tips when buying a sneaker motor

[cranky]

you started bass fishing...fished from the bank and realised that you need a floatation device to get on the water...so you decide to buy a small boat...but you need a sneaker motor.

be prepared for the all the other costs involved in investing in a sneaker motor...

you can pick up a sneaker motor from around R1000

but then you realise oh oh you need a battery...some of us use 105 amp/hr deltec batteries...but you can use a smaller one...it just doesnt last as long...you also need to make sure it is a deep cycle battery which is designed for this type of application...a standard car battery is designed for high torque startups...anyway i am not gona go into detail...prices vary from around R600 for a small deep cycle battery.

then just when you thought you had budgeted correctly you realise now you have to buy a charger to charge the battery...without going into details...from my almost 8 years i have had my hawkins charger...i am yet to find a better one...i use it to charge everything car batteries...boat batteries...alarm batteries...gate motor batteries you name it...i dont even have a clue what price they go for because i have had mine so long i have never needed to replace it...so the cost...just remember to budget...because they are not cheap....just like any good quality product like fluke...hilti...i buy stuff to last so i spend the extra...the other bonus about hawkins it is manufactured right here in durban..

trolling motors come in various sizes and voltages....12...24...36 volts...that i know of...it wouldnt surprice me if there are not bigger unit available.

just be aware of the voltage when selecting your trolling motor...and make sure it is big enough to push or pull your boat.

the other thing to consider is the distance from the battery to the trolling motor...if your trolling motor is in the front of the boat and the batteries are at the back...make sure you increase the size of the cables to allow for volt drop.

then of course the decision foot control or hand control...foot control is a better way to go go because you have better control while fishing...the problem is the trolling motor is bulky and becomes restricted to one boat...and they are a lot more expensive.

and lastly i would say the most important part of the trolling motor is the volt meter...why because if your battery goes below 9 volts chances are you will be able to charge it but it would have caused damage to the battery which will reduce the life of the battery...

the volt meter i prefer is the one with the red/yellow/green indicator you can watch it when the trolling motor is running it will stay in the green then start going into the yellow...but as soon as it starts going into the red while the trolling motor is running it is a good indication that your battery indicator is clear and will go soon go red.

the battery is the most expensive part of the purchase...because it will need to be replaced every couple of years...so think carefully when purchasing your battery and make sure you invest in a good charger...

please note this is a  very basic guide...when selecting a trolling motor for a big bass rig...do your homework...shop around...and if you are not sure contact the supplier of the product.

 

[cranky]

something to remeber when mounting your trolling motor...push or pull?

if you mount the trolling motor at the back and push the boat it is difficult to guide the boat especially in windy conditions...mounting it on the front makes in easier to steer and hold the boat in position.

if you dont have a motor at the back to hold the back from swaying from side to side...it is a wise choice to make a plate which you can drop into the water to use as a skeg...or rudder to hold the boat and direct it

 

[Droomvanger]

Thanks for the info. Everyone have their preferences. I don't think you will make a mistake with a Minn Kota trolling motor. I have mine working for more than ten years now and still running smoothly. As far as batterychargers are concern, I don't you will get better than CTEC. It is small, can fit it permanently in your boat and just plug in when you need a charge. It not only able to charge the battery but also to recondition it, something that will ad years to the lifespan of the battery. You can leave the battery on charge as lons as you want without dammage to the babttery. Got an impulse method of charging. I am able to charge my boat's batteries (24 volt)  overnight and be ready for the next day's fishing. Another thing about the minn kota, I think it have the best weedless prop.
   

 

[cranky]

whatever charger you decide to get..just make sure it is correctly sized for the application...and make sure it has a thermal cutout...especially if it is mounted in the boat.

 

[Daz]

What chargers can a person look at to charge and maintane a 105ah deltec? Are there different brands available besides Cteck?

 

[Droomvanger]

Ask Fishtec. He also prefer Ctek.

