Rocketvapor

One possible cause of a battery going negative is leaving the series connected batteries in a low state of charge. Like running them down and not putting at least a partial charge when you get home. Even when using Deep Cycle batteries, which have a better chance of recovering when put on charge after a deep discharge. Starting out with 3 batteries in series when one has a little less total capacity, say 100ah, 100ah, 90ah, maybe one is just weaker than the others or self discharge or one has a 12 volt drain/load applied can result in a large difference in state of charge after a boating trip. Deep discharged to 10%, 20%, 15% remaining capacity for each individual battery after running the TM. It would not take much further discharge to take the 10% battery to zero % and then negative. It is important to start the charger and put at least a partial charge as soon as possible. In this poor sketch, the batteries/load on the left side is how we usually view a 36v stack. One battery at a low state of charge will still contribute to the load voltage. When multiple devices are connected in series and current is flowing, the position in the circle of current flow doesn't really matter. A weak source can be at any position, it's just drawn per the diagram on the left. If you look at the source/load in the right diagram you can see how a low/weak battery can see voltage applied in reverse exceeds the voltage of the weak battery. Smart bank chargers will detect and try to correct imbalance between batteries connected in series. IF, you hook up the charger before the weak battery goes too low. A single cell in a battery stack (18 cells in a 36v stack) can cause that battery to be weak and susceptible to complete discharge under load. Even a Deep Cycle rated battery will not recover if one of it's six cells goes negative. That causes a permanent chemical change in the cell. If a 12v battery ever goes below approximately 9v, 5 cells may be 1.8 volts and one cell may have made it to zero volts. It may be forever damaged.

I've 'played' with Lithium Ion batteries for years. Some even went into space when I was employed If connecting two in series go with the manufacturer's recommendations. Li-ion CELLS come from a few different sources but everyone and their uncle makes protection circuitry/Battery Management Systems. The automotive electric vehicle industry provides the cells for most high capacity batteries. Li-ion 12 volt batteries have 3 cells connected in series, LiFePO4 batteries have 4 cells connected in series. I'm sure everyone has experienced a lead acid battery with a weak cell, but with Li-ion batteries (cells connected in series) a weak cell has to be detected at the cell level. The BMS will detect a low voltage cell and cut off the battery. Now, if two 12v batteries are connected is series for 24 volts and one cell is cut off, the electronic components in each 12v BMS may not be designed for the remaining voltage and burn out, losing protection. Sorry if that doesn't make sense. Sort of like running a 12 volt car radio on 24 volts, The BMS of each 12v battery has to be able to handle 24v. Some will, some might not. Ask the manufacturer. Most catastrophic failures with Li-ion batteries happen when charging, or first use after improper charging like an overcharged cell (voltage) or charging at too high a rate (too many amps). Here is my GPS/Fishfinder/Radio/Nav light battery pack. Not suitable for Trolling Motor. Charging is done with a Balance Charger that monitors each group of cells (4v, 8v and 12v points). The blue one is 12v, 80AH less than 20 pounds I will be working up for TM.

Went ahead and ordered another cheap plastic prop just in case my Re-Pitch didn't turn out. Took a 7.25X6 and got it to something close to 6.5 using a heat gun. Each blade looks to be even. The blade tips were originally about 1/4" inches above the hub center. Now the hub is about 3/8" above blade tip contact. It will be a few days before I can test my work. Slip seems high for this prop design. The two data points I have, Heavy Load?, Speed Vs pitch 7.25X6, 4.8mph@5500rpm (part throttle) 5500/2.18=2523rpm = 14.33mph 4.8/14.33=0.335 7.4X7, 5.4mph@4860rpm, WOT 4860/2.18=2229rpm = 14.77mph 5.4/14.77=0.366

Being a 'Pontoon' hull there's plenty of water to the motor. I have it raised 3/4" and don't have room on the transom to go higher. Making a riser is not out of the question and I might do that in the future.

The smaller prop is a cheap ebay item, so low risk to work on it. Just doesn't seem to be the right plastic material to repitch. I'm looking for something that will get up into the proper rpm range without bumping the rev limiter. With a lighter load (one person) the bigger prop might rev a little higher but usually run as 2 two person adventure boat

