FishUSA.com Fishing Tackle

Author Topic: Too many batteries up front  (Read 8928 times)

Mac Attack

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 10,159
Too many batteries up front
« on: Sep 26, 2017, 03:24 PM »
Many of you already know that a couple years back I added 2 more deep storage batteries up front for my Minn Kota Terrova i-pilot.
Wired them in series parallel to end up with 2X the time out.
I use the 8hp Honda kicker for 1/2-2/3 of the work and supplement it with the Terrova.
The ipilot's autopilot feature makes trolling for eyes sweet.
Works well.
Except for the added weight up front.

The Lund is a 1650 Rebel XL
The 2 original batteries weighed about 200 lbs.
I added 2 more.
Now got 400 pounds of batteries up there, along with 2 large onboard chargers for them.

The end result is the bow rides a little low in the water.
Both off and also on plane.
So while cruising along in anything more than 1-1.5' chop we get splashed.
One windscreen on the starboard side.
Open on the port side.
So my son Jeff gets really wet sometimes.
And then he swears at me a lot.
 ;D

A larger boat, say a 1775, or even an 1850 would help a lot.
More length, but also more width.
As would a full windshield.
But I'm only keeping this rig for 3-4 more years and then will sell when we move south for retirement.
So to upgrade the boat to a larger one will only cost $$
Would sometimes like a slightly larger rig, but this boat is so easy to trailer and is VERY fuel efficient.
I really like this boat.  A lot.
So upgrading just doesn't really make practical sense.
No matter what Jeff says.  lol

Anyway, last weekend I spent Sunday taking measurements and planning the move of the 2 extra batteries and also the 2nd on-board charger dedicated to those 2 batteries rearward.  The kicker and the main battery are both on the port side in the stern.  So it made sense to put these 2 batteries on the starboard side, behind my fat a$$.  There's a storage hatch back there that will work perfectly.  But it was also perfect for the trolling gear, pee can, fish rag, cannon balls, first aid kit, etc.  All the stuff you want handy while back there trolling.

I decided that you can't always have everything.  So I will move the fishing stuff up front.

Got it all laid out and pulled the 2 batteries.
Started to pull the battery trays but they were fighting me.
Looks like I won't be able to get them out in one piece to be able to reuse them.
But battery trays are cheap.  Less than $10 on Amazon.

I also located the 2 long battery cables I had made up for the old Mini-Mac Attack.  I made these when I moved the battery and fuel cell up front in that small fishing boat a few years back.  Glad I saved them.  And they fit perfectly!  Not too long and not too short.  Was really happy because leads like this can run a bit of coin to have made up.

I ordered 2 large bulkhead fittings for the wire pass-through's.  I borrowed a large 2-7/16" holesaw from my company's shop for the install work on these bulkheads.

My buddy runs an electrical control/panel shop and he's bringing some large butt connectors and a full assortment of shrink tubing and the heat gun to the lake this weekend.  As everything I ever do to my boats, I'm doing this job the right way.

Saturday looks like 2+ foot waves and Sunday looks like 1' or less at the present time.  So this allows us to finish things on this battery relocation project on Saturday so we can get out fishing on Sunday.

I'm hoping this weight redistribution makes for a somewhat drier ride in the rougher water.
Maybe Jeff will then have to find something else to give me crappola about.

 8)

stripernut

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,773
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #1 on: Sep 26, 2017, 04:35 PM »
Sound like the right thing to do!
I don't know how much more "length" you added to the battery cables, but keep in mind if the cables are too light you can have some real voltage drop... Probably not a problem, but it is good to keep an eye out for it...

Mac Attack

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 10,159
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #2 on: Sep 26, 2017, 05:27 PM »
Sound like the right thing to do!
I don't know how much more "length" you added to the battery cables, but keep in mind if the cables are too light you can have some real voltage drop... Probably not a problem, but it is good to keep an eye out for it...

they are 6 gage.

plenty heavy enough.

And remember they aren't cranking the main motor.
Only running the Minn Kota

About 16' long

Thanks

Mac Attack

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 10,159
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #3 on: Oct 02, 2017, 08:22 AM »
Finished the job over the weekend.
Still have to mount the 2 new battery trays.
They are supposed to show Wednesday.
A lot more work that originally thought.
Had a real tough time fishing the wires from the front 2 batteries back to the stern and across to the starboard side where the 2 extra batteries now reside.
My youngest son Chris, and his son CJ (my grandson), helped.
Which was very much appreciated.
My old fat a$$ body makes it tough to keep getting up and into the boat, only to have to climb back out to get another tool or work on something from the outside.
Had to pretty much remove the top of the rod locker on the port side of the boat.
Two sets of hands, one inside the boat and the other outside, made this work a bit easier.
Always love drilling holes, especially with a 2-7/16 holesaw, into a boat.

 :w00t:

So I never got any walleye fishing in this weekend.
Also had to replace a smoke microwave oven in our place out there.
There was a local power surge that toasted it.
We got lucky.
My neighbor had just about everything in his place get cooked.
AC, fridge, 2 - TV's, hot water, furnace, microwave, cable box and router, ceiling fans, and 2 battery chargers.

