Choosing The Right Charger
Finally, you will need to choose a suitable charger for your Battery or Outdoorbox. The options vary per battery, but there are two questions you should answer for yourself:
- Is it important that the battery charger is waterproof?
- How fast do you want to charge your battery?
The first question is clear. If you always charge your battery indoors and keep the battery charger indoors? In that case you can opt for a normal battery charger. However, if you also want to be able to charge the battery on board and install the charger permanently in your boat, we recommend a waterproof charger. In addition, you often have the option between a normal charger and a fast charger. If you always drive your boat for a few hours and have the option to charge overnight for your next trip, then a normal charger will suffice. However, if you want to drive the boat for a full day and recharge during a , a fast charger can be the solution. You can find information on the charge speed on the product pages of our chargers.
Tip! Put together a package of battery and charger and benefit from a discount.
Seven Advantages Of A Lithium
Usable capacity; Lead-acid batteries cannot compare with lithium batteries for capacity. Lithium allows for 85% rated capacity whereas lead-acid allows for about 30-50%. For example, using 100-amp hour battery. Lead-acid equals 30 to 50 amp hours of usable juice, but lithium provides 85 amp hours or more!
Long cycle life ; The best deep cycle lead-acid batteries provide 500 1500 lifecycles. However, a well-cared for lithium can provide 2000 -3000 lifecycles. The results speak for themselves.
Ultra Fast charging; Lithium batteries charge fast to 100% of capacity. Unlike lead acid which needs to slow down during an absorption phase to get the final 20%. Contrary to lead-acid batteries, lithium is usable without a full charge. Lithium is a great choice for boaters using solar recharging systems on cloudy days.
Built-in overcharge protection; Lithium batteries have a built-in protection system . This protects the battery from low charge, overcharging, short-circuiting and reverse polarity. This extends battery life and lowers premature replacement costs.
Lightweight; Lithium is feather-light, much more than compared to lead-acid. In fact, lithium is four times lighter! As a result, installing and replacements are much easier for lithium.
No placement problems; Like AGM or Gel, Lithium can be place in any orientation. This is useful if you have an existing power bay with limited space. Or when upgrading from the capacity of older lead acid units.
Think About The Reserve Capacity Of The Power Cell
The reserve capacity of a power cell indicates the amount of time it can stand on its own and provide the power your boat needs for its electrical components. It tells about the amount of time a fully charged marine battery requires to drop below 10.5 volts if it is discharging 25 amps. The larger the electrical load of your boat, the higher the reserve capacity it needs to be able to run the entire electrical grid relying on the battery alone. Batteries with higher reserve capacity can be a bit expensive, so make sure to weigh all your options carefully to come with a smart decision.
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The Ideal Charge Curve
Bulk phase: This is where the heavy lifting takes place. Charge at a rate up to 20 percent to 40 percent of the batteries capacity in amp hours to a voltage of about 14.6 volts . For example, a 200 amp-hour battery would be charged at 4080 amperes. This will bring the battery to about 75 percent of full charge, and is efficient since the battery accepts more current when it is discharged. AGMs require slightly different voltages, and unless there is an AGM setting, should be charged using lead-acid settings.
Acceptance phase:; Maintains battery at 14.6 volts while the amperage is steadily reduced. This will restores the next 25 percent of capacity at a declining rate. Your battery can be considered fully charged if it will accept current equal to 2 percent of C at 14.6 volts .
Charging A Marine Battery
Most of us understand that when we are buying a new or used boat, the batteries supplied may not necessarily be top-of-the-line. If they seem to do the job, we dont think much about them. But in the warmer climates everyday heat is a major enemy of batteries, and can shorten their life considerably. In areas of the country that force us to put boats in storage for the winter, how the battery is cared for during this period is also critical to increasing life expectancy.
Its best to keep batteries on a regulated trickle charger to maintain charge while not in use. A battery that is not charged can freeze in cold temperatures and a cracked case is the likely result. ;A battery is like a lot of things in lifeuse it or lose it! A car battery will typically last longer than a boat battery because the car is used regularly and the battery stays charged. When it comes to boats, the old adage of a batterys life being two years is pretty well on the mark. Youll usually get a heads-up when its about to give up on you, with the warning being a dead battery one morning or a bit slower cranking speed than youre used to. You plug in the charger, the battery miraculously comes to life, and youre off on your trip. You may think a light was left on, or that the radio memory pulled the voltage down. The reality may be that the battery is sulfating, plates are warped, and it no longer takes or holds a charge like it once did.
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The Abcs Of Marine Batteries
You need to know the differences between battery types before you can pick the right setup for your boat.