Trying to select a prop for my 3.5HP Mercury 4 cycle on my Bass Raider 10E. Maybe some of you guys have some guidance. Speed isn't the primary concern here (oh yes it is ) but optimal WOT RPM for this motor. The factory prop for this motor, sold under a few different badges is a semi weedless 3 blade 7.4" diameter and 7" pitch. For emergency use I bought a spare 7.25"X6" which I guess is the factory prop on the similar 2.5HP. There is an aluminum prop available that would fit (I think) advertised as 7.4"X5.7". That's it, 3 props. The plastic props don't look to be suitable for thermal shaping while the aluminum might. We normally run with at least 400 pounds including motor. Once with 500 pounds with a 29 battery and 30 trolling motor and once just for a cute video with one person but no data for that run. I will try again with the lightest load I can (after the hurricane). Here are my data points with the 10E, both on the same day, same water and wind conditions: 7.4"X7", swept area (blade minus hub) of 40 sq.in., 4840rpm (WOT), GPS speed 5.4 mph. 7.25X6", swept area of 38 sq.in., 6000 rpm(WOT), GPS speed @ 5500 rpm 4.8 mph. The 7.4"X7" has 4.5% more swept area, 16.7% more pitch, and gets 12.5% more speed, but runs 24% less rpm at WOT (13.6% less 5500/4840) The smaller prop just doesn't load up the motor. Speed at 5500rpm was about the same as 6000rpm. I'll probably buy the 7.4X5.7 aluminum and try to bend and cup to something between 6 and 7 pitch. My goal is to get something around 5500 rpm and suck as much power out of this 3.5hp as I can Advise??

On mine I set it for 1 Pulse / 2 Revolution but each time I start the motor (a single cylinder 4 cycle) it starts off in 1 Pulse / 1 Revolution (2 cycle mode). With a load in the boat WOT shows 9660 to 9680. Repeatable and steady. I guess that's really mid 4800's. I bought a smaller spare prop to get the rpm's up. Standard prop is 7.4X7, the spare is 7.25X6 (I guess it's for the 2.5hp). I ran up to 12000+ on the tach and the rev limiter seemed to be cutting in. I also lost speed with the smaller prop. Maybe the diameter of the 7 pitch prop will wear down to optimum diameter?? The 6 pitch prop is an emergency spare for now. So, the tach seems to be working, just have to divide by two Your 2 cycle shouldn't have that issue. Don't have any idea why you get different reading on different plugs. I have a generator with a single cylinder 4 cycle that should be running right at 3600rpm. I'll try the tach on it.

Wakes? Yup we watch for wakes Little plastic boat has a big water scoop between the two pontoons. Take them head on and water splashes in. Take them broadside and you rock like crazy. I take wakes with one of the bows at about a 45 angle.

There's a chance we might try some night fishing so worked on the lights today. Got things mounted just need to wire up a switch bank. If those aren't enough, I have more

Thanks for the tip. There are just so many places around here it's mind-boggling.

@Tatsu Dave What do you have that makes 10-11mph. That's scary fast I started my own thread for my Bass Raider 10E mods, completed, in work and imagined. Don't worry, I'll catch something soon. If not, I'll dig out the old Billy Bass.

That's OK. I have to listen to the wife (retired Marine) every time she tries to set a hook.

Nice cheap tach for lots of small motors. Mine will revert to 2 cycle mode on my 1 cylinder 4 stroke. Oh well, dividing by 2 isn't all that hard

Thanks, will watch the video latter today. Help is always welcome.

I know this is a Bass forum and I haven't caught one yet but will keep trying So, Friday got to get on the water again, still mostly exploring our local waterways in this little plastic boat. Put in at Bayou Cane and ran down about a mile and a half to Lake Pontchartrain. Went around Goose Point and a NE wind stirred up the water once we lost shore protection and decided to turn back. Spent most of the day on the water. Here's a short video and the path we took mostly @ 5.5mph.

Glad nothing got damaged. For a driver's side trailer tire, back the trailer off at an angle if you can. Keep tow vehicle on solid ground but angle the trailer away from the traffic lane if there is room. Run the flat tire up on the spare to get clearance for the jack. I've got most of my towing experience pulling a home made mini camper on the biggest Harbor Freight trailer sold. Going 1600 miles round trip I carried one spare mounted up under the camper and a complete hub/bearing/seal/lugnuts in the tongue box. I lost a hub /grease cap once and repacked and drove on home checking hub temperature at every stop. Now I have a spare for that too Now I'm pulling my little Bass Raider on a 1500 pound utility trailer. Have, but haven't mounted the spare yet but only go 2 or 3 miles to a local launch. I'm thinking of welding a dummy spindle and mounting a complete hub/wheel/tire when I take off on a long trip. Glad your skill set helped get the tire changed.

I put a DIY lid to a tongue box on a DIY tiny camping trailer with a single gas spring, and a tonneau cover on my pickup with a pair. Search ebay for gas spring manufacturer. Can pick length, travel, force. Even find the math for DIY there. Remember the hysteresis with rod going out and coming back in. The spring will HOLD more than it will LIFT and will take more force to compress.

