Lithium Batteries Update - MillerTech

[Tom Tallman]

Hey All,

Best wishes to all for the Christmas/Holiday period.

I thought i'd give an update. I committed to run all my electronics ( 4 graphs and everything... everything ) off one MillerTech 12V 80Ah battery and I run my 112V Fortrexx Trolling Motor of 3 12V 65Ah MillerTechs.

The experience has been a 10 out of 10.

No charging at end of day, always knowing the power is full and total.... no TM that gets weaker through the day....
And i run all my graphs and bilges and aerators with no hesitation now....
No more of that "I hope the engine starts" when you sit there 5 mins to get to the tournament launch when you turn that engine over and it just barely cranks

They batteries are solid.

I love the ability to see the power left in the display on top by just hitting a button... no need to use a meter or ensuring you have your phone bluetooth connected to them. To me its a game changer in being able to check each battery.
I also love how the drainage is constant... from all batteries as you'd expect... when they deplete in percentage left, they all go down on the TM series i have.

Here is a picture of one of them... they still come up at 100% and ***HOLD*** at 100% 2 weeks after i last charged them! They are in my garage for the winter and not in boat now.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kLm...ew?usp=sharing

Anyway.... 2K is alot of money... but if you want a bit of luxury in how you are power-safe this seams to be the way to go... for long days and no hotel 'find the power' crisis moments... u can get through 3 days without even thinking about charging them and i'm not on the bigger ones either.

Good luck

oh... i still run my engine off an AGM. just didn't feel well about the incredible power surges Lithium needs to crank a big engine and didn't want any fire situations related to stressing a lithium... and engine manufacturers are not officially supporting lithium still to this day as i know.

[H2Power]

Nice! Someday maybe for me.

[MR 188 Elite]

Good news. I am in the process of purchasing a 2017 Ranger 519C from a dealer. He is putting in 3 Miller Lithium 75 amp for the Ghost trolling motor. The dealer has also recommended a 100 amp Miller Lithium cranking battery for the 225 G2 Evinrude and running 2 HDS 7's and a HDS 12 Live. I have not heard anything about power surges or fire risks. I hoping he knows what he's doing because I'm not familiar with the workings of lithium batteries. Looking forward to picking up the boat sometime after the first of the year,

[Tom Tallman]

Sounds like a nice boat... congrats. When you do get your boat and you want to talk about your MillerTech crank battery.... email mark@mtechlithium.com

They do have a cranking marine battery.. here it is.... i assume it is yours........ the black MarineTech batteries do NOT have the panel like you have on the 75AH batteries like the one i showed above.... i don't know how you will know what your charge level is on the black batteries.. you can ask the contact above... i don't think they have bluetooth on their batteries...to a cell app....u may need a meter for your 100AH battery...

The 100H crank battery: https://www.mtechlithium.com/collections/marine/products/starting-battery-12-volt-100-amp-hour-750-cca

The 75AH battery: https://www.mtechlithium.com/collect...ithium-battery

You might want to ask what the 'deal' is with black vs. white marine batteries...

[Mike A]

Hey All,

Best wishes to all for the Christmas/Holiday period.

I thought i'd give an update. I committed to run all my electronics ( 4 graphs and everything... everything ) off one MillerTech 12V 80Ah battery and I run my 112V Fortrexx Trolling Motor of 3 12V 65Ah MillerTechs.

The experience has been a 10 out of 10.

No charging at end of day, always knowing the power is full and total.... no TM that gets weaker through the day....
And i run all my graphs and bilges and aerators with no hesitation now....
No more of that "I hope the engine starts" when you sit there 5 mins to get to the tournament launch when you turn that engine over and it just barely cranks

They batteries are solid.

I love the ability to see the power left in the display on top by just hitting a button... no need to use a meter or ensuring you have your phone bluetooth connected to them. To me its a game changer in being able to check each battery.
I also love how the drainage is constant... from all batteries as you'd expect... when they deplete in percentage left, they all go down on the TM series i have.

Here is a picture of one of them... they still come up at 100% and ***HOLD*** at 100% 2 weeks after i last charged them! They are in my garage for the winter and not in boat now.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kLm...ew?usp=sharing

Anyway.... 2K is alot of money... but if you want a bit of luxury in how you are power-safe this seams to be the way to go... for long days and no hotel 'find the power' crisis moments... u can get through 3 days without even thinking about charging them and i'm not on the bigger ones either.

Good luck

oh... i still run my engine off an AGM. just didn't feel well about the incredible power surges Lithium needs to crank a big engine and didn't want any fire situations related to stressing a lithium... and engine manufacturers are not officially supporting lithium still to this day as i know.

No charging?

[BASStard6344]

+1 on the MillerTech. I too am running the 80ah as a stand-alone for my graphs 8616 and 8612 along with livescope great battery so far (since August).

[sktrbtr]

Good to hear folks are liking there Millertechs. I am about to pull the trigger on 2 75AH for a 80 Ultrex. From what I read, the difference between the white and black case batteries are that the white ones are grade A cells, and the black are grade B cells. Less charge cycles on the grade B.

