Batteries
The overwhelming majority of bassers either ply their trade from watercraft or if not,
plan to do just that . Most bassers allready falling witih this majority, utilize electric
trolling motors,either as sneakers and/or as their sole propulsion. Only certain types of
battery are suitable for the job and with rechargeability( referred to as cyclic ability )
being the obvious factor to most, selecting the ” right one” can sometimes become quite
hectic.
Deep cycle vs High Cycle vs Cranking vs Marine
Deep Cycle
This is the type of battery made for the job. It is capable of handling hundreds even
thousands of repeated deep discharges and subsequent recharging ( cycles ) before
starting to exhibit significant wear by way of its performance. The main factor here is
that the plates inside are solid and therefore more robust.One must bear in mind that it is
not just the trolling motor drawing current, but also the on-board electronics and the
pumps, in particular the various livewell pumps, albeit that on many bass boats, current
for these are supplied from the starting battery, or better put, not from the trolling motor
batteries .All of the aforementioned draw from the reserve power, as a bass boat spends
most of its time on the water with its engine shut-down but still drawing electrical
current, in contrast with a motor car where the alternator will replenish the battery under
normal use.
High Cycle
Also called “leisure” batteries, they are often found in caravans. High Cycle batteries can
withstand many discharge/recharge cycles, but do start to wear once they are discharged
to below 80% of capacity. Whilst it is quite possible, therefore, to use these models with
electric trolling motors, they end up being pretty weak after only a few months of heavy
usage. We do sometimes, however, recommend these much cheaper standby batteries to
those customers who just don’t feel comfortable with only one deep cycle on board,
because as the standbys they won’t see duty very often.
Obviously many readers would by this time be concerned as to how they should go about
discerning between the high-cycles and the deep cycles. Some pointers: Leisure batteries
are not often maintenance free, in other words they have screw-in caps on top where
every cell can be topped up with battery water. Many of them have big labels depicting
boats and caravans. But be carefull, as maintence free is not always the key here. There is
a widely available brand where the model with the red label is the high cycle and it sells
very well( as a deep cycle, unfortunately) as it can easily outcompete deep cycles on
price. Their deep cycle model has a dark grey label and is far more expensive( “you get
what you pay for”).Unsuspecting customers ultimately pay more, as they end up using
three of the lower quality battery during the same lifespan that the dearer one would have
provided.
The old term “Caveat Emptor”, meaning “buyer beware” is totally valid in this case. Prepurchase research is therefore recommended, as many sales staff at retailers do not know
the difference between high cycle and deep cycle, in any event. It is also not advisable to
try to “squeeze” a retailer for a low price, as this is another surefire way to end up with a
high- instead of deep cycle.
Cranking Batteries
Mostly referred to as starting batteries, these are only suitable for starting your motor.
Much is made of their “cold cranking ability” but they have little else to offer. Cheap to
manufacture, they have porous plates and very thin seperators. These lead to bent plates
once they are discharged to under 90% of capacity. Once a plate bends, it can crack, and
it will create a short-circuit at that very spot. Short-circuiting inevitably kills that
particular cell, but this also writes off the rest of battery.
Deep cycle batteries can crank an engine, but cranking batteries have very little usefull
reserve power for the sustained use of a trolling motor or even onboard electrical items
,livewell pumps in particular. For this very reason, it is not uncommon to find only
multiple deep cycle batteries in bass boats.
Marine Batteries
For want of a more technical description, marine batteries are best regarded as hybrids
between cranking and deep cycle batteries.Their cranking ability is rated as “ Marine
Cranking Ability”, which cannot be compared directly to “Cold Cranking Ability”.
At issue here is the fact that the same battery, or bank thereof, that sustains the onboard
requirements for current when not under way, must still crank up the motors when called
upon to do so.This feature obviously make marine batteries suitable as the cranking/
electrics and electronics battery on a bass boat, especially one that operates a 24 volt
trolling motor whilst the other equipment stiil requires 12 volt power supply.
There is also a robustness built in which is essential as it is quite common for seamen to
suffer injuries resulting from being flung around in high seas. These same forces will
cause the battery insides to quickly shake loose.
Battery Ratings
The deep cycle being the recommended battery for bassing applications, let’s take it
further
Reserve power, or capacity or size, is rated in “Amp/Hours”.Whilst obviously dependant
on many external factors of influence, it is most easily explained in this way: A one
pound thrust trolling motor would run for one hour on a one amp/hour battery.
Realistically this formulation leads to a 30 pound trolling motor running for two hours on
a 60a/h battery. But, once again, this is more of an indicator than anything, as resistance
and temperature are but two variables that need to be factored in.
Even the a/h rating can be pretty misleading, as one can literally use two deep cycles of
exact same a/h rating, but differing in model or brand, doing the same job and the one
will outperform the other, sometimes by several hundred percent.Many manufacturers of
most types of goods are guilty of cross-referencing their products instead of rating them
on test benches.
The influencing factors here are the quality, technology and condition of the batteries
involved.
Quality is surely a pretty self -explanatory concept, as there will always be well-made
and poorly-made products, let us also look at the other influential factors in more detail:
Battery Technologies
The following will largely explain why one gets a 105a/h deep cycle costing just over R
1000 and another costing over R 3000 at the same shop. It also aims to explain why one
battery has far more reserve power then another of the same size.
