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Goose52

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Everything posted by Goose52

  1. That's a question that you have to present to the specific battery seller - it seems they have different recommendations. Some sellers say that the internal battery BMS can take the power from a standard battery charger and ensure that the correct charge profile and voltages are applied during charging - other sellers say that only a modern charger with a lithium setting should be used. For me, I have a relatively recent production NOCO charger that has a lithium setting so that's what I use...
  2. Same with me - I have that same 100ah battery and am on my second season. I am 69 and having 100ah in a battery that is 1/2 the weight of my old Group 24 lead-acid battery is the bees knees. The Bluetooth app has worked flawlessly. As with you, 100ah is overkill for powering the TM on my canoe (the 50ah model would have been plenty for my needs) but there is great comfort in knowing that I will always have enough juice...!
  3. The largemouth was a nice one (7.65lb) but the real challenge was the grass carp (38 pounds) - I would have had a REALLY hard time to boat that fish without capsizing if I didn't have the outriggers on my boat !
  4. Well - with all the gadgets that I have on my boat - it does take a whopping 12-13 minutes (timed) to either rig the boat (from car top to shove-off) and about the same to recover (feet-dry to drive-off). Everything is modular and plugs onto the boat quickly. AND, even with the boat pimped-out, there is still room to move around and to handle fish...
  5. No tournaments for me - I have the Hawg Trough as I measure everything I catch. My data gets turned over the the professional lakes consultant that manages our local waters (part of a 12,000 acre community) and he uses that data as one input in assessing what's going on with the bass. Also, when that photo was taken, I was assisting that guy in a bass tagging program. I caught and tagged 250 bass in that 16 acre lake and then for the following years I would record length (to the mm) and weight of all recaptures. This is the same lake - it's rough duty assisting our lakes consultant, tagging and measuring bass, etc. ... ? A side note - notice the wake behind the boat? I am not only standing and fishing in a canoe, but I am also under power, working along that shoreline. My foot is on a deadmans switch so if I want to stop the boat and coast, or if I fall out of the boat, the power will shut off when my foot is off that switch:
  6. This topic comes up periodically. Here is link to a thread from 2016 that discusses a lot of pros and cons for each type of watercraft. OP - you might want to invest some time in that thread: The following boilerplate is what I post each time this topic comes up: Really, only you can answer that question. Some types of small watercraft (canoes, kayaks, bass raiders, float tubes, pontoons, inflatables, etc.) are perfect for some people. No one type of small watercraft is perfect for all people. In selecting whether you want to get a canoe or a kayak, you need to make a list of your needs, and then determine which craft is the better fit for you. Some of the factors to consider: Stabililty and standing capability (moving around, landing fish, another person or kids or dogs in the boat, standing to fish, etc.) Cargo/gear storage (how much stuff do you want to take) Inboard storage & handling (canoe) versus handling things in your lap or over the water (yak) Seating position (usually, but not always more upright seating in a canoe vs. legs-out in yak - have back problems?) Vessel weight (how much can you lift/transport) Transportability - to the water and possible portaging (do you have a truck, trailer, going to car-top, need to portage, etc.) Ease of paddling Will you want the capability to motor it? Manueverability Type of water (lakes, streams, white water, etc.) Number of people in the craft Stay mostly dry or don't mind getting a bit wet Length of voyage (couple hours or a couple days) Etc. Once you answer those questions based on your own capabilities and needs, you'll come closer to chosing either a canoe, a yak, or a hybrid. All are great watercraft in their own ways, you just have to find the best fit for YOU. I faced the same decision as you are trying to make now but I was open to all types of small watercraft from float tubes up to bass boats. The best solution for ME, was a heavily accessorized canoe. I only fish my local, small (1.5 to 201 acres), no-wake lakes. Some of these lakes don't have boat ramps. I needed something car-topable without a special rack, modular, very light weight, with as much capability as possible. I wanted stability so I could stand and fish all day, lots of inboard storage, motorized, and little to no maintenance. I didn't want to have to buy a truck or other tow vehicle, I didn't want to consume a garage bay or driveway space with a boat and trailer, didn't want high expense and high maintenance, and didn't want to use gasoline power. Taking everything into account, I ended up with a canoe, trolling motor, and outriggers for stability. So, for me, the result is: This much capability, with a rigging time of 10-15 minutes (timed) from the time I pull up to the lake until I push off in the rigged boat: Easily transported this way, and able to pull into the garage with the boat on the roof, ready to go out the next day: And easily stored this way - right next to the carrier vehicle, and without consuming a garage bay: Different floats for different folks...
