Tried to start the boat today...

[Old Ironmaker]

9th year I on my original Deka starting battery.

I'm impressed.

I hear most batteries only last 3-4 yrs.

My experience as well Mr. Cat. I got 7 on mine. Deka only for me here too. I shopped for something better I found out there isn't one better.

[boombap]

Just installed a minnkota 3 bank on board charger to try and avoid this happening to me.

 

It was pricey that's for sure, but I love being able to come home, roll the boat into the garage and plug her in. All 3 batteries charging.

 

I have read that it's kind of unnecessary to have the starting battery hooked up to a on board charger at all times, but peace of mind is nice.

 

Good to hear it was just a battery.

[irishfield]

You don't want any battery hooked up to a charger "at all times". You're just going to boil those buggers into submission at an early age. Season 9 coming up for my 4, all load test just fine @ 1000 CCA and needless to say they got neglected somewhat the past 5 years as well !

[Fisherman]

You don't want any battery hooked up to a charger "at all times". You're just going to boil those buggers into submission at an early age. Season 9 coming up for my 4, all load test just fine @ 1000 CCA and needless to say they got neglected somewhat the past 5 years as well !

Well I have to disagree Wayne, my last boat battery was just traded in at 13 years, my RV battery is 9 years old and ATV 7. All 3 are hooked up full time off season to maintainers that put out about 1 - 1.5 amps when needed. Never had to add any water.

[irishfield]

An onboard charger is not a "maintainer". It's designed to charge at high amps and shut off when done. As batteries get older they have a very bad habit of not shutting off and continuing to boil away with the last "count down" light still on and not shutting off.

 

Maintainers, at least older models, have a bad reputation of sulphating batteries 'til they short out.

 

I do nothing special, charge the batteries properly (after a load test) and let them sit for months. Repeat. Has worked for 40 years or so for me.. My plow trucks batteries are now both 13 years old, still both pull 1100 CCA as of yesterday when I checked them, then a full charge overnight so the truck can sit until Fall.

[Fisherman]

An onboard charger is not a "maintainer". It's designed to charge at high amps and shut off when done. As batteries get older they have a very bad habit of not shutting off and continuing to boil away with the last "count down" light still on and not shutting off.

Ok, I'll buy that.

[John Bacon]

I hear most batteries only last 3-4 yrs.

 

You should be able to get more than that from a battery.

[dave524]

A good way to maintain batteries is to use one of those heavy duty 24 hour timers and set it to turn on a trickle charger for an hour a day.

[DRIFTER_016]

You don't want any battery hooked up to a charger "at all times". You're just going to boil those buggers into submission at an early age. Season 9 coming up for my 4, all load test just fine @ 1000 CCA and needless to say they got neglected somewhat the past 5 years as well !

 

Yup, toasted a couple of batteries because the charger didn't shut off.

The battery in my snowmobile is 9 years old now. It has a Battery Tender charger installed on it as well as a battery blanket and block heater.

I plug in the night before I want to use it and it starts up like it's 70 degrees outside every time.

I haven't even seen the battery in this sled as it's buried under a bunch of stuff. Probably see it tomorrow when I start taking it apart to get the rad out.

[Old Ironmaker]

I also fried a brand new Deca by leaving it on trickle charge mode over the winter as recommended here by some. I take the things in for the winter now, set them on plywood and then trickle charge them until 100% full or 14V a day or so before installing them now. Going on 4 years, let's see.

[DRIFTER_016]

I also fried a brand new Deca by leaving it on trickle charge mode over the winter as recommended here by some. I take the things in for the winter now, set them on plywood and then trickle charge them until 100% full or 14V a day or so before installing them now. Going on 4 years, let's see.

 

Yep, me too.

Got 5 batteries sitting on the floor in my tiny shop.

1 for my camper, 1 for a buddies boat and 3 for my boat.

Just finishing cleaning up after the tool box debacle of last week, then they go on the smart charger before I put them in the boat for the summer.

[Old Ironmaker]

Yep, me too.

Got 5 batteries sitting on the floor in my tiny shop.

1 for my camper, 1 for a buddies boat and 3 for my boat.

Just finishing cleaning up after the tool box debacle of last week, then they go on the smart charger before I put them in the boat for the summer.

Look at all the Hydro we are saving too Dave. If you call that shop tiny you should see my garden shed.

[DRIFTER_016]

Look at all the Hydro we are saving too Dave. If you call that shop tiny you should see my garden shed.

