12 volt batteries for my depth finder?

[The Yeti]

How long do these batteries last or how often should you get a new one?

[EBass]

Depends on how you treat it.(like charging it) But should last for a few years. I'm on my second year with no issues. Dropped it once though.

[willowcat]

I have 3 vex. batts. I've had them now for 5 years. Every time I use one I bring it in the house,let it warm up to room temp. then charg it up full. I also keep them in the house. I just checked all of them the other day and all are good. It could be that I alternate between the 3 that i'm getting the max life out of them. I don't know but I hope to get a couple more years out of them.

[iffwalleyes]

I have to original battery still for my vex and it is going to be 4 years old. Run the battery till the is very little charge left in it then I let mine charge usually from when I get in at night till I leave the next morning/afternoon. I have never overcharged the battery and I have a charger that doesn't have a overcharge shut off.

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Grip it and Rip it

IFFWalleyes
I Fish For Walleyes
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[Guest]

The key is to maintaining a charge on your battery and not forgetting about it during the summer months, like I have done. If you don't maintain your battery in the summer it will fail, when ice fishing time comes around your battery may not hold a charge for more than an hour or two and thats when you know your in trouble. Time to purchase a new battery if you have these symtoms....

[LOWinEYEin]

I lost my Charger for my Vex, I think it has a 6v Battery. Ya think I could use the 6volt setting on 12v car charger?

[Guest]

The Vexilar battery is a 12 Volt DC, 7.2 Amp/HR system.

I would recommend you replace your lost charger with a Vexilar V-300 Automatic Charger unit.

This V-300 Automatic Charger is a 12 volt 1 amp charger, with an automatic shutoff. It is impossible to overcharge the battery using this charger.

Charge the battery at room temperature after every use. The battery will not develop a "memory" and must be fully charged after each use in a warm environment.

They run about $22.00.

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BACKWATER GUIDING
701-281-2300
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><,sUMo,>

[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 11-24-2003).]

[fishfearme]

Marcum also makes the DCS digital charging system its a great unit and sells for about $40. I've been using one and it works great, always a full charge and it tells you how much charge is left in your battery while fishing.

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Shut up and fish!

[LOWinEYEin]

Sweet- I suppose I can pick that up pretty much anywhere?

[MuleSkinner]

Does anyone just use regular (or deep cycle) 12 volt batteries for their vexilars? My vex battery is in the late autumn of its life. I planned on just using other regular 12 volt batteries this year, cuz I have them as extras anyway. Just made a couple of clip on wires to hook up to. Would it be better to hook up parallel with Vex battery? Or bypass the Vex battery? Any extra total battery life hooking up parallel?

[Guest]

You could, but that brings much more weight into the ice package then is really needed.

I can usually get 3 days of solid use from a Vexilar 12V battery with not much worry.

You can buy sealed 12V acid free batteries at Batteries Plus for $17-$20 if you need a new one.

(TIP)- If your fishing in the open and the flashers battery is exposed to the cold it lowers the battery charge life.

A tip I'll share is wrap the battery with thin Styrofoam, like is used in packaging. Also put some 3/8 Styrofoam under the battery to insulate it from the cold ice below.

Here is where you can really extend the life of a battery on a on-ice trip in the cold. Take a small hand-warmer chem-pack, give it a shake to stimulate the heat process. Now slip it in behind the battery and under the packing foam wrap. This heats the battery and keeps it up to snuff and extends the battery life between charges.

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BACKWATER GUIDING
701-281-2300
[email protected]
><,sUMo,>

[BradB]

Has anyone ever seen a NiMH battery of the same size/shape as the Vexilar V-120? It would be nice to get a higher quality, longer-lasting, memory-free battery for the flasher.

Also, I'd like to recommend a device called the Battery Minder. It's an electronic charger that electronically de-sulfinates batteries. I have rescued several batteries that seemed lost with this product, and I keep my big boat batteries charging on one all winter long. I don't want to post an unauthorized link, but if you google under "BatteryMINDer" you'll find several places they are available. You CAN find them for 39.95 which is the cheapest I've found.

Brad

[Guest]

You can get special purpose batteries at battery outlets that are 12V.

These systems are made for emergency backup lighting or telephone backup systems.

They are not cheap!

It is like jumping from a off the shelf Duracell to a Nickel Cadmium or Lithium camera battery, the price quickly jumps up.

If you wish to spend that kind of cash on a battery they are available.

I personally do not think it is really needed if you maintain the sealed cell batteries well and often as recommended.

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Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson

Backwater Guiding
"ED on the RED"
[email protected]
><,sUMo,>

[Guest]

Try Battery's Plus.

Expect to pay $100 or more for compact 12V batteries made from the more exotic materials. The more exotic, the more $$$$.

Some of the exotics are not openly available to the general public because of the materials they are made from.

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Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson

Backwater Guiding
"ED on the RED"
[email protected]
><,sUMo,>

[BradB]

Eddy,

Thanks. Any idea how much more expensive? I did some web searching but couldn't find any of the batteries you mention.

Brad