Yet another FF rigging and Battery thread...

Hi all.  I have a 'Yes Dear" pass to acquire a FF (choice is the Lawrence Hook 4, since it has a good display for my eyes and the $50 rebate don't hurt!).   Hopefully this will allow me to see enough info beneath me that I can avoid spending my fishing lifetime as a professional fish comedian (yes, you *can* hear fish laughing thru a kayak hull).  At the same time, the number of bits and pieces I need is adding up quickly.  I'd love to keep the cost down where I can.

My question is more on the power end of things.  I have read a bazillion posts on batteries, cables, connectors, goop, and transducers, and my head is spinning with all the data.  Any assistance on the level of "FF For Dummies" would be appreciated.

I'm rigging it up on the Native Propel 13, so Scotty tracks already line the cockpit well.  I do not plan to put the transducer inside the hull.  I am still debating whether I should get a Scotty arm & base combo for the transducer, or make a DIY arm, and whether or not I will need the Scotty universal mount adapter for the unit's  mounting bracket (probably).  Those are less worry than power.

My fishing has been mostly Puget Sound local outings, short duration (2-5 hrs), and usually in moderate depths (30-100' mostly) not terribly far from shore.  I have been out into deeper waters on occasion.  No plans for surf launches, open-ocean, or all-day/multi-day expeditions, because I don't think my back and other bits would stand it.    Well, the open ocean wouldn't bother me, just surf launching...  I'd like to do some more lake time too and see what I could do there (only had my boats in freshwater twice...).  As it is, I don't get out nearly as often as I would like to.  Life, etc, plus that dang job thing...

For those conditions,  would I be OK to run down to the local BatteriesPlus store and get a SLA motorcycle battery (or some other variation of SLA) and charger, or is there another option that would serve better (and still be affordable)?  What specs on the battery should I be aiming for, to provide a day's fishing and GPS tracking?

For the battery connections, obviously I need connectors compatible with the terminals on the battery itself.  Is it best to solder them on, or just the regular fit?  The 'goop' you see referred to so much, the Aquaseal stuff - is that the same as the marine silicone sealant I used on other fittings?  Could the silicone be used?

For now, I am just planning to use one of my dry bags and put the battery in that and stash it in the hull under the access hatch just forward of the drive unit.  A box may come later.

Thanks in advance. 

I described an inexpensive, easy to make, and easy-to-use waterproof battery box which protects the battery's connectors and fuse and connects either to a recharger or to my fish finder with a SAE two-pin plug at http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=17734.msg191025#msg191025.



I think the Genius chargers, which are available at Batteries Plus, are great.

I have a 7aH SLA that I bought from Batteries Plus that lasts me two days - maybe more since it only drops from 12.2v to ~11.5v, but I haven't used it longer than two days before recharging it.  I think I paid $13 for it.

To answer your questions:

- 7aH will run the HOOK-4 all day,
- A small SLA from Batteries Plus will work, but you might find one for a lower cost,
- You don't need to solder anything,
- You can use crimp connectors and crimp splices, but seal them with GOOP, and
- A dry bag will work.

I crimped the connectors to the wires that run to the battery terminals, then put heat-shrink tubing over the (crimped) end of the connector.  That seems to work well enough for me, but I've read the posts where people solder the connections or have used Marine GOOP to seal everything against corrosion.

I used heat shrink marine connectors where the wires join - the ones with the adhesive lining.  I covered that with shrink tubing, too, because I over-think everything.  I soldered the wiring the first time I built a battery box and haven't noticed any gains or losses using crimp splices.  You don't need marine heat-shrink connectors.  One of the skippers on the dock gave me a handful, so I used them.

I don't think you need Aqua-Seal.  Marine GOOP seems to work fine, and most of us have a tube of GOOP lying around.

A dry-bag works.  I believe INSAYN used one for years, and may still use it - and INSAYN is a heck of a fabricator if it didn't work.

(I made a battery box surprisingly similar to Pete's example, but my SAE panel-mount plug is different and cost more.  I think my total costs were ~$60, including the battery and the Velcro that holds the box in place inside the hull.)

Congratulations on your "Yes Dear" Pass!   

The Outdoor Products dry box I used for my battery boxes is $9.97 at Walmart.  See https://www.walmart.com/ip/Outdoor-Products-Large-Watertight-Box-Orange/36547548 . You can pick up the SAE two-pin connectors you need to install on the end of the power cord to your fish finder and the fuse units at Batteries Plus or any auto parts store.  So it's a cheap project.

I solder my wire connections and cover them with heat shrink tubing. I squirt goop or aquaseal inside the tubing before I shrink it.  I use the slide or clip on connectors to connect wires to the battery, so I can remove it easily if I need to.  There's no need to cover the battery connections inside the box with Goop.

Thanks guys.  Pete, your battery box was definitely one of the things I had considered, but it's going to go on my to-do list I think.  I'll start with the dry-bag since I have a couple on hand already, and see where it goes from there.  Mostly I'm grateful for the info on connections and terminals! 

Jim

I have a battery box similar to Pete's.  I opted for a FF arm, and built one my self out of angle iron and some hardware bolts and knobs.  The FF base is a scotty universal fish finder mount and the brace arm is just attached between the FF bottom and the universal mount base. 

The picture shows the arm in the "travel" mode.  I just loosen the bolt and swing the arm down in the water and tighten it up again.  Really simple fab. 

Don't forget to add the fuse! 

Don't forget to add the fuse! 

I was just going to say that! I have two waterproof boxes for smaller batteries, both have fuses. I whipped up a connector to a 12ah SLA I bought and totally spaced on the fuse.  I have used it many times to include far off-shore. How I missed the fuse is beyond me. I should know better. I was in a hurry.  Sunday morning I got a big surprise just before launching. Nothing wakes you up faster than seeing smoke pouring out of a closed front hatch.

After screaming (those there to witness may say like a little girl), removing the battery, and disconnecting it, there was still plenty o'smoke. See all the neat melted wire. It was a $69.12 mistake which could have been far worse.  Don't be like Craig. Use a fuse. 
 

Fuse holders https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008CVPE8C/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fuse.  Right.  But, can I be a *little* like Craig, since Craig does catch fish now & then?  How about I just don't do wiring like Craig?   

That's kinda how I am envisioning a transducer arm, something that mounts on a track and can be rotated down into place...

Jim