How do you protect against a dead battery?

[clemsondds]

On 1/29/2020 at 10:19 PM, gnappi said:

If you have a pre float plan checklist, follow it in reverse order when you stow the boat. 

 

Failing that if your storage area is outdoors and secure, a decent solar battery charger will for sure keep your battery topped off even if some small stuff is left on.

 

I made mine out of two 40 watt panels with an inexpensive charge controller (do not use a solar panel connected directly to a battery) mounted to 1" aluminum material from home depot. 

 

I bought used panels on Craig's list from a guy upgrading his sailboat to 200 watt panels, I think I have less than $80 or so in making it. It's totally bullet proof, well unless it has several days of cloud cover, or gets covered with snow ?

 

 

Do you connect straight to your battery or go through a battery charger?  I have a 12amp battery charger connected to two 27group deep cycle batteries. trying to figure out how to wire it up. The batteries are connected in series I believe since the tm is 24v.  I'm looking to get this setup https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PWK9Z7Q/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza thoughts? 

[gnappi]

On 2/6/2020 at 5:34 PM, clemsondds said:

Do you connect straight to your battery or go through a battery charger?  I have a 12amp battery charger connected to two 27group deep cycle batteries. trying to figure out how to wire it up. The batteries are connected in series I believe since the tm is 24v.  I'm looking to get this setup https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PWK9Z7Q/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza thoughts? 

In your initial post you wrote "battery" not batteries and did not specify 24 volts. That's a horse of a different color, and a more expensive one. The link you provided states 12v @ 10 amps. You CANNOT get 10 amps from a 50 watt panel (math doesn't lie), well not in my universe anyway. Even for a 12v system with two batteries what you're looking at is Waayyy too small, plus you're looking at needing a 24 volt system unless you want to charge the batteries individually with a 12 volt setup. 

 

Craig's list has many little 12v solar setups for sale from boaters and "off grid" dreamers who realized this too late and blamed the panels for dead (expensive) batteries, not their lack of planning and research. 

 

To answer your question... with a solar panel and "charge controller" you go straight to the battery. Going through a battery charger would be a waste of power, size, money and be overly complicated.  So you know, a solar controller IS a battery charger. Your main concern I think will be theft of a solar charger, but only you can answer that. 

 

At any rate, my charger very portable and is 80 watts (panels bought from a cheap yachtsman upgrading after killing his batteries) for a little 35Ah U1 sized battery and it works fine for that. 

 

See the solar panel below. I think it would make a suitable bare bones start and it could be rigged to go portable like mine rather easily. Renogy (@ 12v I use another brand) has lots of larger panels you may want to reach out to them with your location, and battery Ah specs (both very important to know) to see what they can gen up for you. 

 

Panel specs and distributor (note optimum operating current):

 

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/VLcAAOSwPn1eL2XF/s-l500.jpg 

 

Panel price:

 

www.ebay.com/itm/Renogy-270-Watt-24-Volt-Polycrystalline-Solar-Panel/124062981583

 

 

 

[clemsondds]

So I had brought my battery home and charged it on my charger.  I used a multimeter to check and it read 12.1 after it said full charge.  So took the boat out and went on a trolling motor only lake.  fished for about an hour with just running my radio and humminbird h7 (on deck) both are on crank battery.  went to start motor and wouldn't turn over.  Used battery jumper and that did the trick after waiting for a few seconds.  Later I started the motor up and let it run for quite awhile.  Anyway, what do you all think?  Should I just replace this battery??  

[gnappi]

8 hours ago, clemsondds said:

So I had brought my battery home and charged it on my charger.  I used a multimeter to check and it read 12.1 after it said full charge.  So took the boat out and went on a trolling motor only lake.  fished for about an hour with just running my radio and humminbird h7 (on deck) both are on crank battery.  went to start motor and wouldn't turn over.  Used battery jumper and that did the trick after waiting for a few seconds.  Later I started the motor up and let it run for quite awhile.  Anyway, what do you all think?  Should I just replace this battery??  

Either your charger or battery is having a problem. A charge of 12.1 volts is barely over half charged. Is it a wet or AGM type? If wet did you check the SG in the individual cells? 

 

First maybe try charging your other battery and read the voltages before, during and after charging. 

 

After that if the battery comes up to near 12.7 volts (see chart) you know the charger is good. Then take the suspect battery to a local auto parts store and they'll check it for you.

 

 

 

 

[Michigander]

If you cant or won't  pull your batteries after each trip, you could just install an inline led that would be on if the battery power is on. This would be minimal drain and would tell you if you forgot.

[DanielG]

All of these effective solutions are free or nearly free and they will work as good as anything else. I had to think all day but this is what I came up with.

 

Post it note near your starter key/button. It should say something like "turn off the battery!"

 

If this works for you, make a more permanent sign....

 

Another alternative is put a post it note on the center of the steering wheel in your vehicle upon launch. Of course you've got to remember to do that... so... keep on on your backup mirror. You've got to look into that to back up the boat. Then it will be there when you take it out.

 

Last alternative if those don't work. Place the centerfold from a magazine on your vehicle seat or dash as a reminder. If that doesn't do it for ya then I'm afraid there's no hope and you'll must perpetually have a dead battery.... in more ways than one.

I hope this helps.