  7. I'm glad you guys answered that question so well ! And yes, when I was running the lead-acid battery, I would watch the voltage reading showing on my sonar screen drop from the 12v range, down into the 11s, and on a long day, even into the high 10 volt range - that was my only indication of my remaining battery capacity. With this lithium battery and the associated bluetooth app, I can pull up these three screens on my phone and know just about everything going on with that battery. Is all this data absolutely necessary to have? No. Is it very handy to have? Yep. (Images copyright of Lithiumhub.com - from their web site here: https://lithiumhub.com/product-information/ionic-batteries/bluetooth-guide/ Disclaimer - I have no relationship with these guys other than as a customer!)
  8. I run either a 45 or 55lb thrust TM on my 12' canoe. I previously used a Group 24 lead-acid battery (about 70AH) which weighed about 53 pounds when in a Minn-Kota power center box. As mentioned in a post above, lead-acid batteries don't like being discharged to a very low level but I still had all the power I needed to spend an 8 or 9 hour day on the water (albeit mostly all at low speeds with few if any full-power runs). After watching the technology mature for a number of years, I finally got on the lithium bandwagon at the beginning of this season, purchasing a 100AH lithium-iron "Ionic" branded battery from these guys: https://lithiumhub.com/ Since lithium batteries can be discharged fairly deeply without ill affect, I considered getting the 12v 50AH model but with an abundance of caution I ended up getting the 100AH model. I now have about twice the "usable" AH capacity and my weight is down to around 30 pounds with the battery in that MK power center box. I can make 4 half-day trips on the water and still have around 50% capacity left in that 100AH model. So, as it turns out, I could have done nicely with that 50AH battery and if I could have a "do-over" I would certainly get that model and still have plenty of capacity for long days on the water. The 50AH battery is listed as weighing only 14.3 pounds with dimensions of 6.5″ x 7.7″ x 7.0″ and would be a great candidate for your yak. This particular brand of battery is bluetooth enabled and you can install an app on your phone that will let you track your battery capacity, charge status when on the charger, and a bunch of other parameters. This app and bluetooth interface has worked flawlessly for me. More info is available on the listed web site...
  9. You already have some good responses from folks so I can't add a lot. I can say that I have been considering getting a "Lithium" battery for several years. I was hoping that they would become mainstream and would show up at sellers in my local area. Hasn't happened yet. So, after checking out a lot of threads on several boards, I ended up getting a 100AH Lithium Iron Phosphate battery labeled as the "Ionic" brand. This is a made in China battery that is sold here in the U.S. by Lithiumhub.com. The battery is bluetooth enabled and you can check the charge status and other parameters of the battery through your smart phone. I just started using it this season so I cannot give a long-term report. I use this battery to power the trolling motor on my canoe as well as a Helix 10 sonar. For me, the primary benefit is reduction of weight - my old Group 24 lead-acid battery (about 75AH) in a Minn Kota Power Center box weighed 54 pounds. The new Lithium 100AH battery in the same box weighs 33 pounds - MUCH easier to get in and out of the car and boat. I also get an additional 25+ amp hours for that 21 pound weight reduction. If the battery truly lasts approximately 3,000 cycles - I will not need another battery for more than 10 years. However, it would still be cheaper to buy a lead-acid battery every 3 or 4 years - in my case, I am paying the premium to get that weight reduction and the additional storage capacity. You might want to visit and browse through the Lithiumhub.com web site for more info. They also seem to be quick to reply to questions submitted via email. On their batteries, you CAN run them in series, but you cannot charge them in series according to their web site. Also - they do offer a 50AH 24v battery and you could run several of those in parallel.
