Separate battery for clearer images?

[AustonW]

Hey guys, quick question. Will running a separate battery for only my electronics help clear up the images on my elite ti2’s?

I’ve done some searching but haven’t really found an answer that I’m satisfied with yet. Thanks

[Tennessee Boy]

What problems are you having with your unit?  Are you seeing interference when the trolling motor is running?

[AustonW]

No, just the down imaging isn’t as clear as I think it should be. I’ve read to where some people have gotten better image quality going to a separate battery, but I don’t know. I thought 12v was 12v. 

[Tennessee Boy]

Many people say higher voltage will give you better image quality.  I can say for sure that it’s not true with my Humminbirds.  Having a second battery doesn’t necessarily give you higher voltage unless there are a lot of other things drawing power from the first battery.  The biggest cause of voltage drop is undersized wiring.  You need to determine if you have significant voltage drop between the battery and the fish finder. If so it might be a good idea to install new wiring.  Is the fish finder run on your cranking battery?

[AustonW]

It is. I’m tired of the units cutting off cranking the big motor and having to wait for the units to load back up. I figure if anything, the screen will be brighter but that’s all. 

[Tennessee Boy]

I added a lithium battery for electronics earlier this year because I was having issues due to the voltage drop when I cranked the motor.  I improved the wiring at the same time.  It was money well spent.

[AustonW]

Did your units run any faster? What size wire did you run?

[Tennessee Boy]

Just now, AustonW said:

Did your units run any faster? What size wire did you run?

I have two Humminbird Solix and did not see any changes in performance.  The biggest problem I had was that one of them would often drop off the network when I cranked the motor.   I used 8 gauge wire.

[padon]

18 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I have two Humminbird Solix and did not see any changes in performance.  The biggest problem I had was that one of them would often drop off the network when I cranked the motor.   I used 8 gauge wire.

agreed. the biggest advantage of a dedicated battery is the elimination of interfernce from trolling motor or voltage drop from starting. but if your gonna go to the trouble of doing it make sure your wiring is up to the task. 8 or minimum 10 ga wiring is what you need to handle modern electronics.

[gim]

If you're using the same battery for your trolling motor as you are for your electronics and outboard stater, that is the problem right there.

 

Use a deep cycle battery for your trolling motor and use a cranking or dual purpose one for the other items.

[AustonW]

Trolling motor has its own batteries. Running accessories off my cranking battery. Im just not super impressed by my down scan images on my elite ti2’s. Seems like the fish are very faint specks and you need a magnifying glass to see them. I know I’m not the best on the graphs but I would think it’d be better than what it is. 

[WRB]

What battery are you using for cranking? 

Tom

[DogBone_384]

On 6/27/2022 at 10:39 AM, AustonW said:

Im just not super impressed by my down scan images on my elite ti2’s. Seems like the fish are very faint specks and you need a magnifying glass to see them.

What frequency is your downscan set at?  I have Elite Ti2’s on my boat, wired to my cranking battery.  Images are a little fuzzy @ 455kHz but are clear @ 800kHz.

 

I’ll also comment that my screen resolution doesn’t seem as good as a friend’s Garmin unit.

[Bankc]

On 6/27/2022 at 9:39 AM, AustonW said:

Trolling motor has its own batteries. Running accessories off my cranking battery. Im just not super impressed by my down scan images on my elite ti2’s. Seems like the fish are very faint specks and you need a magnifying glass to see them. I know I’m not the best on the graphs but I would think it’d be better than what it is. 

That sounds more like a transducer problem than a battery issue.  If the battery is picking up noise, it should show up as noise on the graph, though if the noise isn't bad, it will just reduce detail.  There's a digital filter built into the unit (as well as some analog ones) that can reduce detail when they filter out the noise, but it should clear up when the motor isn't running, as the source of the interference would be removed.  If it's not showing good detail all of the time, then that means the transducer either isn't providing a strong signal, or is picking up too much noise due to not receiving a strong enough signal.  

I had this happen on my sonar.  The regular sonar and downscan worked fine.  But the sidescan would only show depth, no detail.  Replacing the transducer fixed it.  The piezo crystals inside these units can be very sensitive, so if you bang into them or run them out of water, they can crack.  A small crack won't stop the transducer from working, but it will reduce its efficiency and lower detail.  

 

So if it happens when other things are running off that same battery, then that points to a noisy circuit.  If it happens all of the time, then that points to a faulty transducer.  

[schplurg]

On 6/25/2022 at 2:35 PM, AustonW said:

No, just the down imaging isn’t as clear as I think it should be. I’ve read to where some people have gotten better image quality going to a separate battery, but I don’t know. I thought 12v was 12v. 

 

It is. Interference is a different matter.

 

On 6/26/2022 at 5:24 PM, AustonW said:

Did your units run any faster? What size wire did you run?

 

Faster? Your unit will either run or it won't. Battery power will not affect performance or screen brightness or image quality.

[Tennessee Boy]

Let’s keep our terms straight.   Battery power and battery voltage are two different things.  Battery voltage can definitely  affect performance.  Won’t make the unit faster.  I don’t think it’s affecting the OP screen clarity.   If my unit was shutting down every time I cranked the motor I would be looking to change something regardless of what the screen looks like.

[Jig Man]

I don’t know your unit so I can’t comment on the clarity.  I have had a lot of experience with modern electronics and how much juice they use.  You probably need a much bigger cranking battery or a house battery strictly for electronics in order to stop the low voltage shut down.

[TOXIC]

Also clarify if it’s interference or image clarity.  If your units are shutting down when you crank the big motor, you have an undersized or weak cranking battery.  My units never shut down even after a long day.  I run a group 31 AGM for starting and electronics.  If it’s interference, your wiring may be too close to the TM wiring, if it’s clarity, then it’s a setup or transducer problem. 

[MN Fisher]

On 6/26/2022 at 8:09 PM, gimruis said:

If you're using the same battery for your trolling motor as you are for your electronics and outboard stater, that is the problem right there.

 

Use a deep cycle battery for your trolling motor and use a cranking or dual purpose one for the other items.

 

On 6/27/2022 at 9:39 AM, AustonW said:

Running accessories off my cranking battery.

Despite it being a small boat - 14' - I went with three batteries.

100ah AGM - trolling motor

550cca Group 24m - dedicated starting battery

35ah AGM - everything else

 

No interference, no drops - everything runs like it should.