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Jones TrollingMotor.
I have (2) Optima blue tops D31m’s to power the Ultrex. I think I know the answer to this question, but would like others thoughts.
I’m only getting about 1/2 a day of trolling and spot lock time before the power runs out. I’ve been fishing in some windy conditions and thought that it might be that the Ultrex was running on high for most of the time and eating up the power.
Has anybody else had this problem or do I possible have a bad battery (s)? Bought them in March 2017.
If I have to replace them, I’m thinking about the X2 Power Premium AGM Group 31M Duel Purpose.
PS: Ultrex is wired direct.
That’s a good question…
First charge your batteries and check the voltage twice, once right away and then again after letting them sit static for 30 minutes. Check and record each batteries voltage with a voltmeter, 12.8 is a fully charged battery. This shows if they are getting a full charge as well as holding a charge.
Then verify your battery connections are good and the plug or receptacle is not getting hot. This indicates internal connection issues and loss of power internally. Also circuit breakers can be a similar source of power loss. Those will all get hot when power is flowing through them. Good dielectric lubricant at the terminals also makes a difference.
This will let you know what your facing. About four years ago a wave of enthusiasm came over the Optima spiral cell batteries because they saved weight. Batteries retain long use power based on their weight. Thus the heavier the battery, the more use it should give you for whatever purpose.
Bass Cat has said many, many times that they are not fans of spiral cell technology and this goes back to their original suggestions for AGM batteries, now over 20 years ago. The old family owned Trojan Battery Company made one of those original AGM batteries for their golf cart business.
Today there are many options and in our opinion the best in the business is Northstar for the money. They are a military battery spinoff and the built a one piece 24 volt trolling battery in the late 1990’s which was a lightweight package. They dropped out of retail some during the Iraq and Afghan war and now they have focused on retail again. East Penn is another good one and there are other options. Basically get the heaviest battery you can find and you get the best AGM out there.
Your 80 pound 24 volt should be lasting you all day unless your using it on higher speeds constantly.
BCB
As mentioned by BCB above, weight equates to Reserve Capacity. Optimas typically weigh much less, but also have a lower RC. For example, your 31 Optimas have an RC of 155 minutes at 25 amps, where a typical 31 AGM has an RC up around 200 minutes. I also believe that about two to three years ago, Optimas shifted manufacture to Mexico and may have had an effect on quality. Along with the Odyssey, the X2 that you are looking at is the best available AGM right now, especially for cranking. That X2 at Batteries Plus is a rebadged Northstar. However, IMO, it is not necessary to spend 800 dollars for two AGM’s for the troller. A 31 AGM made by Deka/East Penn with 210 RC is available at Sam’s Club for 179 dollars each. If you are not a member, the same relabelled Deka is also at O’Reilly’s and Batteries Plus, for a little more than at Sam’s though. Most still use flooded batteries for the troller. If you go with the X2, be sure you have a high quality charger to charge it properly.
When you say “direct wired”, I assume you mean hard wired. In that case, be sure that you have a battery cut off switch so that your Ultrex is disconnected from the battery while charging. Not disconnecting can damage the control board of the troller.
Your problem is most likely going to come back to the batteries you’re using. Either they don’t have enough RC for your current trolling style, or you have a bad battery in the mix that is going down prematurely under a load. It could be a connection issue as Basscat said, but I think it will come back, one way or another, to the Optimas
John
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