 

It's actually the entry to my place. It's 10'X10' but most of the room is taken up with a 500 gallon water tank.

So, yeah it's tiny.

[Shloim]

OK so before jumping the new battery gun, I wondered if the indicator lights are messed up on my charger and after a full night of charging and taking it to CDN tire for testing, its all good! So I installed a disconnect switch for the cranking battery (been having a battery draining issue but that's another post). So the lazy guy solution was the 3 position switch that will allow the new auto bildge to be running while the main electrical is off. Anyway she's running just fine and I'm still a Deka fan! Thanks again folks for all the help!

[bigbuck]

Thats good news. You should get a voltmeter and track down what is draining your battery though. Youtube university and a voltmeter are all you need...that is unless one of our more learned members pipes up and helps which will probably happen anyways.

[captpierre]

I used to bring it in on wood.

Last 5 yrs just leave it in the boat during the winter with the positive wires disconnected.

A slow charge for 3-4 hrs in spring.

Good to go.

[Fisherman]

Battery draining can be as simple as one draining into another if they are wired in parallel and are equalizing to the battery of the lowest capacity. Otherwise, get a multimeter (one with a 10amp setting preferably), take off the positive battery cable and put the voltmeter between the + post and + cable, any voltage with everything off will give you a reading. Pull fuses one at a time until you get a zero reading, poof, there's you culprit. Then isolate that circuit to see where it's grounding out or using power. Some boat radios, AM/FM and VHF will draw just to keep the radio station memory alive.

[Tom McCutcheon]

My understanding is that along with the radios maintaining memory, the internal or external puck antenna to the GPS graph will also draw current if left connected. Even though the unit/s are switched off.

Edited May 8, 2016 by Tom McCutcheon

[Tybo]

keep a eye on your smart chargers also.if they are charging constant at high voltage there is a problem.

could be charger and/or battery.

 

rule of thumb, Higher the voltage lower the amperage.

[irishfield]

The only drain that I found on my boat was my troll control unit for the kicker. After sitting for awhile in the hangar I walked by it one day and could hear the throttle servo hunting for home position, even with the unit turned off. Had wondered what killed the battery the year before, so I now pull the power head off the wires to the engine and no longer have any issues. I charge my AGM's for each engine just before the end of the year (after Musky fishing) and again somewhere in late Feb I give them a check out. Then again in May before heading for the lake. Trolling motor batteries get plugged into the onboard charger the same three times, paying careful attention that the lights cycle through to off within 12 hours. Then she gets unplugged.

 

Also consider those leaving a cord up into the boat all winter are giving mice a perfect road!

Edited May 8, 2016 by irishfield

[Moosebunk]

Wanna bet who buys the minnows when we finally get out ice fishing Shayne?

 

Toast battery wins... well, sorta... until it was charged anyways.

 

Giving the point to Mr. Brock. Shayne, the minnows are on you dood.

[Consigliere]

OK so before jumping the new battery gun, I wondered if the indicator lights are messed up on my charger and after a full night of charging and taking it to CDN tire for testing, its all good! So I installed a disconnect switch for the cranking battery (been having a battery draining issue but that's another post). So the lazy guy solution was the 3 position switch that will allow the new auto bildge to be running while the main electrical is off. Anyway she's running just fine and I'm still a Deka fan! Thanks again folks for all the help!

Not sure what kind of switch that is but if your boat is docked in water the bilge pump should be wired direct to the battery. Most will also say to inline fuse it (the debate is burn vs sink as what you want to risk).

[chris.brock]

Toast battery wins... well, sorta... until it was charged anyways.

 

Giving the point to Mr. Brock. Shayne, the minnows are on you dood.

I think it's a push, I'll buy if both you guys come out.

[Shloim]

Not sure what kind of switch that is but if your boat is docked in water the bilge pump should be wired direct to the battery. Most will also say to inline fuse it (the debate is burn vs sink as what you want to risk).

So I don't really leave it in the water overnight when I'm not around. I wired the auto wire on to the second position. This way its on by itself. I'm actually a master electrician and my best buddy is a mechanic. We've tried a few times to figure it out, and can't find, it. I'm even kind of embarrassed to have started this post once I'd fixed it

Edited May 9, 2016 by Shloim

[NANUK]

An external GPS antenna will use small amount of power if not wired through a disconnect switch, enough to drain the battery over a few weeks.

Best to use a DC amp meter to trouble shoot power drain problems on a battery.