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Topic: Battery |
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penetr8or
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It's time to replace my 12v deep cycle trolling motor battery..... What have you guys found to work well (length of charge, battery lifespan, maintenance). Is it worth it to go with those coil style batteries or does a cheapo work just as well?
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penetr8or
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Thats what I got now.... just curious if there is anything better out there!
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canforestguy
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I use the Energizer batteries from Wal-Mart. They are physically a bigger battery than the Nautilus and seem to last a little bit longer. We usually get between 10 and 12 hours of trolling a 12 foot cartopper.
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fishgutz
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costco deep cycle the best for ur money great return policy no questions asked doesnt matter how old the battery is check it out
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abe
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edmonds batery in langley has some generic marine deep cell baterys for $40 there good baterys and you cant beat that price.
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penetr8or
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Hmmmm.... thanks for all the responses. Now decision time i gues.
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ChakaRaka
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Well boys I found an article/FAQ that will dispel many of your theories and arguments. If you have the attention span to at the very least skim this whole article, you will know about 10x more than most battery retailers.
What initially sparked this was canforestguy's comment about using an inexpensive "starting" battery in place of a Deep Cycle battery. I knew that to be very flawed logic and wanted to give some articulate reasons as to why.
Bently is close but a little to over-simplistic...slow is definitely better than overcharging a battery both in duration or current. But actually a multi-level charge with correct regulation is the best way to charge a battery. And more importantly, as you may choose to read, not excessively discharging a battery is one of the key factors in its lifespan and depth of charge.
Here it is if you are interested:
http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm#Battery%20Charging
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canforestguy
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Hey ChakaRaka....I don't believe I or anybody else said anything about using an inexpensive starting battery. Energizer makes deep cycle batteries for boats and they sell them at Walmart. All I said was that they are a bigger battery than the Nautilus and that they work quite well. Perhaps you need to read what people are actually writing before providing an 'articulate' argument.
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ChakaRaka
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Actually my level of reading comprehension is just fine. There is no reference in there to Deep Cycle at all besides the name Nautilus (which is a competitors battery). All you said was Energizer... so I took that to mean a regular battery because you did not specify. So fair enough now that we know what you actually meant by that. Thanks for the clarification.
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canforestguy
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Figured we were beyond the point of having to explain it was a deep cycle battery. Never figured anyone would assume otherwise.
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ChakaRaka
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Some good info and observations MrGrey1 except for one part.
Which is the century old myth. Storing a battery on the floor has no effect on it. At least not since they were made out of wood. I will quote part of the article in the link I posted above:
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"Myth: The old myth about not storing batteries on concrete floors is just that - a myth. This story has been around for 100 years, and originated back when battery cases were made up of wood and asphalt. The acid would leak from them, and form a slow-discharging circuit through the now acid-soaked and conductive floor."
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Curious now...anyone try running 2 batteries in parallel, so you are never discharging the single battery severely?
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ChakaRaka
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Well that makes sense and is pretty common. The reason I ask was because I was considering it. I wanted to make a battery rack that holds 2 battery boxes wired in parallel that could go in the bow of my canoe. I was also considering adding a ballast tank for when I am fishing solo. I figured that would offer near equal weight distribution when fishing with my g/f. Then the ballast would bring it close to even solo. With slight added expense, although it may pay off if I never discharge my batteries significantly. The theory being that it costs 2x as much up front, but lasts at least 2x as long as a single battery set-up.
Although slightly off topic, I am not sure if that is my plan A or B. The reason being that I have a vintage 7HP motor that with about $50 worth of parts, will also be a contender, albeit grossly over-powered one. Canoe water skiing anyone? :-P
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penetr8or
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A friend of mine is an rv mechanic and he says the best method is to get two 6 volt batteries and wire them in series. He claims this gets the longest battery life per charge, and also helps widen replacement intervals. This is for Rv's but he thinks it would translate well to boat motor operation as well. Im not as sure because many loads in an rv are resistive, while a motor is inductive and has a higher amp draw, particularily on startup.
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pajeff
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Stay with deep cycle, they are designed for the purpose, will last longer on a daily use, and have a longer life overall. You will only have one battery to charge. Keep life simple and do what everyone else does. Go any other way and you'll know why everyone else does it the way they do.
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vetteman
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I have to jump in here with a few battery facts.Bently has made a common error when comparing RV battery systems.The reason that most RV's come equipped with two 12 volt batteries is a matter of cost. A good 12V deep cycle battery just doesn't cost too much.There are no coventionally sized(Series 24/27/31)batteries run in parallel that can come close to the capacity of 2 6 volt batteries(generally golf cart batteries) run in series.The reserve capacity isn't even close. The numbers and real life experience will attest to that.When I had my 5th wheel I ran the generator all the time to keep the 12V batteries up.When I ditched them and replaced them with two 6V batteries wired in series I seldom used the generator after that.There's no comparison between the two setups.
As for trolling motor batteries,I have access to D4 and D8 series batteries.They're heavy but once in the boat they have tremendous capacity.
Dave
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ChakaRaka
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Just leave it until it needs replacement. At least that set-up is made of parts you can buy 7 days a week at any Ukranian Tire. Unless you have a line on free GC 6v batteries, but I don't know too many Golf Cart and Floor Sweeper bone yards...
You can always try something new when parts of that system need replacement. But I am guessing those batteries wont be cheap. Scissor lift batteries are probably also a good option, although if I remember correctly they are just really good quality deep cycle 12's. But they are often connected in series to make 48v systems...
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garett
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i just bought 2 12 volt nautilus 27's and have them in parallel, i havnt run them with my 54 thrust yet any one running something simular and if not ill let you know how much time i get out of them soon enough, rock on
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Edzzed
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One of the problems with dual 12 volt batteries on an RV vs. two 6 volts is the plates in each battery. The 6 volts allow for more spacing. I also run dual 12 volts in our trailer and the reason is cost and we have a generator to recharge them when needed. If you really want to save power in an RV read this thread http://www.bcrvforum.com/led-lighting-t126.html It deals with led light conversion that I wrote.
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Nickers
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The key to any deep cycle battery is to keep it topped up especially when not in use.
When camping I alternate batteries daily, one in the boat and one on the Minkota MK110P 3 stage charger. Works great with my generator when in the bush. Never had the need to use both batteries in one day. Mind you you don't need to when chironomid fishing.
After every trip I charge both my batteries overnight and every couple months after that or until my next trip.
Well maintained battery(s) will give you years of service.
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G.A.
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realy. all my life as a mechanic and when we leave a good battery on cement its dead,. gets grounded out and concrete draws out the charge., brand new one day, next day its dead...wonder what it was then if it only does this on cement and when a piece of wood is under it its fine....same battery to. also kills lighters if on cement from the cold and gas pressures
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