Boat Batteries

[Chubminnow]

I'll be purchasing new batteries for my boat here soon. I'm sort of taking a poll here to see which manufacturer gets the most positive comments...what type of batteries have you guys had the most luck with?

[Moose1am]

I am trying the new Optima Type Batteries now. They cost more than the old type batteries but they are reported to last longer and hold a charge much longer when stored away. They have special types for marine applications that are more resistanct to vibration damages. You know how you take a beating when your boat crashes into the big waves on a lake. Those vibrations can damage a batteries lead plates over time. The new designe of the Optima batteries is meant to limit this type of damage.

I use my Optima Trolling motor battery the most. I use it a lot because the lake I fish the most is an electric motor only lake. I am at the end of the second year using this new battery and it seems to be working great. I'll know more after the end of next year. Hopefully it will last for about 5 or 6 years but only time will tell me that.

Most of the older designed (flat plates) lasted me about 3 years at most.

I fish a lot more these days that I did in the past. So I am giving these new Optimas a good workout.

Regards,

Moose1am

[DYNATRAK]

Quick question. Do you run all your extra electronics on the same deep cycle battery that runs your trolling motor?

i have a dual cycle battery that has always been my 'starting' battery. walmart brand, seems to still be doing great after 3 years. it came with my boat.

my trolling motor battery just died and i replaced it with a walmart deep cycle. it was $58 and that's about all I could afford. when hooking everything up, i use to only have my trolling motor on the deep cycle battery but have also put my other electronics on it as well (which all run through a fuse box I installed a couple of winters ago)

Does this sound right to you? Should my starting cables be the only thing connected to my starting battery? All other electronics should be put on the deep cycle with the trolling motor? Other electronics include two fishfinders, bilge, etc., but of course I'm not running everything at once.

also, the guys at wally world said to not charge my new deep cycle battery until i've run it all the way down. i think they come 80% charged. I fished all day saturday and still have 1/3 juice left in the new deep cycle battery. i still didn't put it on the charger cause I figured i need to run that baby all the way down before doing an initial full charge.

does this sound right?

[kc]

I have always put my electronics on my starting battery. I believe this is a better setup since the starting battery is brought up by the alternator.

Also I have never heard about discharging a deep cycle fully before charging. That sounds like NiCad battery wisdom to keep them from developing a memory but deep cycles are lead-acid and don't develop a memory. In fact I have always understood that the worst thing you can do with a deep cycle is leave it down. So I always try to charge mine back up as soon as possible.

kc

[Moose1am]

I agree about charging a lead acid deep cycle up as soon as you get home or. In fact I would recommend that it be put on a trickle type charger that automatically maintains it at full charge. I have one of the newer Minn-Kota Battery chargers that charges fast at first then slows down as the battery comes up to full charge. I think it maintains a trickle charge too but I would have to go read the manual again.

One thing you may want to do is keep the trolling motor connections seperated from the depth finders connections. Not sure but some times you can get an interference in the depth sounder.

I basically only have my starter battery hooked up to the motor. I do have a live well pump and the bilge pump hooked up to that battery but they are seldom used. I think that when I run the motor it's alternator will recharge my starter battery keep it fully charged. I use an Optima Blue Top Cranking battery for the starter battery. I use a Optima Blue Top Deep Cycle Battery for the trolling motor. I am not really sure if this is the best way to do things but it's how I have been doing it for years now and it seems to work for me.
Regards,

Moose1am

[stratos185]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Oct-28-05 AT 10:53PM (EST)[/font][p]If you want to read the previous discussion on boat batteries, click on Archives, then go to section #106 then click on the topic "trolling motor batteries".

[Chubminnow]

Thanks guys for helping navigate me through this site and stuff...

Redneck - In going through the archives here on this site, I see you said you sell AC Delco Batteries??? I'm in Louisville, where abouts are you located? Or maybe you can help me out as to where I can go here near Louisville to get some AC Delco's...I went to the AC Delco site and they said Pep Boys sells these batteries...but when I called the one nearest me they said they didn't sell the marine batteries...Can you help me out?

[bhsanders]

bills at thoroughbred chevy on richmond road.

[redneckshadrap]

Hey fellas,
Just say this. Anyone in the Lexington area just drop me an email. I can hook you up. If you're in the Louisville area I maybe able to find someone up there willing to give(not the same deal as me), but a similiar deal where you can save some money.

Billy


Redneckshadrap
www.thecreekbank.com
[email protected]

[518Comanche]

Redneck is in Lexington. May try the G.M. dealership near you.

[Chubminnow]

Nope, just tried Bob Montgomery Chevrolet, they don't stock nor do they order Delco Voyagers...I struck out with Pep Boys too...anyone know where I can get some Voyagers?

[ranimated]

Go to this site, select "batteries" and put in your zip, it'll direct you to the nearest dealer.

http://www.acdelco.com/html/loc_retailer.htm