 

[cranky]

Daz wrote:

What chargers can a person look at to charge and maintane a 105ah deltec? Are there different brands available besides Cteck?

yip there are plenty chargers on the market...even minn kota has a charger...i dont have any experience with chargers other than the hawkins...with technology moving so fast you can even get soloar panels to charge your batteries...i know the last time i was at deltec which has changed names in durban to energiser...they were talking about a charger they were importing.

batteries are changing and getting better by the day...look at lithium batteries how they have made it possible to have cordless equipment on site for everything from a cordless drill to a band saw you name it...and they last...people always ask me why all my equpiment is cordless being an electrician...i laugh because i always have to switch off the power to work.

the important thing to remember...batteries are expensive and if they are not charged correctly will not last.

 

[Fishton]

This is the charge cycle used by CTEK chargers.  I have used the cheaper / 'similar' models and they seemed to work fine, until I started using CTEK. Hint: - "Similar is definitely not the same."  My batteries perform better, last longer, and charge faster - even at campsites where the voltage goes down to 170V and most other chargers either bomb out or overheat your battery doing irreparable damage.

As for batteries, you will have to go a long way to beat the capacity of a U.S Battery 31DCXC.  This battery offers a staggering 130Ah of portable energy.  And won't cost you an arm and a leg.  I only sell the U.S Battery, and the Optima (Spiral cell technology).

A major local supplier started putting the stickers of a very popular 105Ah Deep Cycle battery on cheap South Korean imports.  So beware!

 

[Daz]

So here is what i have found out about prices so far on batteries, R1 283.00 for a 105ah Deltec and R680 for a power master 3 stage charger. Do these price seem reasonable?

 

[Fishton]

Read this .....

http://www.bassing.co.za/bassingforum/boating-electronics/4488-batteries-chargers-extreme-capacity.html

 

[cranky]

according to your article the deltec battery M27MF 105 Ah only lasts 15 hours???

your US battery 130 Ah which also has a deltec sticker on it lasts 63 hours???

and the "old school" charger which you refer to is the problem with the deltec battery???

are you telling us that if i replace my hawkins auto pro 10 with a ctek it will make the batteries hold the charge longer and the batteries will last longer???

sorry i am really confused here...i need to understand this issue because i spent R2000 on a hawkins auto pro 10 and R1300 on a smart 15 12/24 volt and thousands on deltec 105 Ah batteries if this is the case then i am sure there must be lots of bass fisherman like myself who have invested lots of money in batteries and chargers...and would like to get to the bottom of this...i look forward to your response.

 

 

[Daz]

I seem to agree with cranky on this issue, as i am about to buy a trolling motor and battery setup for my boat. It would seem to me that the energizer battery as tested would be the better option as it far out performed the deltec. I have been let to believe by people in the battery sales industry that the energizer and deltec are the same battery just different lables!

It also make me wonder that a 3 stage intellegent charge with an output of 10amps is about R700.00 but a ctek with the same output is in the region of R2000.00. But both chargers have the same specs?

 

[cranky]

i found this article rather interesting...it also states pulse technology helps to make your battery last longer...the question is if you look after your battery do you need this type of technology?

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/battery_maintenance.html

if you dont recharge your batteries the same day it damages the batteries...if you drain your battery too much and dont monitor the state of your battery while on the water it will also damage your battery...thats why i believe the battery indicator on the consol is critical...considering the cost of batteries.

life span of a battery all seem to be around 3 years...some say their cells are made up of better quality products than others so they will last longer...but the bottom line is if you dont look after your batteries no matter how much you pay for them or which make you buy they will not last.

i think we should start a new thread batteries and chargers and look into this subject a little deeper. 

 

 

[cranky]

Daz wrote:

I seem to agree with cranky on this issue, as i am about to buy a trolling motor and battery setup for my boat. It would seem to me that the energizer battery as tested would be the better option as it far out performed the deltec. I have been let to believe by people in the battery sales industry that the energizer and deltec are the same battery just different lables!

