Thread: 1/5/2025 First Trip On Da Bayou in 2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Had some electronic issues I wanted to confirm on my boat and what better way than putting the boat in the water and testing it with a volt meter while using it. Found out that I am losing 1.5 volts from my new lithium battery 13.5 volts to the bow of my boat where my Garmin screen was reading 12.0 volts. Need larger gauge wire obviously!!

It was lunch time when I called Austin my grandson and said I am putting BON TEMPS in at Main St. do you want to tag along? He jumped on the opportunity to wet a line although the conditions sucked. The wind was howling and there were white caps on the bayou. The water temp was 58 F air temp was 74 F. The water was falling very hard but the wind was howling the opposite direction out the south. Anchor mode on my Force was more confused than a fox in a crowded chicken pen. It didn't know which way to turn. After testing my voltage at several spots we started fishing. Hit a few spots and confirmed they had moved deeper and were hugging the bottom on most spots. Now understand the Bayou is only 18 feet deep at its deepest points but these fish had dropped down I guess in anticipation of the VERY DRAMATIC temperature swing we were about to have here on the bayou tonight. The High today was 74 F the high Tomarrow is supposed to be in the low 40s.

Austin caught a few SLABS and we ended up with 15 keepers. Back on the trailer by 430 with a nice fish fry in the box.

Lesson today. Double check the power draw on your electronics. Although I thought all was fine because I had 12 volts consistently at my screens I am obviously losing 1.5 volts between my battery and (15 feet away) my Garmin electronics.

Bon Temps!!

I text Bon Temps sum of voltage drops equals source voltage on a DC circuit. A good DVM with quality leads you can read across the terminals & connections to see if a particular connection is causing the drop or the incorrect wire was used to start with. Stern to bow wiring that carries such a low current draw but has a high voltage drop more often than not was because the wrong wire was used to begin with. A Counter EMF is generated within the strands as soon as current flows why high quality DC wire has super fine strands. Tinned DC wire is for environments like Marine applications where corrosive elements are present to attack the conductor itself. Using silver plated non-insulated terminals that are crimped then soldered makes the least amount of terminal resistance. Even when checking continuity a DVM uses current flow provided by the DVM's battery to read resistance. Finely stranded pure copper wire is expensive to make so you can't buy are auto parts stores and the like. Before opening my boat shop I used bestboatwire.com for wiring supplies they sold a very good grade Marine Primary wire as well as Battery Cable.