Electric Trolling Motor on a Canoe?

[teflon6string]

Good info guys. Thanks.

I've been charging mine with a 2/4/6 amp charger set manually on 6 for larger batteries. It tells me when it's "done," and 13.13V is the highest I've seen yet. Right now I'm topping off with a 2A trickle charge and hoping it'll read higher when it quits. Of course I want to start with the highest possible voltage when I go out.

Good reminder about the terminals touching my aluminum boat Knopf. I've been looking for some big threaded plastic caps just for that reason because it's not mounted at all in the boat.

I'll try not to run it down below 11.5V. I can monitor that with a multimeter, but I hope performace will also degrade approaching the same level (as a warning) so I don't draw current past a sensible lower limit.

 

[teflon6string]

Update on the Optima battery. I noted the warranty was only 24 months when I bought it, low by any standard. But I spent the extra bucks "because Optima has a great reputation."

I've been disappointed with the Optima's maximum charge capacity of only 13.13V while another deep cycle battery in my motorboat and a Harbor Frieght cheapie both charge up to 13.4 - 13.6 They both last longer in use, and they hold a charge better sitting on the shelf!

Bottom line? The blue top Optima (no longer made in the US) is a far cry from a $200+ battery in my opinion so I returned it to Baxter's for a full refund today. Maybe the move to manufacture Optimas cheaply in a Mexican machiadora involved additional shortcuts beyond cutting labor costs? I'm not up on all the AGM technology, but I can tell you the performance was mediocre at best.

I'm reading and hearing great things about the Exide Edge AGM with a 48 month warranty. Will get that one next and report back here, hopefully with better news.

 

[Sabertooth]

For the tin can canoe or boat owners, have the inside of the boat sprayed with bed liner, cuts way down on the noise. My son idea and it worked for him.