Depth Finder battery charging question

[traveler]

I just bought one late last season and can't find the manual right now. Is it possible to overcharge/cook the battery? Anyway to tell if it's fully charged, or what the current charge is? How long to fully charge? I have one of those little minn kota battery testers somewhere, but of course I can't find that either Thanks

[Guest]

yes it is possible to cook your battery when they come out of the box not charged it is not reckamended to charge over 8 hours. Your fl-8 should have a battery status gauge on it you can check your battery on if you dont have a tester but do not charge with the battery hooked to your Vex.

[Guest]

There are a few different charge indicators that you can buy.

1) Smart Charge by Marcum
2) Digital Charging System by Marcum
3) T-130 Battery Status Inidcator by Vexilar
4) v-300 Automatic Charger by Vexilar

Plus a few more. I own a Smart Charge and it works just fine. A lot of the new Vexilar models that you buy will have the T-130 already installed. The Digital Charging System by Marcum is excellent too. All of these will let you know when your battery is full and will charge your battery safely.

Good Fishin,
Matt

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[Guest]

Gel cell batteries are very fickle things, indeed. A basic recomendation for charging is to have it on charge for twice the length that you have used it. The best way to go is to use a 'smart charge' unit. This way, the charger will know when to stop charging and will turn back on if the charge starts to fall off again. Think of it as a thermostat for your batteries. They work great for all batteries. You can hook up your boat battery at the end of the season, leave it plugged in all winter and it will keep it nicely topped off.