Deep Cycle Battery Charger

[Reel]

I am just new to canoe fishing and just bought a predator and it came with a minn kota and a deep cycle battery. Can someone please how to charge a deep cycle battery and what kind of running hours can you expect out of a full battery, motor is a minn kota 36lb.

Thanks for your help.

Ron

[shane450]

A few variables Ron

What size battery do you have .

How hard you work the Minnkota .

Typically I get a full days lure casting out of a I Pilot Minnkota 54lb bowmount with a 75 amp/hr Optima Deep cycle . I d probably get another day or two before it is depleted , but I charge it at the end of every day .

[Reel]

Shane,

Its used on a canoe i recently bought, to be honest i dont know what the size of the battery is...........sorry im totally new to this kind of fishing lol

[Reel]

just checked battery is 12volt/120ah, can you provide some advise pls?

[Triple]

Pick one - (xs7000 and up would be my choice) http://www.batteriesdirect.com.au/sh...FSZNpgodNRfk2Q
You pay a bit more for the ctec but I am yet to hear of any complaints besides price. I have the 4003 and it does the job on my optima d34 and bikes etc. Charging it after every use will help with its longevity.

Quoted -

"• Amp draw is the measurement of electrical current drawn from a storage battery (or battery), while the trolling motor is being operated at maximum speed.
• Minn Kota 's published amp draw figures represent actual on the water conditions (with all of the motor 's wiring, switches and circuitry in the electrical system as the test measurement is taken).
• Approximate length of running time when operation a trolling motor at full power can be determined with a motor 's amp draw and the battery amp hour rating.
Example: A single 120 amp hour, 12 volt battery and a 12 volt trolling motor drawing 20 amps at the highest speed setting will run for about 3.4 hours.
• The formula for the calculation is as follows:

.85 A.H.R. = Hours of running time. (A.H.R.= Battery Amp Hour Rating)
M.A.D. (M.A.D. = Motor Amp Draw)

• As the speed setting is reduced the motor amp draw is also reduced.
• A motor drawing 30 amps at high speed may only draw 5 amps at the slowest speed. The same motor that will theoretically run about 3.4 hours at high speed will run for over 20 hours at the slowest speed."

[Reel]

thanks very much for the info mate, i have a calibre 3.5amp charger that i bought from super cheap but it doesnt seem to do the job

[Si]

dont know about the calibre 3.5amp charger you have???? advisable to get a smart charger (7 or 8 stage) rather than a standard old school 3 stage. you dont need to spend a fortune on it. Just go into repco and get a 7 stage 15amp smart charger, heaps cheaper than a ctek and it will easily charge your battery safely overnight. also you have identified the battery as a deep cycle but is it a wet cell with screw plugs on the top to check and top up electrolyte levels or is a maintenance free agm type?

[tunaticer]

Where are you at Ron?
Turbo Batteries at Brendale sell a good version of smart charger. Mine is now a decade old and still runs as new. The newer versions have something extra to mine as well.
Expect to pay over $150 for a base model smart charger for a deep cycle charger.
I run a 20 amp Smart charger on my 120 AH deep cycle batts.

[driveon]

Hi Reel, and why do you say your battery charger doesn’t seem to do job?

Thats a small charger so it would need a good few hours to fully charge that size battery and while the Calibre is not all that smart, it is a 3 stage charger and should do the job.

BTW, if you have the time, your smaller charger is actually far better for charging your battery than a high current battery charger is.

[TheSaint]

Mate one thing I can say about charging batteries don't go for cheapest option as you spend alot more in the long run & don't I know that! I would look getting at a minimum a IC1500 Projecta 7 stage 15 amp 12v charger or a Ctek XS15000 15amp 12v charger off ebay or battery traders. I own Bass electric boat where i need to charge 5 batteries everytime i head out & use both of the chargers above & find the Ctek is the best. Invest now so don't kill your time on the water later..