Batteries over winter...
 

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
I'm seriously thinking about just leaving the batteries in my Ranger
over the winter rather than taking them out and storing them
downstairs. We'll be doing a makeover on the basement this winter and
moving the batteries around will be a pain, not to mention power
availability as we're completely renovating.

So the plan is to just leave them in place and put trickle chargers on
each battery over winter.

Any thoughts?

My sole thought is that if you were switch to high-quality AGM batteries,
this is just one of many battery issues and questions that you would never
have to trouble yourself with again. Liberating your mind completely from
the burden of battery maintenance will allow for the pursuit of more noble
endeavors with room to spare for a few whackjob ideas, as well. I speak
from experience on all counts.

Batteries over winter...
 

I have experience with AGM batteries.

They suck for trolling motors.

Why is that? Knowing what I know about AGMs, they seem like they would be a
natural fit for use as with trolling motor. But I don't know of anyone who
actually uses them for trolling motors. But then again, I don't personally
know anyone who uses trolling motors.

Not to doubt you, but I would think that AGM's high amp-hour capacity, high
number of charge/discharge cycles in their expected life span, negligible
self-discharge rate, incredible capacity for high current draw, and ability
to recharge quickly to a full charge would be just the characteristics one
would want in a trolling motor battery. In fact, I'm pretty sure of it.
Out of curiosity, which brand of AGM batteries have you used, and how did
they fail to meet your expectations or underperform their flooded-cell
counterparts?

I've used AGMs exclusively on the boat for the last six years, and I'm
hooked on them. The brand I use are installed as OEM batteries in the
following boats:

Activa
Alden Yachts
Alexander Marine
Asia Harbour
Blue Water Yachts
Bounty Motor Yachts
Bradley Boats
Budsin Woodcraft
Cabo Yachts
Cabo Rico Yachts
Camargue
Channel Coast Yachts
Charles Didham Yachts
Cheunh Kee (friendship)
Christensen Shipyard
Cruiseline
Custom Steel Boats, Inc.
Derecktor Shipyard
Destination yachts
Dettiling Yacht Co
Double Happiness
Dyna Craft
Eastport Electric Boat
Elco (Lung Lee)
Electric Launch Co
Grand Banks
Grand Harbour
Hampton
Her Shine
Hinckley Company
Hines-Farley Offshore
Horizon
Island Packet
Jenn Huei
Jettern
Johnson
Kady-Krogan Yachts
Kha Shing
Lazzara Yachts
Lien Hwa
Lyman Morse
Maine Cat
Manta Catamarans
Moorings Ltd
Morris Yacht Co
Nordhavn
North Coast Yacht
North Sea Yachts
Nova Marine
Ocean Alexander
Oxford Boat Yard
Pacific Seacraft Corp
Pacific Trawlers
Palmer Johnson
Performance Yachts
Pierce Yacht Co
President
Queen Long
Sabre Corporation
Sam L Morse Co.
San Juan
Shanghai Baodoa
Skipperliner Yachts
South Coast
Symbol
Ta Chaio Chou
TA Shing
TA Yang
Tania
Transworld
Tung Hwa
Vicem Yachts
Viking Yachts
Vision
Vitrech
Well Chance

I've got to admit that I don't see anything in this list that you would
typically associate with the use of a trolling motor, so there may very well
be something to your negative experience with them in that context.

RG

Batteries over winter...
 

I'm not sure. Perhaps they don't handle high capacity charge -
discharge cycles very well under heavy use.

All I know is that I had a set of AGMs on my Ranger producing 24 Vdc
for my MotoGuide 67 Great White and they were useless after about two
or three long discharge uses - they would take a charge, but last
about a half hour. I didn't even get a month out of them.

The two Interstate HD RV/Marine batteries I have in the boat now are
two years old, take a quick charge and last as long as I need them to
when fishing.

I've been told they've built some different AGMs for trolling
purposes, but I wouldn't ever use them again.


While your experience was indeed real, I suspect it was an exception to,
rather than the norm.

Batteries over winter...
 

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 01 Oct 2006 20:57:08 GMT, "RG" wrote:



I'm not sure. Perhaps they don't handle high capacity charge -
discharge cycles very well under heavy use.

All I know is that I had a set of AGMs on my Ranger producing 24 Vdc
for my MotoGuide 67 Great White and they were useless after about two
or three long discharge uses - they would take a charge, but last
about a half hour. I didn't even get a month out of them.

The two Interstate HD RV/Marine batteries I have in the boat now are
two years old, take a quick charge and last as long as I need them to
when fishing.

I've been told they've built some different AGMs for trolling
purposes, but I wouldn't ever use them again.

While your experience was indeed real, I suspect it was an exception to,
rather than the norm.

I know a lot of bass fishermen who don't use them for the same reason.

Must be something to it.

An interesting article relating to this discussion.

http://www.bassandwalleyeboats.com/output.cfm?id=942715

Batteries over winter...
 

On Sun, 01 Oct 2006 21:49:31 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

Well, I will admit I was an early adopter for AGM batteries and maybe
that's what the problem was.

I'm up for replacements this year for the trolling motor - I'll take
another look at them.

Go down to your local golf course and see what type of battery they
are using in their carts. I'm betting on standard lead acid
batteries. Golf cart service is very similar to trolling motor
service in many respects - frequent deep discharge cycles. It takes a
special type of battery construction with thicker plates to stand up
to that kind of treatment.