Power for fishfinder

[shaneo84]

Hi all just a question about powering my lowrance mark5
It's the only thing in boat that requires power,would it work just using standard motorbike battery
And how long would it last
Thanks shane

 

[rewinder]

Yes that will work. I had the same problem in my tinnie, I used a portable jumper pack from walmart, it has a cigerette lighter outlet on it, so I put the appropriate male plug on the wire from the fishfinder and just plug it in. I took it apart and found it has a sealed lead acid battery inside, rated at 9 amp/hrs. running th finder only, I only charge it every 2 or 3 trips never had it run down enough to cause the finder not to work.


I also made a portable live well out of a cooler and a Rule 300 bilge pump that i bungy to a seat. It'll run that for over 2 hrs (I stopped after 2 hrs, recirculating from a bucket while on the trailer) and my finder showed the voltage to still be over 11 volts. I fish mostly salt, and use it for live mackrel bait.

I just have to remember to put it in the boat if I bring it inside to charge--- forgot it twice!

 

[shawnfish]

any 12 volt battery will work, even a dirtbike battery will last a long time(more than a day) as they draw little power...imo.

 

[Ictalurus]

Batteries plus has some nice options to choose from. I bought a small 12V that is used in wheelchairs, run in a series I guess. Anyway, they are ment to be drained and charged, not sure about how that will affect the motorcycle battery. My guess is that the FF draws so little it won't require recharging often.

 

[moloch16]

Fish finder draws very little power. I have a portable unit that runs off of 8 D batteries and it will last all year.

 

[TNtroller]

a small lawn mower batt for $20-30 will work just fine, if weight is a concern, then find the smallest/lightest, it should still power the FF all day long w/o issues.

 

[rickybobbybend]

Cabelas has a nice sealed and rechargeable lead-acid battery, 12v/8 amp/hr, for $30, including charger and shipping. Runs my FF for 2 long days of catching and does not need recharging. I also wired a separately fused circuit to a 12v plug for recharging cell and gps. Mounted the battery in a Tupperware container just large enough to hold the battery, charger and some foam for vibration protection. Portable, waterproof and the charger is always with me.