Anyway, next weekend I'll install the two battery trays and secure the batteries.
And maybe get back to fishing.
I'll let you all know how this battery relocation worked.
I'm sure Jeff is still going to get wet, but maybe not as much.
 :evil:

bigredfishing

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,962
  • Screw the BS, let's go fishing.
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #4 on: Oct 02, 2017, 03:56 PM »
Interesting, we had to do the opposite in our Lund.   New main outboard was heavier, cut down our stern freeboard, so we had to move the batteries up front.   Had them in the back strictly for performance reasons.   Lost a good 10% top end speed moving them up front. :o

Mac Attack

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 10,159
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #5 on: Oct 02, 2017, 05:52 PM »
Lost a good 10% top end speed moving them up front. :o

Yup.
More weight up front causes you to plow through more water.
Mine did 34-35 before I added the batteries up front.
Afterwards, it only did 30-31
On a GPS
I'm curious to see if I get any of it back.

boondox

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,124
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #6 on: Oct 02, 2017, 11:32 PM »
Yup.
More weight up front causes you to plow through more water.
Mine did 34-35 before I added the batteries up front.
Afterwards, it only did 30-31
On a GPS
I'm curious to see if I get any of it back.


How's the weight distribution  on rough days?? I know the fuel tanks probably back under the boats seating? Then adding a additional 200 lbs yo that area and passanger sounds like a buddies Lowe fm1650 I know full fuel tank and three of us has that boats bow riding high over waves..  making half of us sick.. on Erie with a 1 to 3 mph wind..  some time that extra weight up front  helps level her out in waves on rough days.. your boat may be different so just thought I would mention what I noticed.. about that Lowe fm1650.. I think they set the cockpit to far back to allowing  more bounce.. Coast Guard rules say you can't ride forward of the cockpit cause of being tossed out of boat..  is the problem when under way or I would on that boat.... cause the motor about dunks ad we bob up and down...    any how I would make sure you don't lose stability but that might just be me..

rgfixit

  • MFF Mod Team
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 12,554
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #7 on: Oct 03, 2017, 04:13 AM »
That was some surge to take out that many appliances. Maybe you should look into a panel surge protector. Leviton makes one for around $200 that could save you losing all that stuff.

Rg
If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

Mac Attack

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 10,159
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #8 on: Oct 03, 2017, 07:52 AM »
That was some surge to take out that many appliances. Maybe you should look into a panel surge protector. Leviton makes one for around $200 that could save you losing all that stuff.

Rg

Yea, they lost the neutral leg on a 100 amp line.  Depending upon line resistance, one leg gets a boat load of voltage and the other gets what is left over.
I don't want to go with a permanent surge protector Bob as we are selling in 2-3 yrs.  we will then buy either a tow behind camper or a motor home.  In any event, I want a portable that I can keep and then use on the new camper.
A "good" portable is lots more than a permanent one.

boondox

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,124
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #9 on: Oct 03, 2017, 10:51 AM »
Yea, they lost the neutral leg on a 100 amp line.  Depending upon line resistance, one leg gets a boat load of voltage and the other gets what is left over.
I don't want to go with a permanent surge protector Bob as we are selling in 2-3 yrs.  we will then buy either a tow behind camper or a motor home.  In any event, I want a portable that I can keep and then use on the new camper.
A "good" portable is lots more than a permanent one.


Are we talk alternating current  ac  or Direct current dc ? The only time to refer to neutral is ac were DC is a  negative..  industry terminalogy making sure I got it right here.. hope fully with that length you don't get copper loss know on by ohms laws as i squared x r copper loss is calculated for every 100 for in ac but all depend on length in DC and conductor size.. some times bigger is better for longer runs over 10 foot.. like stepping up to a 2 gauge from a 4 gauge wire will help get the power there.. hopefully it is not bad .. cause you can blow fuses and catch wires on fire if not properly sized.. rember to fuse the wire in the first 8 inches on the postive from the battery along that long run at each end..

Mac Attack

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 10,159
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #10 on: Oct 03, 2017, 01:54 PM »
It's to our summer homes Boon.
Thought I said that.  Not sure.
Anyway, AC.

boondox

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,124
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #11 on: Oct 03, 2017, 05:08 PM »
It's to our summer homes Boon.
Thought I said that.  Not sure.
Anyway, AC.


Sorry though you were still talking about batteries for the boat..   that's a big surge maybe lightining strike??

Mac Attack

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 10,159
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #12 on: Oct 03, 2017, 05:29 PM »

Sorry though you were still talking about batteries for the boat..   that's a big surge maybe lightining strike??


nope
like I said, the neutral line broke.
I saw it happen.

poof!

:-*

boondox

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,124
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #13 on: Oct 03, 2017, 05:43 PM »

nope
like I said, the neutral line broke.
I saw it happen.

poof!

:-*


Was it the home owners fault??  if not what about insurance hate to say it but that's why you pay for insurance..  but of corse rates go up if you do make a claim wich sucks yet again..

Mac Attack

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 10,159
Re: Too many batteries up front
« Reply #14 on: Oct 03, 2017, 06:40 PM »

Was it the home owners fault??  if not what about insurance hate to say it but that's why you pay for insurance..  but of corse rates go up if you do make a claim wich sucks yet again..

I have $500 deductible
The microwave was only $200

 



Iceshanty | MyFishFinder | MyHuntingForum
Contact | Disclaimer | Sponsor
© 2004- MyFishFinder.com
All Rights Reserved.