On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 07:10:03 GMT, "Calif Bill"
wrote:
Not that many cycles. I probably use the trolling motor 4-5 weekends a
year.
================================================== =

That's not many cycles at all. There's a couple of things that will
extend life if you're not doing them already. Probably most important
is to avoid discharging more than 50% if at all possible. The 50%
level corresponds to about 11 volts under load, and it should bounce
back to about 11.2 or 11.3 in a short time under no load. Next, is to
always recharge promptly, preferably with a good quality 3 stage
charger which can recharge to 100% without cooking the batt. Last but
not least, consider using a couple of 6 volt golf cart batts wired in
series (assuming a 12v trolling motor). Golf cart batts are cheap,
have as much capacity as an 8D, and will take a LOT of deep
charge/recharge cycles. They are rated for about 400 cycles if not
discharged much past 50%.

It's a 24V troller. I think the moving in and out of the boat bounces them
enough to short a cell at times. When I raced cars in the 60's and early
70's, the batteries did not last a very long time. We all ran Sears
Diehards as they were warranted for life at one time.
Bill

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 07:10:03 GMT, "Calif Bill"
wrote:
Not that many cycles. I probably use the trolling motor 4-5 weekends a
year.
================================================== =

That's not many cycles at all. There's a couple of things that will
extend life if you're not doing them already. Probably most important
is to avoid discharging more than 50% if at all possible. The 50%
level corresponds to about 11 volts under load, and it should bounce
back to about 11.2 or 11.3 in a short time under no load. Next, is to
always recharge promptly, preferably with a good quality 3 stage
charger which can recharge to 100% without cooking the batt. Last but
not least, consider using a couple of 6 volt golf cart batts wired in
series (assuming a 12v trolling motor). Golf cart batts are cheap,
have as much capacity as an 8D, and will take a LOT of deep
charge/recharge cycles. They are rated for about 400 cycles if not
discharged much past 50%.

On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 05:16:59 GMT, "Calif Bill"
wrote:
It's a 24V troller. I think the moving in and out of the boat bounces them
enough to short a cell at times. When I raced cars in the 60's and early
70's, the batteries did not last a very long time. We all ran Sears
Diehards as they were warranted for life at one time.
Bill
================================================== =

You'd need 4 golf cart batts for a 24v system of course, but I think
you'd be impressed with their durability. They have very thick plates
and are built for exactly the type of deep discharge service that you
see with a trolling motor.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 05:16:59 GMT, "Calif Bill"
wrote:
It's a 24V troller. I think the moving in and out of the boat bounces
them
enough to short a cell at times. When I raced cars in the 60's and early
70's, the batteries did not last a very long time. We all ran Sears
Diehards as they were warranted for life at one time.
Bill
================================================== =

You'd need 4 golf cart batts for a 24v system of course, but I think
you'd be impressed with their durability. They have very thick plates
and are built for exactly the type of deep discharge service that you
see with a trolling motor.

But I have to remove the batteries for charging as I store my boat at a
place with no electricity. The 2 group 27's do the job, and 3 years and $60
is acceptable.