Beware of the battery drain with the Garmin Livescope etc.

[bobby b.]

Fished out of Mill Creek Monday for 5 hours - ran only a mile or so either way from the ramp.  Ran the Livescope and two Garmin graphs and the Force motor all day  - it was pretty windy and the troller was on spot lock much of the time - also the livewell pump and O2 generator was running all the time - not that I use it as I immediately release but just decided to exercise it.  Also I have an Infinity sound system that was on much of the time - in short everything was on except the led lights - near the end of the trip the 6 month old group 36 standard lead acid battery could not start the 225 hp ProXS.   Fortunately the boat has the switch to jump start from the trolling motor batteries.  The above scenario with not running the big motor enough to charge the starting battery was not unlike many of my trips except for the livewell stuff and I had never had this happen before.

Did catch some fish on bluff ends and back of pockets - 2.8 Kitech and 1/4 craw jig.   SM was 3.8 lbs.

   

[Dutch]

Today’s electronics are juice hogs.  I had that trouble with Lowrance units in my last boat.  I switched to the Sears PM 1 battery.  I also had it with Hbirds in my current boat.  I now have a Batteries Plus Bulbs X2.  I haven’t found any other one that can do the job and not die graveyard dead in a year.

[fishinwrench]

I'm getting lots and LOTS of calls about dead battery's and motors not starting after a few hours of fishing.

The only answer I have for all you new-age Electric Fishermen is:.....Buy more and bigger batteries ! 

I'm blown away by how many electrical circuits are required to go fishing nowadays.   It's a world gone mad.

[96 CHAMP]

x2Power https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/sli31agmdpm

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Hmm... I run 3 Garmins with the scope and still havent ever had any battery issue

[Dutch]

1 minute ago, aarchdale@coresleep.com said:

Hmm... I run 3 Garmins with the scope and still havent ever had any battery issue

Are they all hooked to the cranking battery?  What battery do you have?

[dtrs5kprs]

1 minute ago, aarchdale@coresleep.com said:

Hmm... I run 3 Garmins with the scope and still havent ever had any battery issue

😬

Now y'all have me worried about the one I put on. No scope, and just a little fella though, so maybe it'll work out.

[bobby b.]

8 minutes ago, aarchdale@coresleep.com said:

Hmm... I run 3 Garmins with the scope and still havent ever had any battery issue

I have had no issue either until now - I think it would not have happened if I had run the motor a bit more to charge the battery.

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, bobby b. said:

I have had no issue either until now - I think it would not have happened if I had run the motor a bit more to charge the battery.

Here's what you do, assuming that you have a voltmeter on your helm.

Turn the key on, look to see what voltage is available, and if it is not noticably above 12v turn everything off.....wait about 30-45 seconds....then try to start the motor.  Don't ever hit the trim button or power pole button before starting the motor, because those pump motors draw just as much juice as your starter does.

Attempting to crank the motor on a low battery....while it is still drawing a load from electronics or a Livewell pump....will zap the last little bit of cranking amps everytime.      

Everybody ignores it, but that voltmeter is the most important guage on the console.  

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

10 hours ago, Dutch said:

Are they all hooked to the cranking battery?  What battery do you have?

Group 27 Proguide and they are all hooked to the cranker