Choosing a power source for an electric or gasoline engine is often a crucial factor in successful fishing, and many beginners make the mistake of putting a conventional car battery on a boat without understanding the difference in how it works. Traction batteries They are designed for long-term energy output by small currents, while starter ones are designed for short-term but powerful impulses.
A battery that is not properly selected can run out at the most inopportune moment, leaving you far from shore without any manoeuvre. The life of a standard starter battery when used as a traction battery is reduced by many times due to the deep discharges that it does not tolerate. voltage and capacity It is required for your swimming equipment.
The current market offers a variety of technologies, from classic lead to lithium-iron-phosphate solutions, and understanding these differences will save you significant money in the long run. Let's identify the key parameters to look out for when buying.
Differences between starter and traction batteries
The fundamental difference is the design of the lead plates inside the casing. Starter batteries have many thin plates, which provides a large area of contact with the electrolyte and allows you to give out huge start currents of the engine. Traction batteries They are equipped with fewer thicker plates, which makes them resistant to deep discharges.
Using a starter battery to power an electric motor causes the active mass of the plates to fall rapidly, and it can only withstand a few dozen deep discharge cycles, after which its capacity drops critically, and the traction battery, on the contrary, is designed for hundreds or even thousands of discharge cycles up to 80%.
⚠️ Warning: Installing a starter trolling battery is a saving on matches. You will lose money on frequent battery replacement as it will fail in one or two seasons of active fishing.
In addition, traction models often have markings. Deep CycleThey can give off energy for a long time, maintaining a stable voltage at the terminals even at low charge, which is critical to maintaining a constant speed of the boat.
The main rule: the starter battery starts the engine, the traction battery feeds the equipment and moves the boat for a long time.
Key selection parameters: Voltage and capacity
The first step in the selection process is to determine the voltage required. Most electric motors run from 12 volts, but powerful models can require 24 or 36 volts. In the latter case, the batteries are connected in series, requiring the use of exactly the same batteries in age and performance.
Battery capacity is measured in ampere hours (Ah) and shows how much energy the device can store. To calculate the required energy reserve, you need to know the current consumption of the motor at maximum thrust.
The best solution is to choose a 30-40% capacity, which will allow you to avoid draining the battery to zero, which prolongs its life. Below is a table that helps you navigate depending on the power of the motor.
| Motor power (pounds of traction) | Recommended capacity (Ah) | Approximate working hours | Type of connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-40 lbs | 55-75 Ah | 3-4 hours | 12V (1 battery) |
| 50-60 lbs | 90-100 Ah | 4-5 hours | 12V (1 battery) |
| 70-80 lbs | 100 Ah + 100 Ah | 5-6 hours | 24V (2 batteries) |
| 100+ lbs | 100 Ah x 3 pcs. | 6 hours. | 36V (3 batteries) |
When calculating the time of work, it is worth considering that real fishing conditions (wind, current) can increase energy consumption, so the formula “capacity divided by consumption current” gives only a theoretical maximum.
Manufacturing technologies: AGM, GEL or Lithium
The current market offers three main types of traction batteries, each with its own advantages: classic liquid acid batteries are a thing of the past due to maintenance and the risk of acid leakage, and have been replaced by sealed technologies.
Technology AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) means that the electrolyte is bound in fiberglass separators, which are tilt-free, completely sealed, and have low self-discharge, and are great for most fishing tasks.
Gel batteries (GELThey are even more resistant to deep discharges and have a greater cycle life than AGM, but require more accurate charging with low currents, overheating or overcharging are fatal for them.
The secret of the durability of gel batteries
Gel batteries are extremely sensitive to the quality of the charger. Using a cheap automatic charger can boil the gel, creating voids in the battery body, which will irreversibly reduce its capacity.
Lithium-iron-phosphate (LI)LiFePO4) Batteries are the future of water-powered technology, they are 2-3 times lighter than lead-based systems, have almost 100% depth of discharge and thousands of cycles, but they cost much more, and they require a special device to charge.