Hope I haven't run into a snag. Just got a email reply from the Louisiana DWF about the registration request sent in via email 90 days ago. Thank you Covid. It seems a copy of the Declaration of Origin isn't good enough, they have requested the ORIGINAL. I think everyone knows what the form, from page 7 of my manual looks like. I filled out the info on the boat but the transfer information, like date and invoice number, from manufacture to dealer (probably Academy Distribution Center in Atlanta) is missing. I bought from a local Academy. I'll mail the ORIGINAL I have, but suspect I will need something more. Wish me luck. UPDATE: Contacted Pelican International by phone and received a better looking 'Original' via E-mail. In the mail with the check to the group supervisor at LDWF. Hope this works

Did some work on the Bass Raider electrical system. So far we have run a GPS/Sonar with some left over 12v drone batteries but they are getting old and puffy. Just in case we do any night fishing I've put on some nav lights and mentally adding fishing lights. Edge of marsh floundering at night is something I did when younger. Not going to be a lot of lights (or onboard generator) 40 to 50 watts should be enough. So, it's battery time I bought some small Lipo packs (a bunch of them) to put together into 12v batteries. The packs are 4400mah 3.7 volt (actually a pair of 2200 cells with individual BCMs) in a 3S4P 12 volt battery tested to be a little over 16ah. Used the first one on a boating trip and it worked great. Used a large peanut butter jar for a temporary case 3 of these fit into a plastic 30 cal ammo can and come in @ 8.25 pounds including the can. That's 50ah or so. Still have to brain storm switches, breakers, connectors, etc. Put out some coonfood in the front yard while working on the packs

I realize this is a 2018 thread and the OP has probably picked his motor but I find the transom too weak without reinforcement for a 3.5hp and a two person load. Here's a 15 inch 3.5hp. 20 inch would be DEEP

A splash shield might not be needed for pond use, going slow, or with light loads but it seems to deflect water funneled into the boat due to the bow shape.

After the splash shield and a week of bad weather predicted I built a small forward deck. Weight is an issue for us with all the junk we carry with us but I didn't weigh the deck. I guess it's around 12 pounds or so. It provides a clear area to step on at the dock (one at a time) a little storage and blocks the funnel effect at the bow. Support at the front is a 'box' tied into the front transom and wrapped around the sides. I used a 1X4 PVC plank formed with a heat gun. Split sections of the 1X4 were used down the sides of the deck shaped to almost be water proof. A few pieces of aluminum and SS fasteners. All the holes were gooped up. The deck itself is ground contact 1/2" plywood with some reinforcement ribs from old mahogany and aluminum angles. Two short aluminum straps are attached at the rear using one slotted cross nut (1/4x20) on each side. Carpeted and added our mascot, La Tortuga with Velcro.

Went on another 'fishing' trip with the 10E Friday morning. No luck. Used a couple soft baits on jigs but obviously used the wrong colors . The water level at the Bogue Falaya launch we use was HIGH from coastal back up. We tried small water streams, gave up and moved to bigger water, gave up and called it an exploratory trip, out past the mapped water on little streams. Like a nature walk. Weekend is here and we don't go out and share the water with the jetski's and party barges so time to rest up and hit it again next week. This post I'm gonna show my bow mods to help stop plowing from filling the little boat. The shape at the bow is like a big scoop IF you take on water from a wake or wave. Heavily loaded you're only inches from taking on water which then takes away inches and you get more water. At least the boat floats when full. First I tried a Splash Shield made from a double later of that thin plastic wall panel you get at the home improvement shops. That worked and was easy to form around the bow and held in place with a dummy TM mount. No new holes required.

Balancing tires only finds the light/heavy points (only one each). Balance wear (bouncing) will not be uniform around the tire. Watch for it and have them balanced, otherwise don't worry about it. Bearing chatter can cause the cupping you see in one tread. After a highway run check hub and tire temperature by hand. Sidewall flexing from low pressure (for the load) will cause the outer treads to wear and allow the tire cords to move around inside the rubber weakening the structure.

OK, not near as exciting as the previous tales, but for us it WAS ! The wife and I have a Bass Raider 10E. First trip with the 3.5HP, a 30lb TM just in case and a 64lb size 29, a floating safety box with stuff, an ice chest, and a few other things. Not 'overloaded' but heavy for the 10E. Zipping down the river I asked the wife to scoot forward a few inches and she pulls the lunge the chair under the table move and the bow takes on a little water, then more water, then FULL. Enough water in the little boat to fill the battery box. Would have been better if I hadn't like froze and kept on the throttle. Powered back up shifted weight to the rear and got half the water out. Pulled up to a sand bar and took the manual bilge pump and got the rest out. I put in a drain plug and a 'splash guard' across the bow. Now have a little deck.