Got a new Battery

[PlanoKeith]

Well after using the interstate battery that came with the boat for about 14 months ,the last time I put it on the charger ( Dual Pro brand charger ) I noticed that after it had charged that the green light would come on and then it would go back to red and back and forth. So I figured that this cheap Battery is on it's way out. Also the fact that at the boat ramp the last chilly morning I went fishing, I got a low voltage beep when starting the engine. Once the motor cranked after the first time every thing was ok except I could see on my humming bird that the voltage was not even 11.5 when the motor was turned off while fishing. But being that my motor is a 99 225 EFI all I had to do is bump the starter and it fired right up . SO I just bought one of the recommended batteries by Don ( Sears Platinum Group 31 ) and MAN that thing is HEAVY!! I hope this will be a good cranking battery for my motor since it says it has 1150 CCA . I was wondering why it says it could be used for a trolling motor as well. DID I BUY THE WRONG BATTERY for cranking the motor??? If anyone sees any down side of using this battery for cranking, Please let me know before I put it in the boat.

Thanks Keith

[06champ198]

Your good to go. I will be purchasing one of those for my OPTI this spring.

[EuropeanAM]

IMHO.... you got one of the best batteries on the market.

AGM batteries can be utilized for EITHER cranking OR trolling (in most cases).

[PlanoKeith]

Thanks Richard and Don. I am glad to have one of the best on the market since I mostly fish alone. Peace of mind

Should I check it with the charger everytime I go out or use an ohm meter? I don't want to over charge it if it is already charged. Or should I rely on the Alternator to do the charging?

But Thanks and I am happy to know that I did good

Keith

[EuropeanAM]

You should always make sure that you're heading out with a fully charged battery for each outing.

An automatic "bank charger" is a good means of accomplishing this.

Remember.... the alternator is NOT a battery charger. It's designed to "MAINTAIN the fully charged state of one properly rated, fully charged cranking battery".

[PlanoKeith]

Thanks Don I will check it every time with the charger before I go out.

Once again Thank You

Keith

[Phoenix Jim]

yes it is heavy but my 250 pro xs loves that battery compared to the junk interstate that did not last a year

[PlanoKeith]

Thanks for the heads up Puma Jim. I am glad to hear from you on how good this battery has been for your Motor. I am SURE it will be the same for my motor as well.

And you are right about that interstate only lasting a year Mine lasted 10 months before I noticed it was not holding a charge very good.


Keith

[Phoenix Jim]

you will tell the diff right away. With the sears my motor starts real easy but with the interstate it sounded almost dead cause the interstate was minimum cranking amps

[PlanoKeith]

Puma Jim you were right. I could tell the motor was running better and my voltage readout NEVER got below 13.6 even when I was trimming up and down.

Thanks guys for the feed back on this platinum diehard group 31 I bought, I would recommend this battery for anyone that needs a new one. It is one hoss of a battery.

Keith

[PlanoKeith]

I posted this on another part of the forum but would like some input from here as well.

"One more question guys. If I were to get a single bank charger for the main battery how many amps should I get. It is a sears platinum group 31 AGM battery. The old boat just has a two bank charger in it. Thanks :) "

[EuropeanAM]

I would recommend something with at least 10 amps charging capacity (15 would be even better).

[PlanoKeith]

Thanks Don . Some one else on the other forum said if they were me they would get a portable charger just for the main battery. The one in the boat works great . Should it be any specific kind like 3 stage or something along that line. Or better yet, what would you do lol ;)

[EuropeanAM]

Any decent "traditional" battery charger will be suitable.

Since you're likely to be leaving it plugged in overnight in some cases, an automatic charger (one that will sense peaked voltage and shut down to a trickle) would be best suited.

[PlanoKeith]

Thanks Don That's what I needed to know . I appreciate your advice.

Keith

[bucket mouth]

Triton cowboy, Puma Jim, and don, thanks for the advice on this battery. Other than having to modify the tray, I couldn't be happier with my purchase so far. My boat starts up so quickly now, I think I can just look at the key and VROOOM!

[PlanoKeith]

That is one HOSS of a battery.

Keith