Battery questions?

[Bob G2]

I have two Group 31 Interstate trolling motor batteries that are 2 years old. It looks like one of them bit the dust as it is not taking a charge. The two questions I have are:
1) Can I just replace the one battery or should I replace both?
2) If I end up replacing both, does someone have a recommendation for a good sealed, maintenance free battery? (Besides an Exide
Gel Cell-sorry, had 2 of those before and they quit early too)

Thanks.

[Grapejuice]

I have been using Delco Voyagers and Sears Die Hards the last 20 years I get from 3 to 6 years out of the batteries. I went to both of their web sites to get info on storage in off season and taking care of batteries in season,so far it has paid off!
Good luck and good fishing

[TBO/MN]

Yup, replace both, replacing only one does you no good. The new one will only charge to the maximum charge the old one will take. Check out the Batteries Plus 31EV, these are sealed, 205 minutes reserve, and priced very reasonably, $64.99 each, a buck a pound. They weigh 65 lbs. each so they have must have a great deal of lead in them. They have a one year full replacement, and 30 month adjusted replacement. I did a lot of research and price comparing and found these to be the best buy out there. I figure that if these last 3 years, I can buy another set for the same money and have paid less than the new spiral cell batteries that claim to last 3 to 5 years. By the way the spiral cell batteries have trouble meeting that claim, by all accounts I have heard. So, in the long run I am hoping that these will do the job, because I just bought 2 of them. They have to be better than the ones I have been using, Exide Navigator Gold, I think the only gold they have is the gold that Exide puts in their pocket. (IMHO)

Good Fishin'
TBO/MN

[Sparky]

Grapejuice, I didn't see a profile for you but, do you dock in Ludington, MI?

Sparky

[Grape Juice]

Sparky;
I mostly fish up north in Minnesota but do put in at marinas in northern Indiana Hammond-East Chicago-Portage. I can't believe that there are two grape juices in this world. Grape Juice 1 is the name on my boat.Hope that this year is as good fishing as last year was. See you on the lake hopefully.

[Bob G2]

Thanks guys. TBO, I have a Batteries Plus model that I use for a starter/accessories battery. Have had it 3 seasons and still going strong. Do they make a sealed, maintenance free one?

[TBO/MN]

Yes, that 31EV model is a sealed, 205 minutes reserve, 12 volt deep cycle battery.

Good Fishin'
TBO/MN

[Dave M]

How about a group 31 battery with 242 reserve minutes?

[Dutchman]

WARNING>>>> Do not replace with Interstate Group 31's I have gone through 3 sets in less than 2 years. My next battery's will be Trojan 31's. Their about $10.00 higher than the Interstates but I've heard they last longer than 6 months. No joke, and to add insult to injury you have to buy a new Interstate to match the new one you received under warrantee. Very expensive learning proccess for this Dutchman (slow learning curve anyhow). Get the Trojans....

[eyestalkr]

Just want to let you know your Batteries Plus battery is now manufactured by Exide(it was GNB) if they still have the battery you are talking about it will be last years model. Exide best deep cycle only has 185 min. reserve capacity @ 25 amp draw.

[tbomn]

Have to say you are wrong, the 31EV is a GNB made battery. I just bought it last weekend and the battery states right on it that it is manufactured by GNB enterprises. It also states that it is a 205 reserve minutes.

"I respect faith, but doubt is what gives you an education."
Wilson Mizner

Good Fishin'
TBO/MN

[tbomn]

Forgot to say that it also had a manufacture date of 3-6-01, I don't think that is a "last years" battery.

"I respect faith, but doubt is what gives you an education."
Wilson Mizner

Good Fishin'
TBO/MN

[Kevin B]

I can't figure out why some batteries last me two years and others four years. I fish the same lakes, the same way, the same times of the year, etc. I've had expensive ones last two years and cheap ones last four, and vice versa.
I took the advice of someone on this forum about 18 months ago - "buy em from walmart. can exchange them anywhere. get em in spring when they get in a new batch."
Also, I don't see much difference between 160 min v 180 min v. 220 min. other than the weight! But I don't think guys are tellin fish stories on this forum about their favorite batteries and why. This is just been the way it is for me and my 34lb thrust motorguide.