It also make me wonder that a 3 stage intellegent charge with an output of 10amps is about R700.00 but a ctek with the same output is in the region of R2000.00. But both chargers have the same specs?

i have also heard the same thing...that energiser and deltec are the same battery...if you look at the label on the US battery that fishton is selling it also has a deltec label on it...they sell them at deltec in pinetown...i wouldnt go by the information given in fishtons thread about the deltec battery...why because you dont know the history of the battery which only last 15 hours as he stated it could have been the charger which damaged the battery with a question mark...it would be interesting to see the results of a new deltec 105 battery compared against a new energiser 105 and deltec US 130 battery.

when i looked at the US battery site i noticed thay also do a 105 Ah battery

battery capacities

130 amp/hr

@75 amp - 49 minutes

@25 amp - 225 minutes

 

105 amp/hr

@75 amp - 42 minutes

@25 amp - 205 minutes

i know the suppliers of deltec batteries are in old main road pinetown and the old deltec company which is now called energiser has moved to westmead...they are also doing solar stuff.

what the battery suppliers are saying is that the capacity of the batteries are all about the same...it is the construction of the plates which make the battery last longer and handle more charges.

just like the optima...the capacity is the same as any other 75 amp hour battery...but the battery will outlast any battery because of the way the battery is constructed...it is designed for rough conditions and you should get more charges out of the battery according to the supplier.

something else you need to consider when buying the batteries...the budget...and remeber the exchange rate is dropping so fast you could get the stuff even cheaper if you are patient...or it could go up again soon you just never know.

2 x deltec US batteries around R4000

1 x CTEK charger R2000

that means you are in for around R6000

or 2 x deltec batteries around R2500

and a good quality charger lets just say R2000

thats R4500

plus the trolling motor...

if you can afford a R40 000 fishfinders and R500 000 boat i suppose whats another R30 000 on a trolling motor...batteries and charger.



 

 

 



 

 

 

 

[Daz]

Here is my situation.

Deltec battery = R1280

Power master charger PM-1012F = R680

Watersnake Slither 54 lb = R3650.00

Total spend = R6610

 

Thats what i plan so far to get my skiing boat to do some bass fishing, i have already made a removable deck for the bow and it can be removed in about 1 min.

 

 

 

[cranky]

eeeish thats just the beginning...wait till you get the bug and start buying bass stuff...enjoy.

 

[Daz]

cranky wrote:

according to your article the deltec battery M27MF 105 Ah only lasts 15 hours???

your US battery 130 Ah which also has a deltec sticker on it lasts 63 hours???

and the "old school" charger which you refer to is the problem with the deltec battery???

are you telling us that if i replace my hawkins auto pro 10 with a ctek it will make the batteries hold the charge longer and the batteries will last longer???

sorry i am really confused here...i need to understand this issue because i spent R2000 on a hawkins auto pro 10 and R1300 on a smart 15 12/24 volt and thousands on deltec 105 Ah batteries if this is the case then i am sure there must be lots of bass fisherman like myself who have invested lots of money in batteries and chargers...and would like to get to the bottom of this...i look forward to your response.

 

 

I would like to hear your response to this Fishton

 

[Fishton]

I have offered you guys all the info and experience* I have on this subject, the final decision is yours.

*Eighteen months of pushing a 19ft boat around on two 80lb trolling motors in the ESA and BETT KZN series' as Team Deltec Batteries taught me a lot about batteries and chargers.

My setup:
Optima Yellow Tops for main battery, pumps, electronics* and lights. - R2700 x 2 = R5400
U.S Battery 31DCXC for 24V trolling motor - R1800 x 2 = R3600
CTEK XT14000 24V charger - R3500
CTEK XS7000 12V charger - R2000
Minn Kota Riptide Saltwater Series 80lb trolling motor with iPilot. R27 000

* Electronics -
Humminbird 1197cxSI - R35000
Lowrance HDS8 - R25000
Lowrance HDS10m - R25000
Lowrance StructureScan - R8000
Lowrance SonicHUB - R4000
SIMRAD NSE8 - R43000
Lowrance LGC4000 5Hz GPS receiver - R4000
Airmar P66 transducer - R1350

Total replacement value - R186 850.00