[Tom Tallman]

For charger guys... just buy an 10A or higher single battery charger..but it MUST be Lithium/LifePO4 comipatable..... . u won't believe how fast your batteries chare... like maybe 30 mins per battery.... a pain but don't mind.. just run it across all 4 batteries every 3rd trip

This one is 10A.. very nice... you run it till you get SOLID green on the battery.... blinking green means you are at like 95% charger:
https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GENIUS10...8569003&sr=8-3

This one is 20A... twice as fast .. no name brand... but works ; I brought one and the fan stopped working so i replace the board fan myself with a 12 dollar fan replacement and used some simple electric crimps.... should you have the same issue and buy one:
https://www.amazon.com/ExpertPower-C...568732&sr=8-10

[Tom Tallman]

Good to hear folks are liking there Millertechs. I am about to pull the trigger on 2 75AH for a 80 Ultrex. From what I read, the difference between the white and black case batteries are that the white ones are grade A cells, and the black are grade B cells. Less charge cycles on the grade B.

Yes... personally, i would stay away from MillerTech crank battery..... its new and its the black grade B one.. and there is no meter on top of the battery. I would wait till MillerTech comes out with a Grade A version.. not black. Do your own reading about cranking batteries... the amount of power that that battery must give your 225/250 engine in one shot and the risks of running such new technology to start your engines... i think you are better off staying AGM for your engine and run all your other electronics on lithium that don't need that jump start level of power

[magqw7]

I am using a 100ah millertech to run 250 yamaha sho, 3 lowrance12 carbons, 1222 with livescope, 2 poles, aereator, oxygenator, radio,(basicly everything) and it has performed flawlessly. When my current tm batteries bite the dust I will go lithium on those too.

[Tom Tallman]

I am using a 100ah millertech to run 250 yamaha sho, 3 lowrance12 carbons, 1222 with livescope, 2 poles, aereator, oxygenator, radio,(basicly everything) and it has performed flawlessly. When my current tm batteries bite the dust I will go lithium on those too.

Great... does the engine's alternator return back to the battery support charging the lithium ? Apparently yes ?

[jtracc]

I run 2 millertech 65ah for my utrlex and these batteries are unreal..! I can go 2-3 outings on one charge and still have over 50% still left in them. Im using mk pc charger on agm setting with agm cranking battery and they charge up to 100% every time. With the minn kota pc charger they charge up over night. I never timed them, just plug them in and they turn green.

[dartag1829]

Are you guys running your electronics and live well pumps on the Lithium. Seems like with all that capacity you could do that and leave the AGM cranking battery for the big motor.

[Brewerbass]

Mtech rates their 100 amp starting battery at 1150 cca. It seems their are plenty of people using them with the new 4 strokes without bad results, even though mercury still is not recommending them due to the bms ability to shut down

[magqw7]

Great... does the engine's alternator return back to the battery support charging the lithium ? Apparently yes ?

I would assume so. Most days I have the trolling motor down 7-8 hours and run the big motor very minimally and still have enough power to crank it. I checked with a meter after one of those long days and the battery was still at 13.1 volts

[gordonsweb]

I run 2 millertech 65ah for my utrlex and these batteries are unreal..! I can go 2-3 outings on one charge and still have over 50% still left in them. Im using mk pc charger on agm setting with agm cranking battery and they charge up to 100% every time. With the minn kota pc charger they charge up over night. I never timed them, just plug them in and they turn green.

I only seen a Cranking Battery for 65ah on there website? You got deep cycle 65ah?

[jtracc]

I only seen a Cranking Battery for 65ah on there website? You got deep cycle 65ah?

Looks like they upgrade the 65ah to the new 75ah... unless it was always a 75ah that they called a 65ah for whatever reason. The specs are identical, and I can tell you I tried to drain down my 65ah ones and I can't. I did 3- 10 hrs days in a row and the lowest they got was 57% and two days the wind was blowing decent. On a light breeze 10 hr day they still at 90%.

[alpine4x4]

I would assume so. Most days I have the trolling motor down 7-8 hours and run the big motor very minimally and still have enough power to crank it. I checked with a meter after one of those long days and the battery was still at 13.1 volts

Lithiums dont discharge like a lead acid so you'll get a higher voltage reading throughout the batteries cycle. That flat voltage curve is what makes them especially appealijg for voltage sensitive electronics like Solix and Livescope.

[gordonsweb]

Looks like they upgrade the 65ah to the new 75ah... unless it was always a 75ah that they called a 65ah for whatever reason. The specs are identical, and I can tell you I tried to drain down my 65ah ones and I can't. I did 3- 10 hrs days in a row and the lowest they got was 57% and two days the wind was blowing decent. On a light breeze 10 hr day they still at 90%.

Awesome, Thanks for update. Have them on my list for spring.

[mohawkman]

That’s the coolest part. Now when h go on a road trip with your boat u are not panicked looking for an outside outlet in the parking lots. U literally don’t need to charge for like 5 trips ! Literally. I’ve never had mine below 57%. It’s hard to even do that. The millertechs have been bullet proof for me so far