Power Suggestions - Electronics

[ZeroSix]

All - thank you for your time. I am in need of help in understanding and selecting the best option for powering my electronics. I think I have read every post here on this topic and am still not 100% sure the best approach for me and would enjoy hearing what others have done and/or would recommend.

As much as I appreciate and respect opinions - if we could please keep this one to experience and fact I would greatly appreciate it. If you'd rather PM me that would be great too.

Situation. Four 12" Garmin units with LiveScope (LS10) black box along with poles, Oxygenator, pumps, etc. Currently run 31 series - one for the start and electronics and 3 for the trolling motor. Since the addition of the LS 10 LiveScope I have been challenged with enough power to last a full day of pre-fishing. My graphs constantly read 11.2 down to 10.1 when the engine is not running. And, there is disparity between all for graphs with the voltage. I never see above 12v. The 31-series is new and has been tested on multiple occasions - its in good shape.

I also run the Charge by Power Pole which has proven itself as beneficial to me over the past season. Separate 8ga. electronics wiring from start battery to helm so its "clean".

Mission. A reliable power source for my electronics that is relatively easy to maintain during a 3-4 day tournament.

Execution. I have ruled out the individual power packs. I think I want to go with a single lithium set up on a separate charger dedicated to the electronics.

Questions:
-Is there any benefit to only powering the LS10 and head unit with a single lithium and leaving the other three units on the 31-series start battery?
-Or - Would it be smarter to power 100% of electronics on this system?
-How do I figure out which Amp Hour size is needed for my requirements in order to not run into low voltage issues?
-Does anyone that has made this transition have definite "dos and/or don't dos" in the process?

As normal - thank you all in advance for your time and expertise.

[Les Young]

I figured i already had two humminbird si units on my starting battery so i opted for an amped outdoors battery & d i y pole mount for my livescope setup simply because no worries about running a starting battery down & figured there was way less chance for interfterence on livescope. I don't have any on my birds now & dont want it on the garmin either. Hopefully it works out that way.

[JR19]

Most people think its the black box that is a high amp draw but its actually the head unit. Go to the Amped Outdoors website and look at the chart they have that tells the amp draw for individual devices. Add up the amp draw for your 4 units and add the black box. Take that number and divide it into the ah size advertised on the battery and you get how long a battery will run. For example if you have .75 amp draw for the black box and 2.5 amp draw on the head unit X4 then .75 + 2.5 + 2.5 + 2.5 + 2.5 = 10.75 So a 125ah battery would run 125/10.75=11.62 hours of run time. Now that's all 4 units running at the same time and never turning them off. I would feel comfortable putting that load on a 100ah because the odds of running all 4 all day are slim.

Personally I choose a 30ah for a single 10" unit and the black box. People are getting two 8 hour days of fishing or one daylight to dark trip off a set up like I have. Real world experience, zero. I install this a couple weeks ago and have yet to try it out but I have read several reviews from paying customers who have the setup I described and got all good reviews. I purposely avoided any statement from someone who was sponsored or had any reason for monetary gain. The result are from fisherman who spend their dime to buy product. I know you wanted real world experience but technically I don't have it but come warm weather I will.

On a side note a recent Bass Talk Live podcast had a battery representative on to discuss the difference between Lead, AGM and Lithium as well as the difference in how to get the longest life out of each type. He said a big trend in the market right now for hard core fishermen with multiple graphs is to ensure proper wire gauge and have all electronics on a dedicated lithium battery, thus taking a big strain off the cranking battery.

[Hawg]

I would recommend a very good, single lithium battery in the back, with it's own charger, and ONLY using it for the electronics, and I mean all the electronics including your gls10 box for livescope.

Thank you,

Justin Russell

[Impulse Lithium]

Check out the products we offer at www.impulselithium.com

We do have a stand alone 16v-60ah battery for electronics only

https://www.impulselithium.com/produ...onics-battery/

Bill

205-965-8436

[Chris1978]

I have the same setup as you plus a 2nd LiveScope system (no power pole charge system thou)

I played around with drill batteries, small lithiums, hooking some up to an AGM stater & some on another

In the end I put in a lithium ionic lithium as my cranking battery and put everything on it. No power issues since. 1 full season in.

[ZeroSix]

Thank you folks - greatly appreciated. JR19 = Einstein! Appreciate the Beer Math help.

