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sporty1
26-08-2003, 09:40 AM
Hi All

After investing in a new Minn Kota 55AP I am now looking at Batteries and Chargers. I am considering a 120 AH Battery but what type? am I best with fully sealed ect? As for chargers am I better off investing in a more expensive 8amp or larger or stick with 4amp? how long will it take to recharge a 120amp hrs battery (is it simply a matter of dividing the battery size by the charger size?). Any suggestions on the brand of battery and brand and size of charger would be appreciated.

SteveCan
29-08-2003, 04:56 PM
Hi Sporty,

Lots of good questions there - and if you do a search on batteries on this site you will see some great discussions form a few months ago.

I am no expert, but here are a few tips I picked up from the forums. First of all - for a deep cycle, the higher the amp on the charger the better. Not only will it charge faster, but properly matched to your battery it will charge it higher than a lesser charger. Also - serioulsy consider a fully automatic charger that will go to trickle once a full charge has been achieved - otherwise an overcharge may damage your battery. As for sealed etc, the more you pay the higher quality battery you can get. I needed advice and went to Battery World - sure they have a commercial interest but they do know batteries and if you are looking to do it right they will give you good advice (MHO)

Anyway - there is a heap on knowledge here on the site, have a look about and perhaps some of the more knowledgeable will tip in.

Cheers
Steve.

sporty1
30-08-2003, 03:22 AM
Thanks steve
Can a fast charge on a deep cycle battery damage the battery? or reduce its reserve capacity? I wil have a trip to "battery world"

SteveCan
03-09-2003, 09:04 AM
Hi Sporty -

I don't Know! - but if you find out the answer I would like to know as I am looking at a new charger myself!

Cheers
Steve.

craigie
04-09-2003, 01:34 PM
Hi Sporty 1, we purchased 2 x 130 amp hr Batteries for our 40 Pound/Thrust Minn Kota (no Maximizer) We run each Battery for about 3 hrs before recharging with a quality Charger that has the automatic Cut off (when fully charged). It can take anywhere from 24 to 36 hrs to rechrge each Battery. The Batteries were purchased from Turbo at Brendale for about $220 each. The Charger cost $87.

Happy 'Stealth' Fishing,

Craigie.

scubapro
09-09-2003, 06:27 AM
Hi Guys,

I got this info from the Dick Smth web site.

***********************************************
Although they often appear to be a better economic choice for the typical consumer, trickle chargers do not have the advantage of sophisticated microprocessor electronic control. What appears to be a cost savings for the charger may actually cost several times the charger price in replacement batteries. This is the difference between the Battery Fighter and the other 2 step Lead Acid Chargers.


Features: Complete 4-Step constant current charging program
Switches automatically from charge to float
1. Qualification - ensures safety by verifying battery status prior to charging.
2. Bulk Charge - raises battery voltage to 14.4VDC
3. Absorption Charge - holds voltage at 14.4VDC and forces current to fully charge the battery
3. Float Charge - maintains fully charged battery at 13.2VDC
Perfect for a wide range of lead acid battery styles including flooded, sealed, maintenance free, VRLA, Gel and AGM.
Temperature compensation ensures optimal charge voltage even in extreme weather conditions
Reverse polarity protection ensures safety
Spark-proof
3 Year warranty
12' (305mm) output cord
Input Power: 240VAC @ 50Hz
Output: 12VDC 1.25A

Cat No. M9826
Category: Battery Chargers

A$79.98 incl GST
****************************************

Seems pretty good value for the money.

Scubapro

sporty1
09-09-2003, 12:54 PM
Look good, but unfortunately at 1.25 amps it is going to take a long time to recharge a 130 amp hrs battery. I am looking at using the battery again the next day at even a 3/4 charge so I would need around a 5 amp hrs charger minimum.

Cloud_9
07-10-2003, 01:12 PM
I have 2 electic motors 1 mincota 1 merc thruster.
i have been useing an N70ZZ HDcar battery. works just as good as deep cycle. i get 5 or 6 hours from them. there better than deep cycle inthat you get 2 year waranty on N70ZZ and 6 months on deep cycle ( $100 dollars N70ZZ ) ( $300 deep cycle ) work it out yourself cheap chargers do work but you have to charge in stages .
charge overnite, disconnect for hour reconnect for another couple hours to get 100% charge most cheap chargers cut out at about 85/90% charge. thats why reconnect for a while