Lithium for Live scope

[lisa1117]

Looking to increase sensitivity and range on my live scope. Looking to run a dedicated small lithium. I've been told the stand alone will give you better/cleaner picture and cleaner picture at Longer 60'/80' range?

I'm running dedicated 10g wire to front graphs and have the big Odyssey battery for my cranking battery. I don't run out of power, but my voltage will drop below 12 volts at end of day if I'm not running around to keep charged and voltage up.

Thanks Lisa

[LWINCHESTER2]

The specs state that the power input should be from 10 to 32 Vdc. That voltage is then adjusted to whatever the components require. Anything within that range should perform identically.

[MonteSS]

A Lithium and/or higher voltage will not improve anything you listed.

[lisa1117]

A Lithium and/or higher voltage will not improve anything you listed.

Do tell what am I missing?

[LWINCHESTER2]

Did you read Post #2?

[lisa1117]

Any suggestion for seeing a longer distances. I'm adjusting depth and gain manually fishing in 17 to 22 feet deep in clear water.

[Greenwing1]

Any suggestion for seeing a longer distances. I'm adjusting depth and gain manually fishing in 17 to 22 feet deep in clear water.

I would check your trolling motor or pole to see if it's plumb, mine was off a lot, after getting it close to plumb it really helped my forward range and clarity but I'm using mine 40ft or less.

[MonteSS]

I think you are looking to get too much out of it.

PS30 Panoptix (not Livescope) may have more range but less clarity.

[rbarrow]

Do tell what am I missing?

This amount of just questionable information concerning voltage, batteries, and LiveScope that has been circulating is a bit disturbing.... there are a few simple facts that need to be kept in mind.

1> Nothing you do with a battery will improve the quality of the LiveScope image. The input voltage range of 10 to 32 is adjusted to the required voltage to operate the GLS10 as soon as it hits the voltage regulator in the unit. As long as your voltage falls within this range, the unit will operate normally. Higher voltage does NOT improve anything on the screen. Running your TV from 220v instead of 110v stills gives you the same picture quality (or a bunch of smoke if your TV can't handle 220v <LOL>).

2> Adding a separate battery for high current systems like LS, will simply result in you carrying MORE weight than you need and there is NO advantage...just disadvantages... the battery will not recharge from the alternator like the cranking battery. This results in you running out of power faster than having your system connected to the cranking battery. If your cranking battery isn't up to the task of supplying the required voltage for the required period of time....time to upgrade the battery.

3> Lithium batteries have no more power than a lead/acid battery...they just deliver it differently, recharge faster, weigh less, and last longer. A 5 gal bucket regardless of if it is lithium or lead/acid bucket still only holds 5 gallons.

4> LS requires adequate wiring which 90% of current bass boats DO NOT have in place. We install 10g marine wire to the bow with a separate bus and rear inline breaker on all LS installs unless the boat is one of the new Phoenix with the HD wiring option or similar. Longer runs require heavier gauge wire.

5> There are currently issues with the LS software of which everyone is already aware. There should be a software update this month (if they follow their normal pattern) that MAY improve the situation...but we won't know until it is released.

6> LS has a practical distance limit of 60' - 70'. This is because the higher frequencies used by LS attenuate faster over distance. Yes...you can see a school bus at 100' (maybe) and there may be those that argue that they "get better" but if you manually set your range to 60' or so, you will be happier with the results and the details.

Not sure any of this helps but these are the questions I answer 20 times a day

Roy

[fishin couillon]

^^^^Good info and some great analogizes.

[lisa1117]

This amount of just questionable information concerning voltage, batteries, and LiveScope that has been circulating is a bit disturbing.... there are a few simple facts that need to be kept in mind.

1> Nothing you do with a battery will improve the quality of the LiveScope image. The input voltage range of 10 to 32 is adjusted to the required voltage to operate the GLS10 as soon as it hits the voltage regulator in the unit. As long as your voltage falls within this range, the unit will operate normally. Higher voltage does NOT improve anything on the screen. Running your TV from 220v instead of 110v stills gives you the same picture quality (or a bunch of smoke if your TV can't handle 220v <LOL>).

