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Trolling motor + Vmax857 AGM - charger recommendations?


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Maybe just a shade off topic, but dang it - you guys know so much:)! And I carry this in the RV, so kind of RV'ing:)!

We just got a Sea Eagle Inflatable Kayak and the Watersnake Venom 34lbs motor. 

Planning to order the Vmax857 AGM (Seemed to be a good trade off for weight vs AH vs Cost... over the Lithium I was looking at.

Any of you anglers with trolling motors have any input on:

-Different batteries to consider? (Again, weight is a factor, but figured 25lbs was not bad.)

-If going with he Vmax857 AGM, what charger do you recommend. I do have the Battery Tender Plus, which is 4 stage and says AGM OK too - but at 1.25Amp figure it will be an overnight charge refresh require. --- Any thoughts on if this is too little of a charger to keep the Vmax857 fed happy and healthy?

Appreciate any thoughts, best to all,

Smitty

Be safe, have fun,

Smitty

04 CC Allure "RooII" - Our "E" ride for life!

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That's pretty low there. If it's fully charged you could probably float it around 3amps, but I wouldn't go any lower. It's going to take about the same charge that a full sized battery would. Just looking at the specs I would feed it 14.6-14.8v and float it around 13.6v. 1.25amps will actually do more harm than good.

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12 hours ago, Yarome said:

That's pretty low there. If it's fully charged you could probably float it around 3amps, but I wouldn't go any lower. It's going to take about the same charge that a full sized battery would. Just looking at the specs I would feed it 14.6-14.8v and float it around 13.6v. 1.25amps will actually do more harm than good.

Thanks!! 

And yeah! It maybe just a bit too soft duty for the job!! (But dang, it does a good job the few times I need it to 'maintain' batteries:)!).

I have a good size charger at the S&B, I'll look over it's spec's, and may end up taking tha with me....

Best,

Smitty

Be safe, have fun,

Smitty

04 CC Allure "RooII" - Our "E" ride for life!

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This was my solution....

http://usbackroads.blogspot.com/2012/05/solar-powered-fishing-boat.html

Even if you do not use a solar panel for the boat I would get one to charge the battery. I boondock a lot and using the Honda generator to charge the battery takes a long time. You can also use the battery for charging the house batteries, computers, etc. etc.

This is what i use for the RV. 

https://www.amazon.com/Go-Power-GP-PSK-80-Portable-Controller/dp/B009MIPH36/ref=pd_sbs_263_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B009MIPH36&pd_rd_r=DMDCVMYDY88PE24F41M5&pd_rd_w=svRZy&pd_rd_wg=PsYy9&psc=1&refRID=DMDCVMYDY88PE24F41M5

Vladimr Steblina

Retired Forester...exploring the public lands.

usbackroads.blogspot.com

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Cool set up!! Thanks for sharing the info and links. 

The Venom Snake is rated 34lbs, and the only reason I go it over the Kota Endura 30 is because it is rated OK for Salt Water usage. (Expect we'll be doing a mix of fresh and salt water.)

I also expect we'll use the Snake for if we need to get off of the water faster then paddling would support. Thus I did not feel the trade off of a higher AH AGM battery was worth the extra weight penalty. (Especially for times when I'll need to lug the battery over hill and over dale:)!) 

My expectations are we'll use the kayak for the 3-4 hour jaunts. And read many reviews on the Vmax857 covering that time span well. And at a reasonable cost, I can always add a different battery to our mix if I find we really end up using it more often then expected, keeping the Vmax857 in reserve.

Our coach has oversized solar panels, so I feel I'll have plenty of reserve power even while boon docking, to handle the overnight charge on this AGM. Leaning towards the 5A Battery Tender unit. 

And of course, this is new to us - so what I think now, will mostly like be adjusted by the realties of usage:)!

Thanks again for the links, enjoyed reading your experiences.

Smitty

Be safe, have fun,

Smitty

04 CC Allure "RooII" - Our "E" ride for life!

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