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Lets forget Mercury for a moment. They came to the party worried about MCA & CCA and (800 CCA) without realizing we started using more long term battery power for other electronics in the late 1990s and early 2000 era. CCA is a topic, though a deeper storage capacity is also a concern. If you have access to a battery called a Full River AGM 31 Series then we would go that route. The Battery issue is extremely simple, weigh them and get the heaviest. The aluminum trays will handle up to 31 Series and we suggest that. In 2017 Premium models we have begun a standard 31 Series AGM in a private label ProGuide model. This was done to prevent the situation your facing with a less than required battery. You can get many brands and a lot of them are quality batteries.
As I deal more in aftermarket than production, in this situation I usually suggest Lead/acids for the trolling motor and AGM for the cranking/accessories. This is because of the discharge curve and the way they distribute power. As a rule, the same size lead/acid will give you more RC than the size comparable AGM ie: 31 series lead/acid vs 31 series AGM. However, as an AGM discharges, it continues to give power as if it isnt discharging, much like the battery operated drills, but when an AGM reaches a certain point of discharge, it is dead and you have nothing. This can happen without warning which is the reason I dont suggest it for trolling motor applications. AGMs do have to be charged at a different level than lead/acids, but battery chargers are made that will either sense, or can be set/programmed, to charge either lead/acids or AGMs. Although there is several AGMs available for cranking in a 31 series, I like the ones made by East Penn. These include the DEKA, and the Duracell sold by Sams.JohnJones Trolling Motor Services870 773 3474Motorguide/MinnKota/PowerPole/Lowrance/Humminbird
Your Noco charger is capable of charging both flooded and AGM batteries. Like John just mentioned, it is a common set up to have an AGM for cranking and wet batteries for the troller. It keeps the cost down considerably from using all AGMs as well.The Northstar AGM 31 is an excellent battery, and is very popular. You can get one rebadged at Batteries Plus (their X2), and cost is normally 379, but they often have rebates or sales. There is a very good four year warranty with that battery. I know BCB likes the Northstar as well.Another option if you want to stick with a flooded battery for cranking is to use a group 31 commercial truck battery. Many use them (including myself –Deka brand), but do not expect the same life cycle from them as compared to AGM. They are less than half the cost of most AGM s.While you are installing your new battery, if you are not direct wired with your graphs, you many want to consider doing so at the same time. It will prevent power issues with your Helix 12s down the road. Like Dwayne said, you are lucky you dont have to buy your batteries up here in Canada
Thanks so much guys for the great advice and information. I will prob go with the x2 from batteries plus seeing as im located in Minnesota and that is what is available to me. Thanks again for your time
Hey Aaron, that x2 is a great battery. Ive been running one this year and I like it way better than the lead acids I used in the past. Its tough to cough up that much coin on one battery, but the power it has and the warranty that comes with make it worth it.
X2 is a battery we are familiar within 12, 14 and 16 volt series. They seem fine though have lacked long term use and cycles.
The batteries plus x2 is the same battery as the northstar 31 agm and cabelas calls it an x-900
If that is a Northstar then it would be a quality battery.
This may be for BCB or someone that is using the Cabela 30 group battery. This is on a 2008 Cougar with a double and a single battery tray initially installed. The single tray that came in the boat would not fit the Cabela 30 battery, I moved one of the troller batteries over for the end of last season and put the 30 in the double tray. This year I am installing an additional tray. Just got it today from BCB. The battery fits in this base fine but the top which now has just one “tab” that juts into the center, the old one had two and I had to cut if off to fit the troller battery, this new top is almost too big for the top of the Cabela 30. Is there some cap or similar I can fit over the battery to better secure it in the tray? If I cut the “tab” that juts into the center I can move the tray top down about 1 inch to a shelf on the battery but that doesnt seem like the best idea? Anyone have any solutions? I appreciate the help….
uninformative update: Duracell emailed me about the charging question and referred me to east penn.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200
From our experience the charge cycle should hang around 14.2 max with a full battery cycling static at 12.85 charged.
Have talked with pro mariner tech support and still am. Waiting to hear from Penn. The pro mariner guy said they charge in three stages. First is max current and voltage until the battery hits about 80% (which translates to something like 12.5v or so I think he said). It then switches to a fixed voltage (14.6) and starts to drop the current as the battery charge voltage level stops climbing. It is supposed to be able to run it up to 14.6, where it then switches to the usual float mode to keep it fully charged. After 72 hours it wont reach the float mode. Tried one of the old batteries (before I return them for core refund) and the one that was OK charged just fine and went to float reasonably quickly. Which suggested to me that the charger is good, and the pro mariner tech guy agreed. I suppose I am going to end up making a trip to Sams tomorrow to swap them out once I get something official from Penn.Id just about rather go and see a proctologist than to have to deal with Sams on returns/swaps…2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200
Final update. Talked with Penn tech support this morning. They sent me back to Sams for a proctology exam (i.e. go from battery/auto department to customer service for 45 minutes to get a refund on both batteries on a gift card, back to auto to get batteries and we discover customer service genius gave me refund for batteries, but not tax. Told me to go back to CS to get it fixed. Told them to get a manager over to auto to fix it, I was NOT going to stand in line for another 45 minutes. Now have them in boat and charging. Hopefully this pair will trip the charger into float mode after several hours.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200
closing: I now have a green light on my pro mariner after charging from about 3:30 yesterday afternoon until I just checked it. So it appears it was a battery issue of unknown origin and has been resolved. Now to see how these Duracell/Deka batteries hold up over time.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200
I just love a story with a happy ending …. Good on you O/T . — Deka batteries have served me well . — Hope the same for you . — Hoss
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