Marcum digital battery gauge

[aquafang]

I have an LX-3 and find that the battery gauge gets down to around 20% at the end of a day(only 8 hrs). I just bought a new battery. I'm thinking my gauge might be bad. Unless I got a bad battery? Still seems to run fine and don't notice a decrease in functionality at end of day. Anyone else see this?

[Jim Almquist]

If you have access to a meter check it when it is fully charged and then check it at the end of a day of fishing.

My guess is that you have a bad battery and it will read at 12.0 or less. If it is fully charged it will be 13.2 to 13.7 but yours might not even reach that.

[CNY Tim]

aquafang - did you check the gauge after you returned from your trip and the battery had a chance to warm up? Generally there will be 30% to 40% difference between a warm and cold battery. When Ice fishing and under load you will notice it more on the DCS. For example I fished my LX-5 down to 0% for over 2 hours on the battery gauge with no problems on a 13 hour trip and drove two hours home with my LX-5 in a warm van and when I got home the battery gauge went up to 40%. In your scenario the battery gauge after coming up to room temperature should have been around 50 or 60%. Check that on your next trip. Remember underload and cold it will read much less then it actually is.

[BIG DS]

Did you buy a battery with the same amp per hour rating as what came with your marcum? All batteries are not created equal. Just when you think you are getting a bang up deal on a battery, they may be only 6.5 amp per hour and the originals were 8. The smaller output battery obviously will not last as long.