I'd like to get a new battery for my boat... I don't know exactly how old
the current battery is as the sticker which should show the date doesn't
really have a makr on the year... although it seems to have a small smudge
on 00.
So anyway, I'd like to get a new battery and just keep this current one for
my electronics... I'd like to get one a little bit more powerful for
starting... I have an old Johnson 90HP (about 20-25 years old)and I need a
bit more time to get it started sometimes... Probably is I don't know a lot
about batteries and the curent one doesn't have a rating written on it....
What I did get from it...
Brand: Ample
Model: N70ZZ
Size: 300mm X 200mm X 170mm

I looked up that part number and I got a few different brands listed but
they don't have an Amp rating (like the new batteries do in the shops).
One of them was Marshall, 600CCA, 130 RC.
And found another cheap one that was 640CCA.

First question what is CCA?
Comparing the size to the newer batteries.... The same sized batteries are
anywhere from 70Amperes to 100Amperes.
Is getting a fully sealed battery worth the extra $100+??


Another question, I just got a little portable emergency jump starter which
says it can do 600Amps, 900Amps peak. Is this too weak to give my current
battery a boost? How much does a motor of this age normally draw??

Any help/suggestions on choosing the correct battery would be most
appreciated.
Thanks!
Glen

GC wrote:
I'd like to get a new battery for my boat... I don't know exactly how old
the current battery is as the sticker which should show the date doesn't
really have a makr on the year... although it seems to have a small smudge
on 00.

Check into desulphating your old battery instead. It may add years of
life to the battery. Many smart chargers have this feature.


So anyway, I'd like to get a new battery and just keep this current one for
my electronics... I'd like to get one a little bit more powerful for
starting... I have an old Johnson 90HP (about 20-25 years old)and I need a
bit more time to get it started sometimes... Probably is I don't know a lot
about batteries and the curent one doesn't have a rating written on it....
What I did get from it...
Brand: Ample
Model: N70ZZ
Size: 300mm X 200mm X 170mm

Most boat batteries are sized by their casing group; ie Group 24, Group
27, Group 31, etc etc. It sounds like your battery may be a car battery.


I looked up that part number and I got a few different brands listed but
they don't have an Amp rating (like the new batteries do in the shops).
One of them was Marshall, 600CCA, 130 RC.
And found another cheap one that was 640CCA.

Buying the cheapest battery is usually expensive in the long run. What
you want is to get the cheapest *power* which requires a battery of good
capacity & good service life... a good charger will extend the service
life of the battery too.


First question what is CCA?

"Cold Cranking Amp" This is the number of amps the battery can deliver
in total in a short time (IIRC 1 minute) at 0 degrees.


Comparing the size to the newer batteries.... The same sized batteries are
anywhere from 70Amperes to 100Amperes.

Batteries are built for two seperate functions... 1- to deliver a big
wallop of juice for starting an engine, then recovering slowly over a
long period of time... 2- delivering moderate amounts of power over a
long time frame and being recharged quickly. These two functions are
almost mutually exclusive. If you want a battery for power on board
(lights, electronics, etc etc) then you want a deep cycle battery. It's
rating in amp-hours will tell you how much it is capable of. If you want
a battery for starting, you want a starting battery which is constructed
differently, and the important rating is CCA or MCA (marine cranking amps).



Is getting a fully sealed battery worth the extra $100+??

Not IMHO. It's better to get plain old fashioned flooded cell battery,
check it fairly often, and use a smart charger.



Another question, I just got a little portable emergency jump starter which
says it can do 600Amps, 900Amps peak. Is this too weak to give my current
battery a boost? How much does a motor of this age normally draw??

I don't know but it sounds like this booster should be able to start the
motor all by itself. This is just my own personal taste but I'd be leery
of depending on such a gizmo regularly. A nice emergency back-up though.
A reliable battery bank is kind of old fashioned and boring low-tech but
it's the way to go IMHO.

Hope this helps

Doug King

First, some definitions:


CCA is "Cold Cranking Amp". It is the number of amps that a

new battery can deliver for 30 seconds at ZERO degrees Fahrenheit

without dropping below a prespedified voltage (usually 10.5 or 7.2

volts).



In boat batteries you may also see a MCA which is a Marine Cranking

Amp rating. This is the same definition as CCA except it's tested/measured

at 32 degrees Fahrenheit.



The higher the CCA rating the more "oooomph" the battery has to

turn over your engine. It will likely be bigger and heavier too. Unless

you have specific manufacturer reccomendation, picking the proper

rating is somewhat subjective. You want something powerful enough

to turn your engine over but you don't want a battery heavier

or more costly then you need.



I had batteries in the 500 or 550 range for my outboard mercury 115

horsepower. They worked fine. Though I did have TWO batteries

I used them only one at a time (on an A/B/ALL switch). I also use

a pair of 550's on my 130 Horsepower inboard.



