New Battery...again

[MetroMan]

Despite having successfully built a lithium ion battery pack, I'd been toying with the idea of going even smaller & lighter on the battery for a while. I finally bit the bullet and upgraded again. The Jamboree was just as must of a shakedown/test run for me as it was a fishing trip.

My new battery is a 40aH lithium polymer battery. Weighing just 9lbs, it is readily portable, and takes up even less hull space. Seeing as though this hull is here to stay for me, it was worth the upgrade.

We launched just after 7am, and got back to the ramp around 2pm. The battery lasted just until I was about 1/4 mile from the ramp. It performed exceedingly well. I went from Jean Roberts Memorial park...hung around there for a few hours, headed SE to the flats, then down toward tydings, back out to the middle of the flats and back. Just under 7 hours of motoring.

I also tested out my Navionics "Fish 'n Chip" maps software for my GPS/Fish finder (Humminbird 386 ci DI). I scored it off of ebay for $80. It worked like a charm. It was nice having detailed contour information.

Here is a vid I threw together. No fish were harmed or caught in the making of this vid, unfortunately.

[archeryrob]

Sorry you where not able to injure any fish. I just started to notice small groups of schoolies and maybe bigger fish near the channel by the islands at the south. I could only get one 18"er to bite.

Have any links on that new battery and cost factors on them? I might be interested in a small one for the fish finder. I think the battery for that weighs 5 pounds alone.

[MetroMan]

I got the battery from here:
http://www.batteryspace.com/128vlife...terypacks.aspx

They have a 6aH battery that would probably do just fine for a fish finder. Weighs 1lb, costs $65.

I still use a regular 7aH AGM for my fish finder though.

[buzz]

9 POUNDS?! That's impressive.
Took my Torque out yesterday for a short run. At 53lbs, my battery is more like a mooring block.

So does that mean ol' Yeller is for sale?

[dsiekman]

9 POUNDS?! That's impressive.
Took my Torque out yesterday for a short run. At 53lbs, my battery is more like a mooring block.

So does that mean ol' Yeller is for sale?

53 lbs!?! Holy crap! If you managed to turtle you'd have a heck of a time getting her back over, wouldn't you? Maybe you could strap it underneath like a keel...

[MetroMan]

Buzz,

I am gonna hold on to "ol' yeller" for a while. For tournaments such as JBay, I might want/need the extra capacity.

dsiekman,
With the heavy battery, having it centered along the kayak's axis makes it such that righting the yak isn't too bad. The weight just kinda rotates in place...to an extent. (but it still takes more force than having no battery weight at all though)

[dsiekman]

Back on track with your post, that's a pretty slick install and it seems to motivate along pretty well! I like the battery box.

[MetroMan]

Thanks. I plan to use velcro to keep it in place in the hull. I THINK thats what I want to do...

[Memory Maker]

......... love the way that canister molds to you hull ......... GREAT Work guy !!!!!! ...... as usual

[Cowpokey]

I think Velcro would do the trick. Did you put the battery box together? The liner inside is slick.

[MetroMan]

The battery box is just a tupperware cereal container. I spray painted it with some matte black spray paint I had on hand. I will eventually replace those air bags with foam. I got those airbags from something else I ordered online.

[h20resq420]

I got the battery from here:
http://www.batteryspace.com/128vlife...terypacks.aspx

They have a 6aH battery that would probably do just fine for a fish finder. Weighs 1lb, costs $65.

I still use a regular 7aH AGM for my fish finder though.

Hey MM, Great review!. I looked on the website you provided. Can you tell me which Battery you chose....and do they sell a battery that has a greater capacity for a longer run time? Many thanks.

[MetroMan]

h20resq420,

Did I meet you at Bass Pro about a month ago? I couldn't remember the name...but I remember the Torque in Northern VA.

But anyways, I have THIS ONE. I wanted to buy the components and build it myself, but the professionally built pack was more cost-effective.

They have plenty of other options for higher capacity batteries, but the weight comes along with them. http://www.batteryspace.com/12-8v-li...-to-200ah.aspx

60aH is a good compromise. You have to be careful though, as some of the pre-assembled battery packs wont work due to amperage/draw limitations. There was another guy on a different board that purchased a pre-assembled, sealed battery pack. It did not work out well for him. I dunno if the battery was a dud or what, but it just didn't work out.

[h20resq420]

Yup, that was me Ok...Cool. So what I think you are telling me is to stick with the 40ah to be on the safe side.....because the 60ah might be a little "over kill" for what the minkota 36lb thrust motor can handle. Also, how does the 40ah perform compared to the reg deep cycle marine battery as far as run time on the water?.....I know you said you got around 7 hours on the 40ah.....is this "troll time" or close too "full throttle"? lol....If I don't have to lug around that 50+lb marine battery, It will be well worth the money.

Many Thanks,
Kevin

[MetroMan]

Hey Kevin,

That's not exactly what I'm saying. Let me explain further as best I can.

The Lithium batteries use a PCB/PCM (Protection Circuit Board/Protection Circuit Module) to protect the battery from over charging and over-discharging. Either extreme can ruin one (or more) of the cells within the battery pack. There are many different PCMs, having different maximum discharge rates. Our Torques draw up to 29A at full throttle from a stand still. Quite a few of their batteries contain PCMs that limit the discharge (Amp draw) to numbers below 30. These batteries won't work, as they shut off when that threshold is reached. Mine has a limit of 60A. My yellow battery has a 40A limit.

Based on when I first got the torque, this new 40aH battery lasts about the same as my old 50lb AGM battery. This was my first and only time out with this new battery, so that's a rough estimate. This last trip had quite a good mix of full & partial throttle operation. From past experience, full throttle is never worth using for any prolonged period of time. The amp draw increases substantially between half throttle and full throttle, yet the speed gains are minimal. I spent a bit of time at full throttle, which naturally ran the battery down faster than a normal fishing trip would. Next time out, I plan ot have my "meter" hooked up to get some more accurate numbers.