PawleysDude
Member
Since when does buying a battery require an electrical engineering degree? I'm thoroughly confused and would appreciate suggestions. Here's the situation...
I've got an old 16' Tracker aluminum bass boat docked on a small lake. It's powered by an equally old 12V trolling motor rated for 40# thrust. It came with two Group 24 marine starting batteries, wired in parallel. Essentially, the only other power usage is a small depth finder and an automatic bilge pump that runs briefly when we get rain. A typical trip is 3-5 hours long. The volt meter on the boat usually reads 12.7V at full charge, and about 12.3-12.4V after fishing several hours, if that gives any indication of typical battery consumption. I almost always charge them immediately after fishing with an onboard 5amp 1-bank charger.
The problem is these wet-cell batteries are located in a very difficult location to access. To even check the liquid level in the batteries requires disconnecting all the wiring and removing them from the boat, a tough process for a tired old man with a bad back. I am resigned to the fact they need to be replaced with sealed batteries, but I am at a loss for what to buy. I plan to stay with 2 batteries in parallel. I also hope to replace the trolling motor within the next year, but will stay with a 12V 45-55# range. My priorities are:
1) Sealed and maintenance-free
2) Cost - a big priority
3) Ideally a Group 24 size battery for cost reasons but also because this size trays are already installed and a PIA to replace.
I’m leaning toward this battery - https://tinyurl.com/yc8e49tu - but I know nothing about AGM batteries. It’s called a starting battery, but claims to also function well as both starting and deep-cycle. I would appreciate any feedback about this type of battery pro & cons, or other suggestions. Thanks for your help.
I've got an old 16' Tracker aluminum bass boat docked on a small lake. It's powered by an equally old 12V trolling motor rated for 40# thrust. It came with two Group 24 marine starting batteries, wired in parallel. Essentially, the only other power usage is a small depth finder and an automatic bilge pump that runs briefly when we get rain. A typical trip is 3-5 hours long. The volt meter on the boat usually reads 12.7V at full charge, and about 12.3-12.4V after fishing several hours, if that gives any indication of typical battery consumption. I almost always charge them immediately after fishing with an onboard 5amp 1-bank charger.
The problem is these wet-cell batteries are located in a very difficult location to access. To even check the liquid level in the batteries requires disconnecting all the wiring and removing them from the boat, a tough process for a tired old man with a bad back. I am resigned to the fact they need to be replaced with sealed batteries, but I am at a loss for what to buy. I plan to stay with 2 batteries in parallel. I also hope to replace the trolling motor within the next year, but will stay with a 12V 45-55# range. My priorities are:
1) Sealed and maintenance-free
2) Cost - a big priority
3) Ideally a Group 24 size battery for cost reasons but also because this size trays are already installed and a PIA to replace.
I’m leaning toward this battery - https://tinyurl.com/yc8e49tu - but I know nothing about AGM batteries. It’s called a starting battery, but claims to also function well as both starting and deep-cycle. I would appreciate any feedback about this type of battery pro & cons, or other suggestions. Thanks for your help.