Calculation of the autonomous operation time of the boat
Planning a fishing trip requires knowing exactly how long you'll be able to stay on the water. Simply dividing a tank by current is a rough estimate, but reality makes its own adjustments. Battery efficiency drops at low temperatures and high discharge currents.
There's a Peckert rule that says that the available battery capacity decreases as the current is increased, so if you're only driving at top speed, the actual operating time will be less than the estimated one, and the cost-effective trolling mode, on the contrary, allows you to pull more energy out of the battery.
To calculate accurately, use the following logic: if the motor consumes 20 Amps and you have a 100 Ah battery, it theoretically lasts 5 hours. However, for lead batteries, you can not use the last 20% of the charge without risk of damage.
- 🔋 Always keep a 20% buffer reserve of energy in case of unforeseen circumstances or strong headwinds.
- 🌡️ Take into account the temperature: at +5 C, the capacity of the lead battery can fall by 30-40% compared to summer indicators.
- ⚓ Add 10-15% of the time to your calculation if you plan to use an electric motor or a high-power sonar system.
Use of charge indicator (battery meterInstead of a simple voltmeter, it will help to track the energy balance more accurately. The voltmeter shows the voltage, which can be high even on a discharged battery immediately after the engine stops.
Buy a simple voltammeter with a remote shunt, and it will show the actual consumption current in the Ampere right now, so you can instantly estimate how many hours of work you have left.
Rules of operation and charging on water
The durability of the battery depends on how you charge it. Lead batteries (AGM, GEL) must be recharged immediately after returning from fishing. Leaving the battery in a discharged state leads to sulfation of the plates and loss of capacity.
The charger must match the type of battery you have. AGM and GEL need different charging algorithms, often denoted by the switch on the charger body. Standard for the gel battery can cause it to deteriorate due to too high voltage.
⚠️ Warning: Never charge sealed batteries with a current greater than 10-20% of their capacity. Charging a 100-amp battery with 30 Amps can cause the housing to bloat and the safety valves to fail.
Store batteries in winter should be charged at a temperature of not lower than -10 ° C, although it is optimal - at room temperature. Every 2-3 months in winter, it is recommended to conduct a test recharge to compensate for self-discharge.
☑️ Season preparation checklist
Safety and battery installation in the boat
A battery is a chemical energy source that, if mishandled, can be dangerous; short circuits can cause fire or melting tools; therefore, the battery must be installed in a special plastic box with ventilation holes.
Boxing prevents water from reaching the terminals and protects the battery body from mechanical damage to the side of the boat, and it localizes possible acid vapors (if the battery is not completely sealed) and prevents them from entering the boat cockpit.
The cables must be a cross section corresponding to the current of consumption. Thin wires will warm, they will fall on the voltage, and the motor will not get full power. Electric motors usually use copper cables with a cross section of 10 mm2 and above.
- ⚡ Be sure to install a fuse or automatic switch in the break of the plus wire next to the battery terminal.
- 🔒 Reliably fix the box with a battery so that when pitching or rolling the boat, it does not shift and damage the wiring.
- 💧 Use only tinted copper tips to connect, as ordinary aluminum or tinted copper quickly oxidizes in salt water.
Check the terminals regularly, and if you have a white or greenish coating, you're going to start oxidation, which increases the resistance to contact, and you're going to have to clean and lubricate the terminals, which is a simple procedure to save you from losing power.
Can I use a car battery for a outboard motor?
Technically, you can start the motor, but you can't use it for trolling. The starter battery has thin plates designed for short-term high current. At a deep discharge (below 50%), the plates will warp and crumble. The resource of such a battery when used as a traction battery will be reduced from 5-7 years to 1-2 seasons.
Which battery is better: AGM or GEL?
For most anglers, AGM is optimal. It is cheaper, less sensitive to the quality of the charger and better tolerates high discharge currents. GEL has a greater cycle life, but requires ideal charging conditions and fears frost in a discharged state more than AGM.
How long has the traction battery been in use?
The service life depends on the depth of discharge and the number of cycles. A high-quality AGM, when properly maintained, serves 600-800 cycles (3-5 years). LiFePO4 lithium batteries can withstand 2000-5000 cycles and can last 10 years or more, but their initial cost is 3-4 times higher.