Trolling Motor Battery
In a boat that has no oar or paddle the electric trolling motor is what makes it move. The trolling motor battery is equally important as it is the life of the motor itself. When you buy a new boat, it comes with all the necessary fittings like marine batteries to suit the needs of the electrical equipment on board. As years pass, the regular use of the boat and the additional electrical equipment on board deplete the trolling motor battery of all its energy and then the time for replacement comes. It is essential to choose the right trolling motor battery to ensure you are not stuck in the middle of a lake with a dead battery.
Keep a few points in mind when buying a new trolling motor battery. A 12 volt battery will need a minimum of 1.1 – 1.2 amperes per pound of thrust, a 24 volt battery needs 0.85 to 0.95 amps and a 36 volt battery needs 0.5 to 0.55 amps. It is not really advisable to use car batteries instead of deep cell batteries (marine) for your trolling motor batteries. Seek the advice of a trained battery technician who can tell you the exact requirements needed for your kind of trolling electric motor. Apart from the battery itself, you will also need chargers to charge the battery regularly. There are many varieties of chargers, mostly the parallel type which tapers the current (calculated in amps) and regulates the voltage.
Bear the following points in mind while choosing the right kind of charger:
Get the right charger for the battery type. Some of the battery varieties are Marine/RV, Auto, liquid electrolyte and maintenance free or gel batteries. Choose your charger accordingly.
The battery voltage should match the charger voltage like 6 volt, 12 volts, 24 volts and 36 volts.
Get the correct ampere charger size. Calculate a maximum of 20 amps for every 100 amp battery hour. This is the ideal calculation.
The charger should be able to charge the battery fully in a maximum of 8 to12 hours.
You can also look for timed chargers that switch off automatically when the battery is fully charged. This could save you a lot of money on burnt batteries.
Care of Trolling Motor Battery
Charge the battery after each use. Allowing the batteries to sit for many days without recharging can damper the recharge acceptance. It can also shorten you’re the life of your trolling motor battery.
Avoid using trickle chargers which are low current cheap chargers and do not have the required sophisticated electronic circuitry which regulates the current and voltage. Using this over a period of time can actually damage your trolling motor battery.
Check the water level in your batteries regularly. This will also help you confirm that the onboard or the external charger is operating properly. If there is excessive usage of water by the battery, the charger may be overheating thus overcharging the battery. And if the power is running quicker than it should, check the charger as well as the battery condition.