I;recently received an e-mail from a reader who said that while he liked this column and looked forward to it every month, he also viewed it with trepidation because every time he finished one task he found he had more things to add to his to-do list. For his benefit and that of other harried readers I offer this column as a Christmas present. I promise it will be informational only and contain no maintenance tasks whatsoever.
The subject is marine batteries. This may not seem terribly exciting at first glance. Most of us give little thought to our batteries until they dont work. Fortunately thats rare. Marine batteries are remarkably durable and reliable, but like old soldiers, they eventually fade away. When they do, knowing some battery basics can help you pick the best replacement.
A batterys ability to crank an engine is indicated by its cold cranking amps , the amount of juice delivered at a specific temperature, usually 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Since few pleasure boats operate near freezing, CCA is valuable mainly for comparison, and most people just use the amp-hour rating. Diesel engines require batteries with more amp-hours because they have much higher compression ratios, which make them harder to crank.;
This article originally appeared in the December 2014 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
Electric Outboard Motor For Boat: What You Need To Know
The electric outboard motor is definitely appealing but the flooded information on the Internet could be overwhelming and get you lost especially if you are new to electric boating.
Here I have rounded up the top 5 frequently asked questions so that you can easily decide whether to get an electric outboard motor for your boat.
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A Third Option : Dual Purpose Marine Batteries
As with many rules – there can be exceptions. And some dual purpose batteries can work for both cranking and trolling. However, these dual purpose batteries are not necessarily the right option for every boat. Although they do mean one less battery to purchase and maintain, like many “2-in-1” options; they do not always allow a vessel to perform at the same level as two batteries would.
For instance, deep cycle batteries are built to withstand many discharges and recharges while cranking batteries are not. A dual purpose battery, therefore, falls somewhere in between. Many do not stand up well to total discharges .
A dual purpose battery can also be more prone to overheating in harsh conditions, which is certainly not ideal while a boat is out to sea. Still, these types of batteries can work well for short trips and if they are used and maintained properly.
Now that you know which battery options you need which chemistry is right for you?
Is A Lithium Boat Battery Worth The Cost
Lets put it this way, traditional sealed lead acid batteries last between 3 to 5 years and can only be discharged up to 50%. This means you will need to buy double the amount of lead-acid batteries to make up for the DOP. This increases the overall weight and obviously affects the total price.
So as an example, lets say you want 100Ah of capacity onboard your boat.
- If you get a lead-acid battery, you will need to buy two 100Ah batteries. This will cost you about $350. However, you will need to replace these batteries around every 3 years. Meaning within 10 years you will have spent $1050.
- If you go the lithium route, you will only need one 100Ah battery and it will last you between 10 to 15 years. The total cost for this one battery would be between $600 and $800.
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Duravolt Marine Solar Panel Battery Charger
The excellent feature here is the universal Plug & Play design. The DuraVolt Marine Solar Panel Battery Charger is easy to install without any prior solar experience. It is fully weatherproof, and its ideal for boating and camping. The unit is lightweight, nobody wants to carry heavy chargers. Another good feature is non-glass construction, which calms you it wont break. Note that it is made of an unbreakable plastic film surface with semi-flexible aluminum backing. These make this panel ideal for mounting it on flat or gently curved surfaces.
I case you want to put it on a comfortable accessing place, on the panel, there are 4 mounting holes for fast installation. The charger includes an outdoor rated power cable that connects directly to your battery through the factory installed fused cigarette lighter plug.
This charger can fill 1 small battery . You can use it for small-sized lights, radio, phones, and other electronics. Also, DuraVolt panels are designed to provide reliable solar power for rugged marine and other outdoor applications.
Pros
- It works by a solar system, no electricity needed
Cons
- You must consider the sunlight if it is not sunny enough; this charger will not cover your needs.
What Are The 10 Best Lithium Boat Batteries
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If you are looking for the best lithium boat battery, you have come to the right place.
Lead-acid batteries have long been the only option for sailors to power onboard electronics, small appliances, and electric trolling motors.
However, they are heavy, dont last long, and have limited storage capacity. Thanks to recent developments, lithium batteries like the LiFePO4 are now perfectly fit for marine applications.
Today, there are dozens of brands available. So, for your convenience weve made a list of the best lithium boat batteries on the market:
- Battleborn
In this article, a lithium boat battery that meets the following requirements have been selected:
- Robust
- Built to work in harsh marine environment
- Highly durable
- Powerful
- Compact
Youll find out what makes a good boat battery, followed by a selection of the 10 best lithium boat batteries out there.
Lets begin with our top editors choices.
