Recent content by justnortherns

I check once a month if I'm charging a lot, maybe once every two months in the off season. I don't push the battery all that much, so I worry more about evaporation than charging cycles. However, once a month seems to work for me. I think you'd want to keep the caps on while charging. I...

+1 I'd find out what 'refurbished' really means before buying one of those batteries. Refurbished in the electronics industry (especially with a warranty) is pretty close to 'good as new.' As others have stated here, it's perplexing to think how one would refurbish a battery in a way that...

I've run a small 12V fish finder using only AA rechargeable batteries. I grabbed a Radio Shack 10 AA battery holder (so 1.35V * 10, over 13V when fully charged) and hooked the battery holder directly to the fishfinder. I never ran the batteries down during a whole day of fishing, although I...

There will be little difference in performance between the 40 and the 30, but the 40 could potentially use more battery power (not less) at higher speeds (it will go marginally faster). I'd get the biggest trolling motor you can afford (many others have advised the same), but if you're limited...

Color is superior, definitely. Is it worth the premium? That is still debatable. If you're a beginner trying to buy your first fish finder, I think greyscale is just fine, even preferred: (1) It's better than what you had before, which was nothing. (2) It's cheaper than the color units by a...

In my opinion, color is not worth it, but it depends on what you use the fish finder for. I use a greyscale Garmin 140 that can more than adequately show me structure and depth changes. I don't need much else for fishing but others may appreciate the advanced information from color screens...

Oars are another option (in the same or even lower price range). They will also get you into the weeds (and to the hiding fish) when your trolling motor runs into difficulty.

+1, although I've also wondered about the feasibility of fishing with a bimini. Thinking out loud (but not having tried this) maybe you could compromise by installing the bimini over a very small area of the boat (i.e. something like less than 1/2 the length of the boat). That way you could...

+1 as well. In fact, the 60 A breaker I mentioned above had its first real test out on the water last weekend. It tripped several times (and I manually reset it), and I'm still not sure of the cause, although a loose connection to the positive battery terminal that I discovered later was the...

I believe the low end 30 lbs. thrust motor asks for a 50 A breaker, and the larger 55 lbs. thrust motor asks for a 60 A. Here is what I use (I have both motors): 50 A https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0019QW7GY 60 A https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007L8BQM

I'd go with the largest trolling motor that takes only 12 volts, to keep it simple. You can have a second battery around if you need it, but trolling motor performance does not scale linearly, i.e. a 110 lb thrust trolling motor will not give you twice the speed of a 55lb (or anything close to...

Yes, one caveat to trolling motors: I'd stay away from the strong currents using them as primary propulsion. You can go a long way with one on a lake, but traveling upstream on a river with a strong current is a different situation. So, as a beginner, I'd get a trolling motor but stick to...

If you're just starting out, get the largest trolling motor that you can afford. You won't regret it. It will be far cheaper than a gas motor and essentially maintenance free. If you travel at slower speeds the range with a trolling motor can be substantial. Carry a second deep cycle battery...

Thanks for the replies. I figured a voltmeter would be cheap since a multimeter can do so much more and basic versions of multimeters can be had for $20 or less. But......I should have factored in the in-circuit reliability. The prices you're all suggesting seem reasonable now. Exactly, my...

A quick search at bass pro shows voltmeters around $25. I think $25 is too much for what I'd use it for. I already have a multimeter that does this out of circuit, so if I could find a voltage meter to wire inline for much less than $25 I'd be content with that.