2> Adding a separate battery for high current systems like LS, will simply result in you carrying MORE weight than you need and there is NO advantage...just disadvantages... the battery will not recharge from the alternator like the cranking battery. This results in you running out of power faster than having your system connected to the cranking battery. If your cranking battery isn't up to the task of supplying the required voltage for the required period of time....time to upgrade the battery.

3> Lithium batteries have no more power than a lead/acid battery...they just deliver it differently, recharge faster, weigh less, and last longer. A 5 gal bucket regardless of if it is lithium or lead/acid bucket still only holds 5 gallons.

4> LS requires adequate wiring which 90% of current bass boats DO NOT have in place. We install 10g marine wire to the bow with a separate bus and rear inline breaker on all LS installs unless the boat is one of the new Phoenix with the HD wiring option or similar. Longer runs require heavier gauge wire.

5> There are currently issues with the LS software of which everyone is already aware. There should be a software update this month (if they follow their normal pattern) that MAY improve the situation...but we won't know until it is released.

6> LS has a practical distance limit of 60' - 70'. This is because the higher frequencies used by LS attenuate faster over distance. Yes...you can see a school bus at 100' (maybe) and there may be those that argue that they "get better" but if you manually set your range to 60' or so, you will be happier with the results and the details.

Not sure any of this helps but these are the questions I answer 20 times a day

Roy

Roy,

Thanks for the good information. From your feed back I don't have a voltage or wiring concern. Just curious do you run 1 10GA wire and run the graph and gls box together or 2 separate 10GA wires 1 for the graph and 1 for the gls box.

Thanks again

[rbarrow]

Roy,

Thanks for the good information. From your feed back I don't have a voltage or wiring concern. Just curious do you run 1 10GA wire and run the graph and gls box together or 2 separate 10GA wires 1 for the graph and 1 for the gls box.

Thanks again

We run a single set of 10g wires to the front (positive/negative). All bow electronics attach to that terminal block. If someone were running 3 - 12" units + LS, we upsize to 8g (or other combinations of more than 10A draw - like a 12" + 16" + LS).

Rest assured we are seeing more and more 3 - 12" unit installations lately. Typically a Lowrance 12 Live, Garmin 122, and a Helix 12 being most popular. LS, 360 Mega, and a Lowrance base system (12" on bow and console) are very popular right now.

No one brand does everything. HB has 360 Mega, Garmin has LS, and Lowrance seems to be the most popular as a base system.

Roy

[Kenny3Times]

This amount of just questionable information concerning voltage, batteries, and LiveScope that has been circulating is a bit disturbing.... there are a few simple facts that need to be kept in mind.

1> Nothing you do with a battery will improve the quality of the LiveScope image. The input voltage range of 10 to 32 is adjusted to the required voltage to operate the GLS10 as soon as it hits the voltage regulator in the unit. As long as your voltage falls within this range, the unit will operate normally. Higher voltage does NOT improve anything on the screen. Running your TV from 220v instead of 110v stills gives you the same picture quality (or a bunch of smoke if your TV can't handle 220v <LOL>).

2> Adding a separate battery for high current systems like LS, will simply result in you carrying MORE weight than you need and there is NO advantage...just disadvantages... the battery will not recharge from the alternator like the cranking battery. This results in you running out of power faster than having your system connected to the cranking battery. If your cranking battery isn't up to the task of supplying the required voltage for the required period of time....time to upgrade the battery.

3> Lithium batteries have no more power than a lead/acid battery...they just deliver it differently, recharge faster, weigh less, and last longer. A 5 gal bucket regardless of if it is lithium or lead/acid bucket still only holds 5 gallons.

4> LS requires adequate wiring which 90% of current bass boats DO NOT have in place. We install 10g marine wire to the bow with a separate bus and rear inline breaker on all LS installs unless the boat is one of the new Phoenix with the HD wiring option or similar. Longer runs require heavier gauge wire.