After consulting with my master technicians and my Mercury rep (There is no approved lithium starting option from their standpoint) I will be installing a separate 60AH lithium for electronics only - separate charger and selector switch to remove all power after each use.

As a side note - and one of the many reasons I landed on BassCat Boats - they are running a separate 6ga. wiring harness for electronics from the stern to the helm and then forward to the bow on all premium models. No interference - No issues.

Thank you again for everyone's input. Much appreciated!

[Hooked247]

*** Update *** Mercury recently released a memorandum that speaks on lithium cranking batteries. John Crews just posted a video on You Tube reading the memorandum etc. Bottom line the lithium cranking battery MUST have a programmed BMS (Battery Management System). Most of your top brand lithium cranking batteries have properly programmed BMS's installed. NEVER use a "one size fits all" lithium battery or you will run into issues potentially causing damage to your outboard.

Part of the BMS programming is protection from the outboard overcharging the battery, it controls the state of charging. If you fire up the big motor, take off with a full charge the BMS prevents / shuts down the big motor from charging the battery by shutting down the charging process. If you know anyone running a “one size fits all” lithium battery and you hear them talking about how they fire up the big motor, get moving down the lake and the big motor shuts down, that’s because they do not have a proper cranking lithium battery with a BMS or with a BMS programmed to their specific outboard. When you fire up the big motor its going to charge and charge and charge. What happens is the lithium reaches peak charge much faster because there much more efficient and without a programmed BMS the outboard engine computer recognizes overcharging throwing an overcharge code shutting the engine down protecting it from any electrical damage. You’ll hear them say they drop the trolling motor run all of the electronics etc. to run down the lithium battery and the big motor fires right up. Problem is they take back off and repeat the outboard shutting down issue again. Bottom line if your running lithium’s make sure the cranking lithium is a cranking lithium with a programmed BMS to your outboard. I run a lithium cranking battery on my SHO 250 and the BMS programming is different than the MERC because of different outboard charging systems. BMS, BMS, BMS. This is why Mercury and Yamaha, I called them, were initially saying and are careful in the warranty wording. No BMS you could cause serious damage to your outboard that the warranty shouldn’t cover. The quality brand lithiums will know exactly what your talking about when you call them and ask. Call the manufacturer! If your looking at brand whatever and they cannot speak on the BMS DON’T BUY IT!

Thank you folks - greatly appreciated. JR19 = Einstein! Appreciate the Beer Math help.

After consulting with my master technicians and my Mercury rep (There is no approved lithium starting option from their standpoint) I will be installing a separate 60AH lithium for electronics only - separate charger and selector switch to remove all power after each use.

As a side note - and one of the many reasons I landed on BassCat Boats - they are running a separate 6ga. wiring harness for electronics from the stern to the helm and then forward to the bow on all premium models. No interference - No issues.

Thank you again for everyone's input. Much appreciated!

[JR19]

Thank you folks - greatly appreciated. JR19 = Einstein! Appreciate the Beer Math help.

After consulting with my master technicians and my Mercury rep (There is no approved lithium starting option from their standpoint) I will be installing a separate 60AH lithium for electronics only - separate charger and selector switch to remove all power after each use.

As a side note - and one of the many reasons I landed on BassCat Boats - they are running a separate 6ga. wiring harness for electronics from the stern to the helm and then forward to the bow on all premium models. No interference - No issues.

Thank you again for everyone's input. Much appreciated!

A separate "house" battery dedicated to just livescope may not be an option some will want to do but for me personally I think I made the best choice. Now with that being said there is other options to get good clean power and still have a cranking battery strong enough to crank at the end of the day. I just personally preferer the method I chose. All I have is the single livescope so a 30ah will be enough to run my system all day. Here is my setup...

[bigsdaddy]

This is what I have as well. Runs a 102SV and Livescope for 12 hours without charging. Mine charges pretty quickly with the 3 amp charger that came with it. 3 amp is also what the manufacturer suggested although you can get a 10 amp.

https://ampedoutdoors.com/collection...ize-and-weight They were back in stock as of last week. Use the chat feature on the website.

A separate "house" battery dedicated to just livescope may not be an option some will want to do but for me personally I think I made the best choice. Now with that being said there is other options to get good clean power and still have a cranking battery strong enough to crank at the end of the day. I just personally preferer the method I chose. All I have is the single livescope so a 30ah will be enough to run my system all day. Here is my setup...

[ZeroSix]

Gents - thank you again! Great info.