Lead/Acid Batteries
Batteries that are used by bass fishermen are lead/acid batteries.Other types, the likes of
nickel-cadmium, hydrogen and mercury batteries, are way too heavy.
Lead/acid refers to the fact that the inside of the battery is made up of lead plates(
actually a lead calcium alloy, as pure lead is too soft to hold its own weight) with
seperators between positive and negative.There are also some other parts like cell
connectors. The battery water contains sulpheric acid, which turns it into electrolyte. This
sulpheric acid unfortunately also be harmful to the plates by adhering to them once the
charge starts to drop.
The quality and technology of the interior parts of the battery is one aspect where two
equally-rated brands can offer unequal performance. Determining factors would include
the thickness of the plates, the quality of connectors, how well the components are
anchored inside and even the thickness of the casing. These are the kind of thing that,
even if a lower-quality battery delivers the claimed performance when brand new, would
see it deteriorate rapidly after a few months of recharges, abuse or heavy-duty use.
There are two main types of lead/acid technologies, namely Flooded and “Valve
Regulated Lead Acid, or VRLA in short.
Flooded Batteries are not sealed and require regular toppping up of fluid. This is
facilitated by a screw-in cap over each cell.Topping up would be necessary as the whole
discharge process creates hydrogen and oxygen, which is water.These noxious gases
necessitate a well- ventilated storage area. Also, by not being sealed, this means that the
fluid, in the form of acid, can run out if the battery is inverted and can burn a hole into
just about anything.
It is also commonly accepted that flooded batteries are mechanically the weakest, as there
is less support built into their simple”working parts”.
It stands to reason, then, that we have the cheapest option right here.
There are also many “maintenance free” batteries that are at times called “sealed”, but
aren’t, as they are in fact vented.
VRLA- types are low-maintence lead-acid rechargeable batteries. They are sealed and
could come with an emergency pressure relief valve.
Benefits of VRLA
A small footprint in relation to rating
Being sealed, they won’t spill acid when inverted, such as when overturning a craft or
vehicle, which is why 4x4 enthusiasts prefer them.They can be mounted in any position.
No topping up needed, which is explained underneath
They can also be installed in less-ventilated spaces.
Genuinely upgraded technology leads to better overall performance.
The interior parts are more robust
There are a few disadvantages:
Top quality are far more pricey, to the point of being unaffordable to some.
Heavier weight for same footprint. The AGM type batteries( see down below) in
particular, are far heavier than flooded batteries. The writer, in fact, owns a couple of
VRLA AGM – type batteries in 110a/h ratings. Each weighs 38(!) kg’s, 10kg’s more than
a “normal” deep cycle, which I personally found, after only a few times’ use, makes them
unsuitable for small craft bassing
What is it about VRLA technology that popularized it? The main principle is that the
gases that are by-products of its operation, are recombined to form water. Oxygen forms
at the positive plates and hydrogen at the negative plates. Combined, they form water (
H20) thus preventing water loss. Automatically this ensures a better, readily available
“power on tap”. But there is more to it, as the improvement in technology usually ensures
a higher level of working parts, the exact level being dependant on the quality of the
model. ( Many manufacturers offer several labels at different price points)
There are two types of VRLA battery, namely Gel and Absorbant Glass Mat.
Gel Technology Replaces the battery water with gel, in which the sulpheric acid now
resides. The major benefit being that the electrolyte cannot run out, even when the battery
casing or a cell gets cracked. Manufacturers claim, in addtion, that the gel ensures a more
stable electrolyte which holds the ions “in the correct position” for immediate
availability, even under duress.
Aborbant Glass Mat ( AGM) is the latest class of lead/acid battery and generally regarded
as the best of the lot. In such a battery, the electrolyte is absorbed into a glass fibre mat.
They simply do the job better. Amongst the improvements, one can count the fact that the
electolyte is held in position very well and that these batteries are virtually impervious to
vibration.
There are also spiral-wound AGM batteries, these are claimed to deliver even higher
performance, due to the purer lead found in the plates that no longer have to support their
own weight.
Which class of battery should a basser buy?
Or should we ask: is it worth it to pay up to R 1500 more for a better type of deep cycle
battery?
The preceding sets of facts should indicate that it is definitely not throwing good money
after bad. But one can also argue that the average bass fisherman hardly ever gets the
chance to get their boat on the water as much as once a week, in other words they use it
about fifty times a year or even less. With a fair- quality deep-cycle being capable of
handling hundreds of cycles, it should be “good enough”. This provided the battery is
treated well, a subject which will be explored in next month’s magazine.
Those who might well benefit directly from, say, an AGM unit or bank, would be those
who fish tournaments. Here one is drawing far more current at any one time as the
trolling motor may be running hard and everything else will be switched on. A further
requirement may be that the battery/ battery bank might have to supply current over more
than one day, often without being recharged overnight. This could also be the case when
a basser is just camping without a power point at hand. In situations as these, a “better”
type of battery should also be more hardy in dealing with the fact that it would be left in a
discharged state for long.
An AGM battery would also shine when there is a power supply overnight, as they can be
charged at a very high rate, something which is harmfull to a conventional unit.A faster
charge will of course lead to a fully charged battery come early the next morning.
Next month: How to treat you Battery
Martin Engelke, Famous Inflatable Bass Boats, www.famousboats.co.za