Adding a second STARTING battery. Can I use PWC battery?

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sh00ter

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If I have limited space and wanted to have a solution in case I run down my starting battery (runs all accessories too except TM), would it be better to use a ~20ah (prob 250-300cca) PWC battery on a battery bank switch, ORRRR would it be better to just carry a Noco portable jump box in the boat to jump the starting battery if it ever gets too run down to start the motor? This is on a 50hp outboard.
 
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Oklahomabassin

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What kind of fish finder are you running. The simple screen without gps and a single or dual frequency transducer don't use a lot of juice.

The large display with fancy graphics, gps mapping, dual transducers etc etc. Use a lot of power.

Live scope and similar use even more juice!
 

swampratt

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I have started my 400HP small blocks with lawn mower batteries.
I see no issues with small batteries.
I see no issues with a pull rope either on a 50HP unless you are handicapped in some way.
 

sh00ter

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What kind of fish finder are you running. The simple screen without gps and a single or dual frequency transducer don't use a lot of juice.

The large display with fancy graphics, gps mapping, dual transducers etc etc. Use a lot of power.

Live scope and similar use even more juice!

Well part of what got me thinking about this is that I am beginning to add lights and such. If I do any night fishing, and especially if i add a radio instead of just using bluetooth speaker w/ phone, I could see the basic 24 group starting battery be strained...I do have 2 fish finders, I have read before to turn them off if not in use because it pings the fish and they hate it. Mine are small screens but one does have side imaging and GPS. I'll probably add another better one eventually (which begs the other question for maybe another thread, is is best to have the larger one up front or at the console if you can't afford to match them?)

I have started my 400HP small blocks with lawn mower batteries.
I see no issues with small batteries.
I see no issues with a pull rope either on a 50HP unless you are handicapped in some way.

Well it has the emergency rope kit under the cowl but seems like a hassle if I can be better prepared in another way...but good idea of course!

I carry jumper cables and can jump it off of the trolling motor battery/batteries.

Yeah, I have cables in the boat too, but it is only 12v and if at the end of a day, might be run down too. The cables and the noco jumper still weigh less than a lead PWC battery and they're free since I already own them LOL...

I only have a 2-bank charger anyway, so if I add another mounted battery, I'd have to add another single bank charger unless I wanted to mess with taking it out to charge. OR, I could just take it with me per outing, and otherwise keep it charged in the garage, but that may not make sense vs the jump device. I guess I was sort of thinking the PWC battery if fully charged could run some accessories for awhile too vs just having a jump option...but not sure how many amps my stuff is pulling and at 20ah, prob would not work very long.
 
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sh00ter

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Another thing I pondered is that I have some extra deep cycles that are good lying around. I thought about just using one as a spare TM battery that I could take on the boat or find a way to fit it and then put it on a switch for the TM....then I'd definitely have a good battery o jump off of in most cases...I think this thread has talked me out of spending 100bux or so on a good PWC battery and finding another way to use what I have that has a side benefit....Chuter...take your cables and jump box and you are probably covered. But the PWC batt was a cool idea and if I had a 3-bank on that boat, it would be nice to just throw a switch and be running again but 20ah not gonna do much more than get you back to shore...
 
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