Why And How Of A Trolling Motor Battery: An Guide To Trolling Motor Batteries
Trolling motors are used in every boat nowadays as they help the boat seamlessly move through water without making noise and need a steady source of power to run. That power source is called a trolling motor battery. These are made for fishing and boating.
But if one is a beginner it can be a little difficult to select the right type as there are many things like power and ampere per hour rating to consider. So, here is a guide to help one navigate the world of trolling motor batteries.
What is a trolling motor battery?
Fishing requires a lot of waiting and moving slowly through the water to not scare the fish. The trolling motor battery provides that constant supply of electricity needed to move the boat around.
The trolling motor battery also known as trolling motor marine battery is designed for the specific purpose of boating. They easily fit the boat without taking up much space. But every motor battery is not the same as they use different materials, provide different voltages, and have different ampere-hour ratings as each trolling motor is different. One first needs to understand these terms to make a good conscious decision about buying a good trolling motor battery for themselves. Let’s understand various terms one by one.
Power
The trolling motor needs a good amount of power to move the boat around. The power of the trolling motor is measured in pounds of thrust, this power is written in terms of voltages the more power it consumes the more its voltage.
For example, a motor producing 50 pounds of thrust would have 30 volts written on it.
This voltage is produced with the help of a trolling motor battery, so a 30-volt battery would be required to move a trolling motor of 30 volts around the river.
So, the voltage of the battery is dependent on the power requirements of the motor.
Ampere hour rating
The power of the battery depends on the voltage that it would provide to the motor.
But another parameter for batteries measures how long the battery will last. This parameter is called the Ampere hour rating.
The Ampere hour rating is nothing but the amount of current the trolling motor battery provides per hour as this current would sustain the motor and the more the ampere-hour rating is, the more the boat will stay in the water.
But how much a motor lasts depends on how much the motor is withdrawing from the battery. It can be a little confusing so let’s understand it with the help of the example.
Suppose one is trolling the boat at a lower speed and the boat is using a current of 3 amperes if the battery can provide a 200-amp hour rating then the boat will stay at the low speed for 66.6 hours. On the other hand, the 50-ampere current (moving fast) would last 4 hours.
But four hours is not enough if the condition requires the motor to withdraw 50 amperes of current (moving at a high speed) then to sustain the motor for at least 14 hours one would need a battery having an ampere-hour rating of 700.
Thus, a more ampere-hour rating would produce a steady boating time and it depends on what speed one usually moves the boat.
These two parameters are most important for the boat to move around in the water.
What are things that are crucial when choosing a trolling motor battery?
There is so much-trolling battery available in the market and each of them offers something but there are a few things that are the bare minimum that a trolling motor battery must have. So, here are five things that should not be overlooked in a trolling motor battery.
Warranty
The batteries are elections and not leather jackets so one would run into a certain problem in the battery although the problem one would run into is significantly less than any other electronic equipment.
But make sure the company that one is opting for does provide at least 2 years of warranty given that batteries can last from 5-10 years.
Ampere hour rating and power of the battery
As explained in the above paragraphs a battery that has more Ampere hour rating is important if one is trolling the boat for long hours in the water and that too at high speed.
The rating of the battery depends totally on the use of the motor battery and nothing more. So, it is totally up to the person at what speeds they fish or troll the boats.
The power the motor consume decides what voltage the battery is.
Weight of the battery
The batteries do have some weight and the boats already have excess due to the essential equipment one had taken for fishing. This one doesn’t need a heavy boat as it would require the boat to spend a lot more energy than usual.
So, it’s essential to check the weight (no matter how much the bigger battery is required) and go for lightweight lithium Marine batteries as other batteries like lead acid are significantly heavy than it.
Maintenance
Marine batteries are used in motorboats. They are sturdy and endure all the jolts that even shock a person.
But they do require some maintenance like any other battery but every company does not provide different batteries and all of them are to be maintained differently. One can choose a battery company that provides low-maintenance batteries.
Size of the battery
It is the last but most important parameter because one can get the same voltage battery from a smaller size it all depends on the manufacturer.
Thus, it’s essential to opt for an adequate-size battery that won’t consume much space in the boat as one requires that space.
With this guide, one would choose the best trolling motor battery purchase. This holiday buys a battery on fishing with loved ones.