  10. The correct answer needs to be based on what generation of Helix 10 that you have. The original "Gen 1" Helix 10 that I own draws 1.2 amps. The latest generation Helix 10 is rated at drawing a whopping 2.4 amps. You also have to decide what your maximum time on water is. If "all day" to you means 8 hours, you would preferably want a battery that would power your unit for those 8 hours, while not discharging the battery below around 25-30% (for battery longevity) - you would want a battery rated between about 15 to 25 (or so) amp hours (depending on what generation Helix you have and how deep you want to discharge the battery). If your time on water is less than 8 hours, then you can down size the battery. Once you determine the current draw of your Helix (check the specifications section of the owners manual), and your maximum expected time on water, you can calculate your required battery size keeping in mind that it's not a good thing to discharge the battery too low so allow some reserve capacity...
  11. An excellent suggestion. I run a Helix 10 on my canoe - it is installed on a "dashboard" which also has a hinged transducer deployment arm. It is a self-contained unit (see photo) that only takes about 20-30 seconds to rig: grab dashboard from car, plug into the oarlock sockets on the boat, plug the power cord into the battery, done. For your boat, you could make a similar dashboard and, as suggested above, install an extra sonar bracket, power cord, a transducer deployment arm with transducer, then just swap over your Helix 10 head unit from the big boat. For a battery - the Helix 10 draws quite a bit of power. If your time on water is around 4 or 5 hours, you might be able to get by with a 10 or 12 AH battery, but if you spend all day you will want a larger battery. I have multiple options - I have a 12 AH that I sometimes bungee to the dashboard on the left side of the head unit, I have a Group U1 battery that could power the sonar, but usually I just run the sonar off the Group 24 battery for the trolling motor (but I do get RFI on the sonar when doing that). The installation of a Helix 10 on a canoe was also discussed here.
  12. Yes. I use Anderson SB50 connectors at the end of my cable run from the forward mounted battery (photo) and the same connector on my two different trolling motors. The pushbutton "kill switch" is optional and has two SB50 connectors so I can plug it in between the battery cables and the TM cables. In addition to the safety aspect of having this switch - it also has a practical fishing function in that I often motor along at slow speed, casting as I go - if I get a strike, I don't have to reach over to the TM to cut power, I just take my foot off the switch to kill the TM so I can concentrate on getting the fish hooked up...
  13. Well - most canoes don't have kill switches. BUT, since I stand 100% of the time I am fishing in my canoe, even when it's under power, I do have a form of kill switch. If my foot comes off this switch, the TM stops and at least my boat isn't motoring away from me if I fall in the drink. And yep, I put the PFD on before launch, and don't take it off until back on shore...
  14. Radisson - 12 foot pointed. See: http://www.bwmarineproducts.com/pointed_canoes.htm The light weight is due to VERY thin gauge aluminum. It will dent if you look at it mean. NOT a river boat but perfect for my small lakes that run from 2.5 acres to 200 acres. The factory specifies the bare hull weight at 34 pounds. Mine might weigh 38 or so due to some permanent stuff installed in the boat (primarily the cables and conduit for the trolling motor battery). I am 67 but the boat is so light that I can just pick it up and put it on the roof of the car - easy...
  15. Well, as long as all the canoe people are checking in - I might as well too. My boat is a solo boat (11'6") but the rigging principles would be the same if I had a 14' or 16' boat. The point is that canoes are often dismissed out-of-hand as not being suitable fishing craft. It's true that in the shorter lengths, a kayak is probably a better fishing craft than a stripped, no rigging, canoe propelled by paddle only. However, if the intended use if the canoe is not as a pure paddle craft, or if, as the OP was inquiring about, there is the potential for two or more people in the boat, canoes then bring advantages to the playing field. As I have posted in this forum many times, for my specific purposes, in my specific water, I have yet to find a small watercraft that is better for my purposes than the below boat. Stand up 100% of the time to fish, down/side imaging sonar, plenty of room, modular and can be rigged many ways, 34 pound hull weight, 8 to 15 minute rigging time, easy to car top, easy to store. YMMV...