5> There are currently issues with the LS software of which everyone is already aware. There should be a software update this month (if they follow their normal pattern) that MAY improve the situation...but we won't know until it is released.

6> LS has a practical distance limit of 60' - 70'. This is because the higher frequencies used by LS attenuate faster over distance. Yes...you can see a school bus at 100' (maybe) and there may be those that argue that they "get better" but if you manually set your range to 60' or so, you will be happier with the results and the details.

Not sure any of this helps but these are the questions I answer 20 times a day

Roy

RE: 2, would you say a cranking battery should be capable of handing five 12" units, aerators all day plus starting the motor?

[rbarrow]

RE: 2, would you say a cranking battery should be capable of handing five 12" units, aerators all day plus starting the motor?

I run 3 - 12" units on the bow, LiveScope, Mega 360, an HDS-16 on the console, dual Power Poles, and all my pumps, etc on a single RB100HP ReLion battery. This is a significant load for sure and now that ActiveTarget from Lowrance is out, I will be removing the LiveScope system.

One of the major advantages of lithium is the recharge speed. A short run of the motor can produce a significant recharge on the battery as lithium recharges 5 to 6 times faster than lead/acid. Additionally I also run the Power Pole Charge system which does a lot of active battery management in the background.

If I did not run lithium/Charge combination, most likely I would parallel two cranking batteries (lead acid) to be on the safe side for the load I am asking it to carry as they are much slower to recover.

Simple things like putting units on standby when you are not actively using them will go a LONG way to maximizing your power. You need to do the calculation on the load you are running (eg - most 12" units with full backlight draw between 2.5 and 3 amps, LiveScope CAN pull up to 5 amps but usually slightly less, etc.) Pump timers help a great deal as well to keep draw under control which most boats have already.

Being aware of what you are asking of your battery and doing a little simple math, you can arrive at a pretty good understanding of what you need to do.

Best of luck...

Roy

[JK_21]

Damn Roy why do you have to be 8 hours away, I'd bring my boat to you so I knew it was done right.

[1BADAIR]

I installed a very lightweight 30AH amped outdoors battery to power my livescope and 1022

[rbarrow]

Damn Roy why do you have to be 8 hours away, I'd bring my boat to you so I knew it was done right.

we get boats from all over the country. TX, PA, NY, AR, etc.

come on down!

[TheLivescanner]

I run the Milwaukee 20 volt 12 amp for my 1042!/and livescope on the boat.These small batteries are the best thing going they weigh 2 lbsAnd you could carry a spare

[Jbass2]

Ill preference this by saying I am a nobody with little experience other than my own. I installed a dedicated lithium battery just for my front graphs, and it has made a difference in eliminating some electrical interference issues I was having.

@rbarrow - What is the practical range in 15 foot of water with forward view? Are people getting clear images out to 40 foot, or is it less. The latter third of my screen always seems to be fuzzy.

[rbarrow]

Ill preference this by saying I am a nobody with little experience other than my own. I installed a dedicated lithium battery just for my front graphs, and it has made a difference in eliminating some electrical interference issues I was having.

@rbarrow - What is the practical range in 15 foot of water with forward view? Are people getting clear images out to 40 foot, or is it less. The latter third of my screen always seems to be fuzzy.

Can you describe the electrical interference and under what conditions it occurred? Not saying it cannot happen but I have yet to see interference unrelated to things like defective pumps.

I cannot address what others may be seeing but given the frequency range of a LiveScope (or Active Target) system, the practical maximum distance under most conditions is 60 - 70' with obviously reduced readings the further out you go. Of course this depends on the target(size/composition/etc), the angle the wave hits the target, etc (normal SONAR stuff)... Also remember, the higher the frequency the more quickly the energy is dissipated over distance. This is the reason that saltwater system use lower frequencies as they are typically operating in deeper water.

On my boat, I keep the forward range set to 65' (not Auto) and leave depth in Auto...it seems to work pretty well for me.