04-11-2017, 03:59 PM
I think on an inflatable pontoon, a 12v system makes sense.
I like to run a separate battery for the fishfinder, because running off a trolling motor battery can often result in noise on the FF screen.
I was using a 7Ah battery for FF, but then upgraded to a Humminbird 999 with a big screen, and that dropped run time to about 5 hours. Upgraded to a 12Ah battery, and now it goes all day. On long summer days, I'll usually take both batteries just in case.
Your fishfinder manual should give the amperage draw and that will give you a ballpark idea of how long it will run given the ampere/hours of your battery.
My trolling motor box has a cigarette lighter outlet, so I use one of those 5v, USB converters to keep cell phone charged during long days on the water (I use cell phone for GPS, camera, and Navionics bathymetric charts).
I'll echo TubeDude's comment that a "smart" battery charger is worth the investment as it will keep your batteries topped off and in good shape. A good one is around $50 but I use it for both FF and motor batteries.
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I like to run a separate battery for the fishfinder, because running off a trolling motor battery can often result in noise on the FF screen.
I was using a 7Ah battery for FF, but then upgraded to a Humminbird 999 with a big screen, and that dropped run time to about 5 hours. Upgraded to a 12Ah battery, and now it goes all day. On long summer days, I'll usually take both batteries just in case.
Your fishfinder manual should give the amperage draw and that will give you a ballpark idea of how long it will run given the ampere/hours of your battery.
My trolling motor box has a cigarette lighter outlet, so I use one of those 5v, USB converters to keep cell phone charged during long days on the water (I use cell phone for GPS, camera, and Navionics bathymetric charts).
I'll echo TubeDude's comment that a "smart" battery charger is worth the investment as it will keep your batteries topped off and in good shape. A good one is around $50 but I use it for both FF and motor batteries.
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