Lithium Blue Battery Feedback

Peddler pun intended.

I've been to Batteries plus in previous research phases looking for good options.  They are extremely over-priced.

The blue brick brings me more joy than any battery has a right to.  It's definitely a kayak fishing breakthrough IMHO!

The Pelican 1020 micro case is tailor-made for the battery.  It's the perfect size. 



And if you place the cables to the top and sides, the switch fits nicely in rubber inner-case grooves, preventing it from switching off.



I mounted my FF on my hatch and wanted to store the battery right under it on the inside - to reduce the amount of wires everywhere and to keep it out of the water that inevitably sloshes thru the bottom of the yak.  Tried the strong velcro and it didn't even make it thru one trip.  I ended up attaching 2 loops of shock cord to the screws in the base of the FF (on the inside).  That secures the battery to the inside of the hatch perfectly! 

In regards to performance, I tested my 587ci HD.  With the screen at full brightness and the transducer plugged in it got between 10 and 11 hours.  The finder has an "hours in use" reading (but not minutes).  And I know I could get more if I dimmed the screen.  the max I ever got out of even a new SLA battery was 8 hours, and that was WITH screen dimming.

The speed charger charges a dead battery full in about 4 hours.  And the batteries and accessories are so cheap (relatively speaking), I bought two so I don't have to worry about charging if I do a 2-day trip.  The pelican cases can be a little pricey but and I had a couple of those lying around.  There are literally NO downsides!

in other news....here's an interesting statistic I thought you guys should know:



And a picture of sesame-crusted tuna I found on my phone:



happy valentine's day!

You have the 9800, Rory?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

I was looking into doing the same thing, and don't really want to wait for something from China.  Would this battery work?
http://www.amazon.com/EZOPower-High-capacity-Rechargable--10000mAh-Blackberry/dp/B005XQSN9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360872258&sr=8-1&keywords=Li-ion+Super+Rechargeable+Battery+12+V+9800

You have the 9800, Rory?

Yeah, here's links to everything I bought.  I know these links are listed elsewhere but I don't think all together:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170794794136&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:3160
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320854063683&ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:1123
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220920657293&ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:1123
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320819287738&ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:1123
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320879811549&ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:1123

The only other things needed are (links are just for illustration - the hardware store has this stuff):

AGC-3 fuses
http://www.galco.com/buy/Bussmann/AGC-3

Inline fuse holder
http://www.amazon.com/Parts-Express-In-line-Fuse-Holder/dp/B0002KR8EE

Dielectric grease (dab some on the connections every now and then, even tho they are "waterproof")
http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-22058-Dielectric-Tune-Up-Grease/dp/B000AL8VD2

Electrical tape
Marine Goop
Waterproof case (or bag) of choice

Blue brick makes me so happy

I was looking into doing the same thing, and don't really want to wait for something from China.  Would this battery work?
http://www.amazon.com/EZOPower-High-capacity-Rechargable--10000mAh-Blackberry/dp/B005XQSN9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360872258&sr=8-1&keywords=Li-ion+Super+Rechargeable+Battery+12+V+9800

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.  Looks like a nice option since it has all the compatibility in the world.

I was looking into doing the same thing, and don't really want to wait for something from China.  Would this battery work?
http://www.amazon.com/EZOPower-High-capacity-Rechargable--10000mAh-Blackberry/dp/B005XQSN9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360872258&sr=8-1&keywords=Li-ion+Super+Rechargeable+Battery+12+V+9800

Can't comment on that.  I bet CraigVM62 or electricianangler can.  But if I didn't want to wait I'd take the full list of things to the local Batteries Plus store.  We have a similar store here in bham called Battery City.  Between that place and the hardware store I bet you could get everything you need without having to wait or pay shipping.

I was looking into doing the same thing, and don't really want to wait for something from China.  Would this battery work?
http://www.amazon.com/EZOPower-High-capacity-Rechargable--10000mAh-Blackberry/dp/B005XQSN9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360872258&sr=8-1&keywords=Li-ion+Super+Rechargeable+Battery+12+V+9800

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.  Looks like a nice option since it has all the compatibility in the world.

We will find out cause I just ordered one .  I like the idea that I could top my cell phone/gopro/etc off if needed (could come in handy for remote trips etc)

I was looking into doing the same thing, and don't really want to wait for something from China.  Would this battery work?
http://www.amazon.com/EZOPower-High-capacity-Rechargable--10000mAh-Blackberry/dp/B005XQSN9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360872258&sr=8-1&keywords=Li-ion+Super+Rechargeable+Battery+12+V+9800

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.  Looks like a nice option since it has all the compatibility in the world.

We will find out cause I just ordered one .  I like the idea that I could top my cell phone off if needed (could come in handy for remote trips etc)

Totes.  This might be a B-day present to myself.  Good find, ndogg!

I just ordered one too.  If it doesn't work with my fish finder I am sure my wife can use it to charge her tablet when we go camping. 

I was looking into doing the same thing, and don't really want to wait for something from China.  Would this battery work?
http://www.amazon.com/EZOPower-High-capacity-Rechargable--10000mAh-Blackberry/dp/B005XQSN9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360872258&sr=8-1&keywords=Li-ion+Super+Rechargeable+Battery+12+V+9800

Ndogg - short answer: that can work for you. The explanation below is not necessary.

Long answer: Batteries are not really complicated to figure out. There are two variables electrically: voltage and current (amps). Voltage is equivalent to pressure, amperage is equivalent to amount of flow - think like a water hose. Batteries are made up of several (or many) individual cells connected together. Each individual cell supplies a certain voltage, which is determined by its chemical properties - lead/acid supplies 2.2V per cell; lithium-ion produce 3.0V to 3.7V per cell, it depends on the chemical composition used by the manufacturer. The amperage produced by each cell is a function of its size - bigger produces more. These individual cell can be connected in series to produce higher voltages, and in parallel, to produce more amperage. The typical blue brick has many cells connected together in groups - several cells connected in series, and those groups wired together in parallel. (This is what Kallitype was referring to in his post where he fixed his battery.)
 
The complicated part of batteries is the chemistry, and re-charging the batteries so it doesn't screw up the chemistry. Buy the best battery charger you can - it is more important than the battery. As long as the battery produces voltage in the range that your device needs - usually 10V to 18V for sonars, you can use it. The amp/hour rating only determines how long you can use it. Dividing the current draw into the amp/hour rating will give you an idea. Be aware that you can't run your battery completely to zero though. Figure drawing it down to 40% - 60% as a realistic number.

I hope that answer doesn't sound patronizing. It is just that I have an electrical background, and know a little about batteries. I am currently building a machine that glues cells together into battery packs for electric cars. There are a helluva lot of cells in a 300V car battery.

Hrm, I might have to get one of those for bow hunting.  Charge that with the solar panel all day, then use it to charge my GPS while I sleep...  Nice find Ndogg

One of the many cool things about that battery system is that it has a built in BMS (Battery Management System).  Some BMS's are more complex than others, but basically this controls the battery charge cycle and keeps the battery from overcharging and usually over-discharging.  All lithium polymer based batteries need them because they are can be unstable and could catch fire or (worst case) explode without the proper controls in place(e.g. Boeing Dreamliner lithium battery problems).

I hope that answer doesn't sound patronizing. It is just that I have an electrical background, and know a little about batteries. I am currently building a machine that glues cells together into battery packs for electric cars. There are a helluva lot of cells in a 300V car battery.

It wasn't patronizing at all.  In fact I though it was a good simple explanation of how batteries work.