  16. You might consider rechecking the instructions to see what it says about the bobbin. While the system may still be properly charged, the bobbins have a service life of 3 years (at least the bobbin in my Cabelas PFD does as specified in the instructions). To properly maintain the unit, the bobbin should be periodically replaced, which in turn requires a new CO2 bottle. Now, will the bobbin remain serviceable longer than 3 years? "Probably maybe" I guess. My PFD mentioned in the first post worked properly at the 7 year mark...but for this type of equipment, I tend to mostly follow the recommended servicing schedule. The pesky instructions also specify that the unit should be initially checked upon purchase by manually inflating it (using the tube) and then leaving overnight to assure that it holds air. I do that with a new PFD. The instructions then say that this test should be repeated every two months during the boating season and I'm guilty of not doing that. I do try to remember to do that test at the beginning of each season however. For me, since I wear the PFD 100% of the time in the boat, I get a lot of sun damage to the outer shell as well as a lot of sweat, sunblock, fish slime, etc. So, like for my first unit, my process will be: buy new, re-arm at 3 years, and toss at 6 years - then start over...
  17. Yep - you are correct. These scales will read in four different units: Pounds (decimal - like your example 4.67), Ounces (total ounces - NOT pounds/ounces - for instance, your example of 4lbs, 10 ounces would read 74.7 ounces), Kilograms, and Jin (whatever the heck that Chinese measurement is...). So, if you wanted the weight in pounds and ounces, you would need to convert either the pounds (decimal) or total ounces readings, into lbs/ozs. I personally use the decimal pounds reading in all my records. There have been a number of threads about these scales since the start of this 2016 thread. Here is one of my threads where I did some load testing including using laboratory-quality calibration weights:
  18. I bought an auto/manual inflate PFD at Cabelas nearly 10 years ago. The directions specified that the PFD should be re-armed (new CO2 bottle and bobbin) every 3 years. At the 3 year point, I manually fired the unit to discharge the gas cylinder by using the pull tab so I could re-arm the unit (below photo). So, I used the rearmed unit another 3 years and instead of re-arming it at that point - I retired it (and bought a new unit of the exact same model). It was a dirty, greasy, sweaty mess that had been worn for about 1,800 hours on the water (I wear a PFD 100% of the time while in the boat). I then threw it in a storage cabinet in my garage where it has sat for the last 4 years. I pulled it out this morning and it looked like this: The color indicator on the pressure valve still showed "green" (pressurized) so I tied my 5 pound canoe anchor to it and went down and threw it in a lake. The bobbin took about 4 seconds or so to dissolve and then BAM - the unit fired and the PFD had full inflation - just like it's supposed to: So, 10-years old, re-armed 7 years ago, tossed in a storage cabinet 4 years ago, and tossed in the lake today - works as advertised... I'm not sure this proves much being a sample size of one, but this gives me a bit more confidence that these units will work as advertised as long as pressure remains and the bobbin has not deteriorated - and if you re-arm every three years as directed, the bobbin should still be serviceable. FWIW - YMMV
  19. The biggest lake I fish is 201 acres, the smallest about 2.5 acres. Some of the lakes don't have boat ramps. This is the boat I have been using for the last 10 years, and that I will continue to use as long as I can until I hit my expiration date (I'm now 67). There is no "next boat" planned. If this hull starts to leak or otherwise become unserviceable, I might replace it with a lighter hull boat (kevlar, carbon fiber, etc.) but otherwise would keep all the rigging just as is. I have yet to find a better "mobile fishing platform" to fish my little lakes and that meets my requirements for transportability, function and capability, and at-home storage...
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