Can someone explain something to me please?

[DustinBecker]

I bought a boat a few weeks ago that had a Motor Guide 34# thrust troller on it. I went and bought a bass pro deep cycle 175 battery. Everything worked, along with my fish finder, on that battery. Except for the fact that 34# wasnt enough to move me across the lake like I wanted. So I went and bought a Minn Kota 52# thrust troller. After one use on the lake, my battery is dead. Am I missing something here? BTW I am a rookie boat owner so I am new to all of this stuff. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[joseph101088]

did you charge it after you used it the first time with the 34 motor guide. on another note i charge mine the night before everytime. especially if i go out twice in a weekend.

 

[J.P.]

more questions:
are you sure it was fully charged?
how can you be sure how much was the remaining charge in the trip using the small TM (it could have been on the verge of completely draining but you did not notice)?

do you think you had the motors running the exact same distance? all things being equal, the big one definitely draws more juice. but a good battery shouldn't die in a day. varying load and water conditions also have an effect. heavier/windy=more strain on the motor=faster discharge rate.

aside from being slow, draining the battery in the middle of the lake is the main reason i'm not too fond of TMs (thank goodness there are no electric only lakes in my country, or power restrictions for that matter). even if you think you can estimate the remaining charge based on previous experience, batteries weaken over time and sometimes die without warning. use a battery meter, it lets you see how much remaining charge your battery has, just like your celphone.

 

[DustinBecker]

Thanks guys. Looks like Ill be buying a battery charger.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Thanks guys. Looks like Ill be buying a battery charger.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[DustinBecker]

Is there one that you recommend for the Minn Kota 52#?

 

[Captain Ahab]

Is there one that you recommend for the Minn Kota 52#?

You are not buying a charger for your TM - it is for your battery.


Schumacher Ship n' Shore series will work just fine


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000H961YI/ref=asc_df_B000H961YI2091290?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B000H961YI&hvpos=1o3&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=484811938184916621&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=

 

[krawler]

Is there one that you recommend for the Minn Kota 52#?

You are not buying a charger for your TM - it is for your battery.


Schumacher Ship n' Shore series will work just fine


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000H961YI/ref=asc_df_B000H961YI2091290?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B000H961YI&hvpos=1o3&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=484811938184916621&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=

This is the battery charger that I use. I have a Walmart battery from 2009 and it's just as powerful as the day I bought it.
I just plug the charger in when I get home and leave it overnight.

Charge your battery as soon as possible after use and keep it fully charged to get the maximum life out of it.

You hear stories all the time about people buying batteries and their not lasting very long. 9 times out of 10 it's a bad or wrong battery charger. Any of the good smart-automatic battery chargers are a must have for deep cycle batteries. Spend a little more money on a good charger and you won't be replacing batteries shortly down the road.

 

[user 7806]

I have a Schumacher XCS15 SpeedCharge Ship 'n Shore Battery Charger that I bought at Walmart for $50
https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-XCS15-SpeedCharge-Battery-Charger/dp/B004EIDCFO/ref=pd_sbs_auto_5

I hook up the charger when I get back from fishing and leave it on until I go out again.