Marine battery longevity

I'm looking for the voice of experience hear. This may be obvious to some of you, but not to me. What might be the lifespan for a deep cycle marine battery? My outboard has no alternator or generator to recharge the battery, so I usually just charge my battery fully about every 3 or 4 months even tho it doesn't seem to need it, and everything has been fine.

I charged it about a month ago, went fishing once, and then, after it got down to about 26 degrees last night, it was a little sluggish today. An unsettling experience since I was planning to fish downstream from the boat ramp. But since my philosophy is somewhere between frugal and cheap, I don't want to replace the battery if I just need to recharge it more often, and especially when we have freezing weather. On the other hand, I'm addicted to reliability, so if my boat's battery isn't going to deliver reliable performance no matter how often I charge it up, I'll replace it straight away.

It's in the garage now, spending the weekend on the charger.

Thanks for any insight.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

I'm not familiar with all outboards but it seems rather unusual that your motor would have an electric start (it does,right?) yet not have an alternator to charge the battery. At any rate deep cycle marine batteries tend to live longer if they are allowed to fully discharge occasionally and then be brought back up to a fully charged state with a robust charger.

[This message has been edited by Chaps (edited 11-10-2000).]

Hey Salmo, how old is the battery in question? If it is approaching the four-year mark it's about time... Cold weather is usually the telling time for elderly wet cells. The bottom line: if you are concerned enough about the battery to ask about it, replace it. One last thought, dual batts on a Perko disconnect switch: the cheapest insurance you will ever buy.
P.S. Any piece of gear that costs me a fish or day on the water gets replaced. Period.

[This message has been edited by TJN (edited 11-11-2000).]

Salmo-
If cold weather affects your battery it has seen its best days and should be replaced. I don't know what charger you have but all batteries should be charged at the slowest rate possible. They also should be kept as close to fully charged as possible at all times. A full discharge and recharge effectively "produces" a half life in a battery. This means that fully discharging and recharging a battey twice cuts the "new" life to 25%. If you call Jacobs Electronics they will sell you a charger equipped with the ability to periodically pulse the battery with a reverse polarity charge. This acts to de-sulfate the grids (or plates) and prolong the life significantly. Jacobs has had a long history in the automotive world while maintaining a very good reputation. They also have an ignition system with money back guaranteed power and mileage improvements. I would also suggest the highest quality battery you are able to aquire (not just the best you are able to find at the nearest store). The quality of the "guts" can vary greatly and will make a huge difference in the long run. Best of luck.

Wit,

I've got a charger that can be set to "trickle" charge my Sears Die Hard deep cycle marine battery. It never occurred to me to look anywhere other than Sears or Boater's World for a marine battery. If this isn't the best quality battery, could you recommend something by name, and a vendor?

Thanks for the advice.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Salmo-I'm sorry, but I can't because I haven't needed one in some time. I do, however, know that exide is one of the largest battery makers in the US. Interstate is as well. I have always run interstates without any trouble. I use the interstate gel cell in the race cars I wrench on. Not sure of the deep cycling abilities of the "six-pack" gel-cell but on dry land there is nothing superior. I would talk to the mfrs. rep for your favorite brand and see what they advise. The guy behind the counter only knows what customers tell him for the most part. The rep will have (hopefully) facts verified by scientific tests. Good luck.

I always charge my battery in my sled before a fishin trip and after when I get home or the next day after cleaning the boat out. No matter how long it sit's between trips. Better safe then sorry. It's pretty easy to put it on the charger a day or so before leaving. I at least once a month start it and charge it.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE