Batteries

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Originally Posted by wolfhnd

Do you pull your batteries and bring them in the house in the winter. From what I have read heat not cold is what damages batteries?

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Neither will really hurt them....IF you keep them at full charge. At 80 degrees a battery loses about 15% of its charge in a month. Spending time at less than full charge will kill a battery. A fully charged battery freezes around -90 degrees F, so not normally an issue.

I don't want to leave them on the charger but would prefer to top them off once a month?

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Originally Posted by wolfhnd

I don't want to leave them on the charger but would prefer to top them off once a month?

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get an on-board charger, plug it in and forget it. It will take care of the topping off for you and you won't have to worry about forgetting to do it yourself.

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Originally Posted by wolfhnd

I don't want to leave them on the charger but would prefer to top them off once a month?

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If you go that route, be sure there is nothing connected to the batteries between charges. Many things, including trolling motors and outboards, can drain your battery a significant amount in a month.

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Originally Posted by CatFan

If you go that route, be sure there is nothing connected to the batteries between charges. Many things, including trolling motors and outboards, can drain your battery a significant amount in a month.

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:hesaid and what have is a battery cutoff switch !!!! when I am done fishing I kill the batteries with the switch and nothing in the boat works !!! nothing that works off of 12 volts !!!

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Originally Posted by CatFan

If you go that route, be sure there is nothing connected to the batteries between charges. Many things, including trolling motors and outboards, can drain your battery a significant amount in a month.

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You got that right !! Left my starting battery in boat for less than 2 weeks and somehow forgot to turn off my little 2d depth finder. Took boat out and motor started OK, then idled about 500yds and tied up for some night fishing. When it came time to leave (7hrs later) the battery wouldn't turn the 90 Merc over. Got out my jumper cable and hooked it to the TM battery & start battery ... and started the motor, idled back to the ramp & trailered the boat. Charged the start battery back up and used it a couple of weeks later .. and it fired right up like normal.

You wouldn't think that something that only draws a couple hundred micro amps per hour would drain a battery ... until you do the math and realize two weeks is 336 hours of continuous draw. :Doh:

What do you guys think of these connectors.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OM1NJF6...=1FH4IFEYNCL7H

My trolling motor is on my kayak and I want something that will let the battery come free if it tips over.

Should work just fine. I would try to attach the battery side to something on the boat that is solid. Connector not going to come apart as easy as it seems it would.