We are an affiliate
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What Battery Ratings To Look For
Starting functions: the amount of power available for cranking a starter is measured several ways.
CCA vs. MCA: The two common power measurements are CCA and MCA . The reason that MCA are 2025% higher than the CCA is because batteries work better at higher temperatures.
Reserve Minutes indicate how long a battery can sustain a load of 25 amps before it drops to 10.5 volts. A battery rated at 150 minutes can operate a 25A load for 2 1/2 hours . Starting batteries aren’t used to handle loads for long periods, so reserve minutes are less critical.
Size: Engine size, type, and ambient temperature determine what size cranking battery you need. High cranking power is required for cold temperatures, diesel engines, or large and high compression gas engines. The first sizing criteria is to meet the minimum CCA stated by the engine or boat manufacturer. If a Group 24, 550 CCA battery worked well for five years, we’d recommend replacing it with a similar model. If, however, it cranked too slowly or failed after a season or two, we’d suggest that you look for a battery with a higher CCA or MCA rating.
Types Of Marine Batteries
There are three basic types of marine batteries:
- provide quick but powerful spurts of energy over short periods of time and are designed to start the engine and be rapidly recharged by the engine alternator. A starting battery should not be used for trolling motors or powering appliances.
- are designed to discharge slowly over a long period of time and to withstand several hundred charging and discharging cycles. A deep cycle battery is the right choice for powering an electric trolling motor and other battery-powered accessories such as audio systems, a windlass, depth finders, fish locators, and applicances. Deep cycle batteries should not be substituted for starting batteries.
- combine the performance of starting and deep cycle battery, and are a good choice on smaller when theres no room for two batteries. While they’re able to perform the tasks of a starting battery and deep cycle battery, they’re not as efficient as separate batteries.
Deep Cycle vs. Cranking
The cranking battery has more yet thinner plates to give a fast voltage spike to crank an engine, but is not intended to maintain high power output for long periods. Yes, a deep cycle battery can be used to start your motor in a pinch, but a two- or three-battery system is highly recommended to separate the engine battery from the accessory batteries.
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What Should The Battery Size Be
This question is asked in regards to how many amp hours your battery store, not its physical dimensions. An example is a good deep-cycle marine battery rated at 100 amp-hours. If you are unaware of what this means, feel free to visit our guide related to such batteries. To fully recharge with a 10-amp charger, it would be 11 hours, assuming the battery is dead.
The rule of thumb which can be really useful in calculating the complete charge time is, dividing the ampere-hour rating of the battery by the charger rating and adding about 10% of the additional time to top off the battery completely.
If you want a faster recharge, you should look at chargers with more amps. But if you dont need or want to hurry, you can get a smaller unit. The essential thing here is that in your assigned time your charger manages to load your item.
Hp Electric Outboard Motor: Epropulsion Navy 60
If you want a higher power electric outboard motor for dinghies, aluminum fishing boats, daysailers, and cruising sailboats, be sure to check out the ePropulsion Navy 6.0 outboard.
With this 6kw 9.9 HP electric outboard motor, you can easily go 40 miles within one charge, or go fishing all day at trolling speed.
Highlights:
- Customized E-Series electric outboard motor batteries
- Compatible with 3rd party battery
- Wireless control
- The digital display informs you of the real-time operation status
- Kill stop switch to keep you safe on board
- Propeller collision emergency stop
- Designed for freshwater and saltwater
Check out what users have to say about the Navy 6.0 electric outboard motor:
Wanna have a free test ride with these two recommended electric outboard motors? Fill out this form and well get in touch shortly.
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Final Thoughts On Marine Battery Selection
At the end of the day, marine batteries are purpose driven and the right product for one boater may not meet anothers needs. By selecting the proper group size for your electrical needs, and the right battery type and chemistry, you will make the most of the opportunity to maximize your rigs performance for fishing success.
Tackle Scout
Tackle Scout is an online resource for anglers and boaters looking to catch more fish, and get more from their gear. This site is founded and maintained by real anglers, with decades of fishing and boating experience, as well as longtime members of B.A.S.S. and FLW.
The Best Boat Battery For Your Use
Your particular application will determine which type of boat battery is best for you. However, a lithium-ion marine battery will be your best option for any application where deep cycling is required. The only time a lithium-ion boat battery wont outperform a lead-acid battery in efficiency, reliability, overall cost, and weight is when you need a starting battery.;
So, whether youre heading out on the water for a fun day of cruising around the lake, trolling for a trophy fish, or living on your houseboat, choosing the best battery for your use is critical. Unfortunately, there isnt one battery to rule them all. Understanding your application and the benefits of the different options allows you to choose the best marine battery for you.
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