Marcum vx-1 battery question

[erickol]

O.K., just picked up my Marcum tonight. Maybe this is a dumb question, but how d I know when the battery is fully charged? There are no indicator lights. I have it plugged in. Can you overcharge these?

How long can the stock battery run between charging/

Thanks guys, I'm totally psyched to get it out and really start picking up some fish.

[Adam Wolf]

I also use the VX-1

I just picked up a digital volt meter from the local hardware store, On sale I think it was $2.50

Much more accurate than any other battery indicator out there. It will give you an exact reading to the hundredth of a volt rather than just a green light indicating if your battery is ready to go or not. Keep your battery charged after every use, don't let it sit out in the deep cold too long, and it should last you a long time.

[Dave]

I wouldn't worry so much about over charging your battery. Charge it overnight on the 1st charge. After that, charge it for double the time you used it.

[erickol]

Thanks guys, exactly what I wanted to hear.

[asleson]

Do you remember which brandname you got? Thanks.

[Hafnutz]

I e-mailed Marcum on that same subject. 12.9 volts is a fully charged battery. They quit working properly when the voltage drops to around 10.9 volts. I just stick mine with a cheap volt ohm meter to test it. Fully charged battery should last 20+ hrs.

[al15abc]

Can you overcharge the battery though?

[kwohl]

From the VX-1 manual:

"Basic charging guidelines are to charge the battery two hours for every three hours of use. If the battery is completely dead it may take up to 14-18 hours to reach full charge. The output of the charger is 500 mA or 1/2 amp. Do not leave the charger on for longer periods than needed. Although the charger is low output, it can still damage the battery if left on for extended periods of time after charge cycle is complete."

I didn't like not knowing the charge so I bought the BCI 50 monitor. I think it was around $13.

[Jiggawhat]

I second getting the BCI 50 monitor. The guidelines are good, but I just like knowing for sure when the battery is full or how much life is left when I am on the ice.

[CNY Tim]

At the NY show I was recommending MarCum DCS 100's with purchases of the VX-1P's another great option to protect your battery it was great cause Thorne Bros. took $5 off the price for the show and they were like $24.99. Congrats on your purchase..

[Jethro80]

I bought the BCI50 battery indicator and it does the job.