How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

[Newbie@boats]

Hello all!

I'm out on the lake now enjoying a beautiful Sunday night, I jus have 2 questions...

The battery in my boat is a few years old, I was wondering how long you all think I can go before I have to worry about a dead battery from listening to the radio? It's a Trojan deep cycle battery.

Also, how often should I turn on my blower? Before Everytime I start the boat?

 

[Davem3]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

Hello all!

I'm out on the lake now enjoying a beautiful Sunday night, I jus have 2 questions...

The battery in my boat is a few years old, I was wondering how long you all think I can go before I have to worry about a dead battery from listening to the radio? It's a Trojan deep cycle battery.

Also, how often should I turn on my blower? Before Everytime I start the boat?

A) Depends on what you are running, lights, radio, livewell cooler???

B) Also, how often should I turn on my blower? Before Everytime I start the boat? EVERY single time, do not ever forget this step

and the battery should be charging, when motor is running???

 

[Newbie@boats]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

Ah, yes. Sorry for the brief explanation.

It's just the radio for right now, soon it will be nav lights and anchor lights.

The battery voltage is about 14 when crusing. The battery charges fine.

I'm just wondering how many hours I have before I should start the boat and let it recharge for a few minutes.

A dead battery in the dark would be no fun.

 

[Davem3]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

Ah, yes. Sorry for the brief explanation.

It's just the radio for right now, soon it will be nav lights and anchor lights.

The battery voltage is about 14 when crusing. The battery charges fine.

I'm just wondering how many hours I have before I should start the boat and let it recharge for a few minutes.

A dead battery in the dark would be no fun.

I run a live-well cooler, Lights< radio, and a fish-finder. It takes hours and hours to kill it ..........
you are safe, start every half hour to be safe ???

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

is this on the Chap with the 470? Do you have amps on your stereo? If no probably a couple hours if yes depends on how many amps! If your really concerned about how long you can sit then you are certainly in need of a second battery and a switch though, simple and straight forward, and will completely put your mind at ease which is what boating is all about.

Just a hint though when you say your battery holds 14 volts that's kinda wrong, almost all batteries hold 12-13 volts but the alternator will hit 14 volts in a New York second, what does your voltage indicator say when the motor is not running? if your battery holds a 14 volt charge go get another one exactly like it and I want to know exactly what that battery is too!

This question comes up a bunch but the problem is we need to know exactly what your setup is and even then its just a guess because there are variables that we may never know, true condition of the battery for instance, so by adding another battery with a switch you simply switch to one battery or the other when your sitting having a beverage or fishing or both (listening to your tunes) and when its time to go switch to both and go, most batteries when completely dead take 10-15 minutes to completely charge off a real alternator like you have so keep that in mind(yes they charge faster but I'm adding fudge because we don't know you personally nor do we know your setup)

 

[jopes]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

If your worried about killin the starting battery get a isolator from iboats install a second battery and run the lights and radio off of that one.

then your starting battery will remain fully charged.


As for the blower, it needs to be on before every start, I actually just leave it on while running around because I usually forget to turn it off. I also believe it is a good idea to leave it on while idling around as the outside air flow is not very much to keep vapors out of the bildge.

 

[Newbie@boats]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

I'm really considering a dual set up.

My voltages show 12.5/13 when I turn the key to the on position not cranking.

Yes, it's on the 470 w/ no alternator

I'll start it every so often just to be safe, and look into a dual set up!

Thanks guys.

 

[Ryanlewis2010]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

Soooooo your running your battery down with NO alternator??????? sounds like your asking to call sea tow.

 

[roscoe]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

I'm really considering a dual set up.

My voltages show 12.5/13 when I turn the key to the on position not cranking.

Yes, it's on the 470 w/ no alternator

I'll start it every so often just to be safe, and look into a dual set up!

Thanks guys.

What good does starting it do, if you have no alternator?

You really need to get on top of this.

Get an alternator, and a second battery.

 

[Newbie@boats]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

So now I'm confuse also...how does my battery charge itself while I'm driving??

The 470s dont use alternators...

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

Not an alternator like a car, but one is built into the crank pulley/dampener.

 

[Newbie@boats]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

Okay, my mistake. Then yes, I have an alternator.

 

[NYBo]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

I think it's more like the stator that many outboards use than a regular alternator.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

yeah I need to look into the charging amperage of the 470 before I can stand behind what I said before, I was speaking for a true marine grade automotive style alternator, they put out incredible power for such a small unit, the 470....not sure....

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

I think it's more like the stator that many outboards use than a regular alternator.

Exactlly. The 470 is parts bin engineering by Mercury. I don't know for sure but I'm guessing the stator is from one of the larger outboards. But by definition it is an alternator producing AC requiring the use of a rectifier.

 

[Newbie@boats]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

If I wanted to hook up dual batteries...would I need a switch?

I have a battery laying around I just need to make up some wires to hook them both up together.

Would I run into charging issues if I try to charge both at once?

 

[Bakeshow]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

Why would you not want to have a switch? When you are sitting like you are now you could select one battery and run it until it was completely dead. Change switch and start motor with good battery.

Yes you could just jumper the two together.

 

[Newbie@boats]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

Because I highly doubt I'll be sitting long enough to drain 2 batteries and not be able to start the boat

 

[jayhanig]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

Because I highly doubt I'll be sitting long enough to drain 2 batteries and not be able to start the boat

You're more confident than I would be. A bad cell in one battery could pull another down. I like the idea of separation and redundancy. You can get a selector switch for $45 or so.

 

[crossroads123]

Re: How long before my battery dies?!?...other questions

I run 2 batteries on my Alumacraft bass boat. One battery is only for starting the motor the other pulls all my accessiories including my tilt/trim. I never worry about having enough power to start my big motor.
Extreme heat like extreme cold affects the life span of a battery so I would be careful, also starting a motor and idling it will not charge the battery it charges at high speed.