Another battery question.

[Slameye]

I have a question about my trolling batteries. I have two Die Hard deepcycle batteries that I run into a 12/24 circuit. I troll alot in shallow waters and use my MinnKota Auto Pilot to troll with. Over this fishing season I have noticed that my batteries will not last as long as they did in early spring. I use an onboard dual Guest charger. I took the batteries to a Interstate battery retail store and they charged them for 3 days, then checked them. They said that the batteries were holdong 100% of their charge. I am at a loss because I don't know what else to do. Do you guys think that maybe the heat is causing them to lose their charge sooner? I will troll with the batteries for about 2 1/2 hours straight with my 54lb thrust MK and both batteries are about dead. Any suggestions? How long do your batteries usually last? By the way , the water is full in them. Thanks in advance!

[Smokin J]

Slameye-I have a MK 50PD-12volt-on a 16ft Expedition it will run almost 2 days on a full charge at less than 5 on the speed control. Have run as long as three days on calm days. Hope this helps.
Smokin J

[Glen bunnell]

Slameye...If you want a battery that will really last for you trolling motor setup, I would recommend a battery called the THERMOIL battery. It is an oil battery that never loses water. The people that make Thermoil also make an oil additive that goes into batteries that extends the life of the batteries. If you would like any more info, email me and I can get you in contact with the company that sells them.They are an awesome battery.

Glen Bunnell

[dogred9999]

check your trolling motor mint be drawing way more amps than it should.

[Hans]

I have a pair of size-27 Die Hards feeding a 24V 60# thrust Pinpoint. Unless I'm bucking a lot of wind or current, they're still delivering after a 2 or 3 days of fishing. This is not 'fast trolling' -- usually running around speed setting 3 or 4 on a scale of 10.

Hans

--
"There is nothing; absolutely nothing; half so much worth doing,
as simply messing about in boats." :-)

[Slameye]

I am trolling at 1.8 to 2.2 mph on the GPS. It sounds like I am getting a lot less power supply then I should be. The batteries are four years old, but I have had much longer life out of previous, less expensive batteries. Do batteries usually deteriorate this quickly? My boat is not that heavy, it is a 1776 Lund Pro-V. Still don't know what to do.

[Slameye]

How would you suggest I check it? Thanks for your reply.

[Eyez]

That sounds like you're going pretty fast. What speed are you setting the footpedal at? I have a 12 v, 36 pound MK on a 16 foot boat that weighs a lot less than yours, and I only get about 4 hours trolling cranks at night with the electric, that's running around 2.3 mph with the motor set at a speed of 8 or so. The battery I use is 4 years old also, but it will last for days when I keep it at a speed of 5 or less. It really kills batteries fast at high speeds.


Eyez

[eyedog]

Neve had much luck w/batts after the 3rd. year.
After 3 years I replace all 3, just isn't worth the gamble.

[SdDoc]

I have been told by many that when running deep cycles not to discharge over 50%. By doing this it is supoposed to prolong the life of the batteries...

[Slameye]

I have been setting the foot pedal at 6. Moves my boat 1.8MPH on the GPS. I used to troll all day long at that speed.

[Eyez]

Have you tried putting a voltmeter on both the batteries after they start to get weak? Maybe you have one battery that is discharging faster (possibly because of other stuff hooked to it?) than the other, or maybe one of the batteries is just bad. In a 24 volt setup, they should have about the same voltage remaining after being used. If one of the batteries is weak, that'll definitely slow you down.


Eyez

[Slameye]

I have a battery check built into the boat and both batteries are discharging the same. Thanks for you reply.

[scott]

I am suprised that the Interstate Batt. rep did not try to sell you some Interstate's. I use Interstate's all the time. they work extreamly well. Did they say if your batt's would handle under a load? I have not heard much good from Diehard. The name sells the battery.

[N.D.]

Is your charger a multi-stage charger? I'm not familiar with your model.
From what I understand,multi-phase or three stage,chargers vary the charging amperage from high to low to lower. These steps also keep the batteries from sulfating which is the biggest reason for battery failure.
My charger is a "Tournament Pro " 30-3 and and I'm going now on my fourth year.
Best,

[Dodge1]

You mentioned that this is the first fishing season, since you bought the batteries, that this problem has come up my.

IHMO, four years is a heck of a long time for any trolling motor batteries to last. Mine go out after 2 or 3 years, at the max. Of course it all depends on your usage and recharging practices.

[Slameye]

Thanks for all the replies. I just said screw it and I bought new ones. I went with Interstate because they seem to have a good reputation, and the guys at the store were very friendly when I brought my other batteries in to have them checked. They could have lied to me about the status of my other batteries but didn't. I bought a couple size 29 batt. They are holdong a much better charge than the Diehards were. I am getting a little more than double the battery life of the old ones. I can't complain about the Diehards though because I was very rough on them. I fish about 5 days a week and each time I go I usually will discharge about 90% of the battery. Three years was probably longer than a lot of batteries would have lasted under the same conditions. Thanks again everyone!

[dutchman]

I'm interested in the Thermoil concept what's the e-mail address

[jeff reed]

Wire in an amp meter between the power lead and the positive post on the battery. That will tell you how many amps the motor is drawing.

[SS]

It wasn't mentioned yet, but remove your trolling motor prop and inspect for fishing line, etc....

[Slameye]

That is a bit of advice that I have not tried yet. Sometimes the simple solutions are the ones we think of last! Thanks.

[Rockman]

A friend of mine who works for an automotive dealership told me that with auto batteries 4 years is about all you're going to get with them.Now I know he was talking about a regular car battery instead of a deep cycle like we all use for boating/fishing, but I had a pair of Minnkota deep cycle batteries a few years back that went bye-bye in the fourth year of use. In that fourth year those batteries wouldn't hold a charge to save your life. Point is that even deep cycle batteries got to be replaced after awhile, even if they appear to hold a decent charge at the time.