Adding a Battery

[Jimmy Easterling]

I was thinking about adding a battery to run my HDS7 and SI unit. How involved is it and other that putting fuses and a switch between the battery and the electronics, are there any tricks?

 

[Jim B]

Thats pretty much it other then making sure the wire size is sufficent and mounting a battery tray.



The only question is have is why would it be needed? If your starting battery is good and sufficently sized you should not need a second battery. If your still running the stock 24 interstate i would suggest replacing it with a 27 or 31 sized battery that meets or exceeds the specs for starting an opti. The extra reserve is what you are looking for and you wont have the weight of a second battery or the issues of trying to find room to put it back there.



I replaced that 24 interstate on mine with a 27 cabelas agm and all of my issues with running out of juice after only a few hours went away with it. I can go all day and then some now.

 

[Jimmy Easterling]

When I was running the Interstate and newly installed SI I had to jump the battery to get cranked. Since then, I have installed an Optima but I turn on the SI, use it and turn it back off for fear on running the battery down. I have the old, which is actually new, Interstate in my shop and just thought I would put it to good use. I really don't want to install it if it is not nessasary and it sounds like you are saying it is not. I've just had PP luck with batteries, two different Tx's one TM battery didn't take a charge and I end up on the water without sufficient power to run the TM except at a snails pace so I switched all of them out to Optimas. Just trying to avoid another problem. When I plug up the charger on the cranking battery, it is almost always fully charged already.

 

[Derek Chance]

With the cranking amps demanded of the optis, it is not uncommon for people to use an extra battery for their accessories. I have heard that the SI style electronics pull more juice than the units of old and then add the livewell pumps etc, etc, the battery may get a little low for the optis. I have heard of using a smaller 12v lawn mower size battery too for the accessories. Or like Jim mentioned, jump up a size or two in battery.

 

[Eddie Payne]

I went to a 27 on my Z7. I will go to an AGM down the road.