[eyestalkr]

TBO/MN,
Exide bought out GNB sometime late last year the new company is called Exide Technoligies, i called my buddy at Exide and had him fax me a new Exide/ Champion(GNB) specification sheet and here is the new specs. 1ST the GNB part# that you purchased was a ST31DP-900/31DP6 the old spec was 900 CA @ 32 degrees F and 205 minute reserve @ 25 amp draw, the new spec as of Jan.1,01 is 900 ca @ 32 degrees F and 180 minute reserve @ 25 amp draw. 2nd the part# 31EV is Batteries Plus part# they used to buy from Douglas Battery and the 31EV part# was Douglas # to make it simple on all the stores they kept most of Douglas part# 3rd is the date code you are talking about is that a white sticker on the side of the battery? if so that is the ship code date or when the battery left one of GNB/Exide Wharehouses the Manufactured date is melted into the case. Lastly iam not trying to stir things up but iam just trying to educate the public on the true facts of the Battery Bsns.

PS. I have worked in the Battery Industry for 20 years.

Eyestalkr

[Butch]

I bought a new boat (Going to pick it up soon).
I have a X-15 w/GPS
Pinpoint 7520
Marine Radio
AM/FM Radio
Livewell's
BaitWell's

The Cranking Battery is going to be a 1000 Cranking Amp one.
This is because of the 225 optimax on back.
Should I get another Batt. and run it parallel?
Will the 225 opti(65 amp alt) or 15hp 4-stk (amp?) keep it charged?
I might be out for 6-8 hours just running the trolling motor on the bow. Will the drain on the Aux. be too much to turn over
the 225? (I heard I might need 9v to turn the big motor?)

Is this anything you might have a opinion on?

Thanx
B2

[TBO/MN]

Yup, you are right. The part # you gave is for the Stowaway Tournament series, also made by this company. I called Batteries Plus and they told me that the 31EV and the Stowaway Tourn. were the same battery. I asked why they sell the Batteries Plus battery under a different name and was told that Exide Technologies will continue to make both for marketing purposes, what ever that means. In any case, I feel I got a pretty good battery for the money, Exide or not. All reports consider this battery to be one of the top in it's class. The date burned into the side of the battery is 09/00, and the other date was on the sticker. Sorry, I said you were wrong.

Good Fishin'
TBO/MN

[risor39]

Just a few tips on maintaining your batteries you sould check the water level once a month for those of you with non-maint.free batteries.If you expose the plates it will decrease your capacity greatly.Check out the thermoil link on winnebagowalleyes.com

[GORD]

Before giving up on that dead battery, try charging it on high using a big commercial battery charger. It's too new to die. It might just need a good jolt to wake it up. I did this to a two year old Voyager once that I thaught was dead. That was 4 yrs. ago and that battery still works good. Why it worked, I have no idea. It was my buddies idea.

[fishfinder]

I have this great little item called a Solargizer that I bought at Batteries Plus five years ago. It hooks up to your battery and it zaps it with pulses that is sapose to nock the electrods off the plates and back to work storing energy. Or somthing like that. But what I do know is the dam thing works. I hook it up to my boat batterys in the spring for a few days and they work great. Both my starting and trolling moter batterys are the orignal ones that came with the boat when I bought it five years ago.

[Pitts]

TBO it takes a big man to admit he is wrong. You are one class act and fun to ice fish with also LOL.

Pitts

[Pitts]

Sometimes when a battery looks like it has died it simply has a dead short between the plates from buildup of junk on the plates in one of the cells. Charging with a large fast charge charger will knock off the build up and the cell that is shorted will work again and take a charge.
This is just what an old junkyard owner told me he does with all of the batteries he recieves to see if he could restore them and then sell as used. He said it would work about 1/2 the time.
Maybe our battery expert eyestalker can enlighten us if this is good to do once a year instead of using the onboard 10 amp charger all the time.

Pitts