. If I can get the Interstates for $250-280, the brand confidence would be worth the difference. I’d likely return to wet cells at Costco’s $99 before the questionable quality Apex.
The inverter has the charger in it, which is why you change the setting there for the correct battery type. It will try to equalize charge when set to wet cell; other types don’t benefit from that high-input effort to knock sulphur off plates, and according to some I’ve read non-wet cells can be harmed, though others argue that idea. My thinking is that’s probably why the setting change option exists to begin with. I don’t recollect if there’s a dip-switch setting change needed on the solar controller as I think, with relatively low current capability, it doesn’t equalize charge. But that’s easy enough to determine by reading my solar manual when the time comes.
Joel