Separate thread for cartopper livewells that was going on in the tournament signup.

my main question is how much power i would need to keep a solid aerator system going.

do you think this would be enough to keep a standard bilge pump and livewell going all day?

a setup like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akyyg9R0E3o

my goal would be to use the smallest battery possible (size and weight).

Posted Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:53 pm

Sam I looked at the battery you posted a link to from Cabelas. I read about 1/2 of the 100+ reviews the battery was given. They al say it was great for runing eletronics. I did not read one that said they ran anything else off that battery. Having said that there is a formula for figuring out how long a battery will last. You need to find out what a battery's reserve capacity is. here is a paragrah I found.

3) RESERVE CAPACITY
What does the Reserve Capacity rating mean and how does it apply to deep cycle batteries?

ANSWER:
Reserve capacity is the number of minutes a battery can maintain a useful voltage under a 25 ampere discharge. The higher the minute rating, the greater the battery's ability to run lights, pumps, inverters, and electronics for a longer period before recharging is necessary. The 25 Amp. Reserve Capacity Rating is more realistic than Amp-Hour or CCA as a measurement of capacity for deep cycle service. Batteries promoted on their high Cold Cranking Ratings are easy and inexpensive to build. The market is flooded with them, however their Reserve Capacity, Cycle Life (the number of discharges and charges the battery can deliver) and Service life are poor. Reserve Capacity is difficult and costly to engineer into a battery and requires higher quality cell materials.

Having said all that:


I would venture a guess that the smallest Lawn mower battery you can get would suit your needs, especially for the number of times you would be using it over a season. You might get 2-3 years out of it as long as you keep it fully charged and charge it up right away when you get home.

Posted Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:49 pm

Rich, Thanks a lot. I just re-read your post in the other thread and I think that would work to power just a 500 GPH bilge all day. I have a similar battery for my finder which I have rigged in a portal case and the thing probably draws way more power. I know most of the bilges come with the gator clamps. Do those work on the small clips of one of those batteries? If so I'll probably rig up my cooler and get another battery.

Posted Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:58 pm

Yes those small gator clamps work on those batteries. Good luck and let me know how you make out.

Posted Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:08 pm

thanks for all the help rich. much appreciated.

Posted Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:13 pm

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