So anyway, I'd like to get a new battery and just keep this current one
for
my electronics...

That's a decent idea. But you have to think about how to connect them
so that they both get charged when the eninge is running yet don't
so they are seperated when you want them to be.

Is getting a fully sealed battery worth the extra $100+??

I personally don't think so - not for a small boat. There are
uses where the gel or glass mat (AGM) batteries are worth
the money - but probably not on a small boat.


Another question, I just got a little portable emergency jump starter
which
says it can do 600Amps, 900Amps peak. Is this too weak to give my current
battery a boost? How much does a motor of this age normally draw??

I love thost little "batterie buddies." 600 or 900 amps should be a great
boost
for starting your boat. So long as this item is for unusual circumstances
and not
used to start the boat all the time.



Batteries can also be "Starting Bateries" or "Dual Purpose" or "House/Deep
Cell".
House/DeepCell is for running all the electronics and clearly not what you
need. If
you are only going to use this new battery for starting then fine. But you
might also
consider a Dual Purpose. It is good for starting but can also withstand some
of the continuous draw when running a few electronics (depth finder, radio,
small lights).


Good Luck,
Gary

Hi there,

Choosing a battery is always a "fun" process. There are several things
to consider. Battery manufacturers offer a wide variety of options to
accommodate just about every circumstance.

Generally, for marine applications, a deep cycle battery is the one to
consider for several reasons:

1) If you have an electric trolling motor, you can run it off the
battery until the battery is almost completely drained without the
fear of damaging the battery.

2) If you store the battery (over winter for example) without
monitoring and charging it, again you will not damage it (unless you
leave it completely drained and expose it to very cold temperatures,
then it might freeze).

3) They are readily available and go on sale (at least here in Canada)
on a regular basis.

4) They are equipped with the correct connectors and carrying handles
to install/remove from the boat easily.

The only thing you need to consider is the size/capacity. I generally
like to choose the biggest one I can accommodate. By that I mean, it
fits in the boat, it isn't ridiculously heavy so that anyone could
remove it for charging/storage purposes, and that it stores enough
energy that I could use my electric trolling motor to get back to my
cottage should the main motor stop working (failure/run out of gas,
etc.)

Deep cycle batteries are designed to handle the "beating" that they
must endure being mounted in a boat. There is no suspension and they
take quite a shaking and rough sea days.

I replaced mine about 7 years ago and it works as good today as it did
when I bought it. My electric trolling motor can get me from one end
of the lake to the other easily.

I have not had any issues with regard to the fact it is filled with a
liquid that might potentially spill. There is no evidence of acid
leakage inside the plastic battery box in my boat, or in the basement
where I store the battery over the winter. It sits in the cold room
(about 50 degrees F) in the plastic box from the boat there and has
never failed to start the engine the following summer. I hook it to my
automatic charger for 24 hours before putting it away in the fall (mid
September) and ignore it until the following June.

Hope this was of some help!

Cheers from Canada!

Bob M.

"GC" wrote in message ...
I'd like to get a new battery for my boat... I don't know exactly how old
the current battery is as the sticker which should show the date doesn't
really have a makr on the year... although it seems to have a small smudge
on 00.
So anyway, I'd like to get a new battery and just keep this current one for
my electronics... I'd like to get one a little bit more powerful for
starting... I have an old Johnson 90HP (about 20-25 years old)and I need a
bit more time to get it started sometimes... Probably is I don't know a lot
about batteries and the curent one doesn't have a rating written on it....
What I did get from it...
Brand: Ample
Model: N70ZZ
Size: 300mm X 200mm X 170mm

I looked up that part number and I got a few different brands listed but
they don't have an Amp rating (like the new batteries do in the shops).
One of them was Marshall, 600CCA, 130 RC.
And found another cheap one that was 640CCA.

First question what is CCA?
Comparing the size to the newer batteries.... The same sized batteries are
anywhere from 70Amperes to 100Amperes.
Is getting a fully sealed battery worth the extra $100+??


Another question, I just got a little portable emergency jump starter which
says it can do 600Amps, 900Amps peak. Is this too weak to give my current
battery a boost? How much does a motor of this age normally draw??

Any help/suggestions on choosing the correct battery would be most
appreciated.
Thanks!
Glen

"GC" wrote in message ...

Any help/suggestions on choosing the correct battery would be most
appreciated.

The Q is meaningless without knowing what electrical loads it must
service & what the usage pattern is. It is like asking: "I need a
new 4WD truck - should it be a fullsize crewcab 3/4 ton Chevy with
air, or a Jeep with a winch?".

The term "deep cycle" also has no specific meaning from one mfg/model
to another.

When in doubt & unwilling to define needed capacity accurately, any
brand will do - as long as it is either purple & says "Trojan" on it,
or is yellow & white & says "Optima" on it.