Embarrassingly Basic FF Battery Questions

[Romo]

I know nothing- less than nothing- about wiring and electronics. Last year was my first year using a FF in the salt and I used a very basic setup of my battery in a dry bag and the wire run up through the front hatch of my revo. I began to encounter some issues:

-The wires connecting the FF to the battery came loose in rougher seas. All I was doing was curling them around the terminals on the battery.
-The battery/dry bag was not secure during transport and had to be taken out and mounted every time I splashed the boat
-My dry bag tore and I don't wanna buy another one and have it happen again

So the temperatures aren't gonna get above freezing up here for a couple more months it seems and I want to make some kind of battery box for the coming season. The problem is I have no idea what I'm doing. There are threads all over this site and the rest of the internet about making them but no one addresses my extremely basic questions of:

-There has to be some better, more secure way of attaching the wires to the battery terminals. What is it and preferably what is the link to it on amazon?
-I like the idea of sealing the battery in the box and having a "plug" coming out of the box that I can "plug" the power cord from my fishfinder into. What the heck are these "plugs" and what is the link to some I can purchase on amazon?
-I see people using fuses. What is the point of a fuse and should I use one? If so, how do I attach it and what is the link to some I can purchase on amazon?



I don't have a soldering iron, wire stripper or anything like that but I do have dielectric grease, electrical tape, marine goop and lots of free time this weekend. If someone could help me solve these very basic issues I would greatly appreciate it!

[J.A. Veil]

I posted a video in this forum a few weeks ago http://www.snaggedline.com/showthrea...ayer-Propel-10 . It covers a few of your questions and may give you more confidence in making your electronics installation.

The wire end connectors are easy. Get some spade connectors at a boating supply, electrical supply, or home store. They can be easily crimped onto the wire ends and they slide onto the battery terminals. No soldering is needed

You should use a fuse or circuit breaker on the hot lead (usually the red wire). I splice in a fuse holder using butt connectors (again just crimp the ends) -- one came with my FF/GPS but they are readily available.

Your second question deals with a battery box and plug. Some of the folks on here like making a very clean and professional installation with male and female power plugs. That works well and looks good. But you do not need to get that sophisticated. I put my battery in a plastic food storage box with a snap-on lid. I cut a hole in the end to run the wires out. On a previous installation, I put the battery in a large potato salad container and ran the wires out around the rim. Then find a location and way to keep the plastic box from bouncing around too much.

[reel-em-in]

I followed this tutorial. It worked well. http://palmettokayakfishing.blogspot...e-135.html?m=1

[Romo]

Thank you John that was exactly what I needed to see!

[Cowpokey]

I don't use a battery box, and don't really see the need to if it is inside the hull. Since John already answered the connection and fuse questions, I'll just add how I have my battery mounted in the hull.

Get the Hobie battery tray. Then you can mount it to the sailing mast or in a round hatch.

http://www.austinkayak.com/products/...ry-Holder.html

Screen Shot 2015-02-20 at 7.21.24 PM.jpg

Edit add: your battery is the correct size to fit the above tray/mount.

[Mbae]

great information here. i am also currently in the process of mounting my fishfinder and all has been going well.
one question i had though was... does transducer placement make a difference? i see a lot of people mount their transducers using the opening of the front hatch.
i was planning on mounting the transducer below me where the center hatch is. i can see why people may mount it in the front if they do not have a center hatch but are there any other reasons besides that?

[J. Rentch]

I use this style of battery holder with good success. I used a piece of 2x4 that was held,in place with electrical putty. Then screwed the battery holder to the 2x4. Make a very stable platform to hold the battery.

[Cowpokey]

great information here. i am also currently in the process of mounting my fishfinder and all has been going well.
one question i had though was... does transducer placement make a difference? i see a lot of people mount their transducers using the opening of the front hatch.
i was planning on mounting the transducer below me where the center hatch is. i can see why people may mount it in the front if they do not have a center hatch but are there any other reasons besides that?

The farther forward you mount the transducer, the quicker responses will be displayed on the screen while moving forward...for when it sees it. Not really a big deal when we are talking about a a small vessel like a kayak.

My transducer is in the center of the hull, just behind my seat. I spend a lot of time trolling the bay, so my lures are probably 30-150 feet behind me...depending on what I'm dragging and what depth I'm trying to hit.

If I was casting to structure in a lake, I might want the transducer closer to the nose...along the lines of mounted to the trolling motor on the front of a glitter boat. LOL

[surfdog]

Harbor freight has heat shrink terminals and get a 3 amp inline fuse better to blow a fuse than a a sounder;-)

[eyedaddy]

This is not about how to mount it but where to buy it. I was at Battery Warehouse in Edgewater, Md. to get a new car battery and noticed they have small 12v. batteries that will work in a Kayak. After some talking they agreed to give any Snaggedline member a discount if you mention the group at time of purchase! Just wanted to put it out there for anyone looking for a new battery,

eyedaddy

[Cowpokey]

This is not about how to mount it but where to buy it. I was at Battery Warehouse in Edgewater, Md. to get a new car battery and noticed they have small 12v. batteries that will work in a Kayak. After some talking they agreed to give any Snaggedline member a discount if you mention the group at time of purchase! Just wanted to put it out there for anyone looking for a new battery,

eyedaddy

How many amp-hour?

[J. Rentch]

Nice to know for the future.

[eyedaddy]

That I am not sure of , they had a bunch of different sizes that would fit in our operation I will get over ther in the next couple of days and get back to you.

eyedaddy

[plastic boat]

Romo Stop by west marina and pick up 2 connectors to fit that battery. They crimp on the wires. You only need a pair of pliers for this or maybe West marine will put them on for you ( the one close to me will ) then stop by a hobie dealer and get the battery holder $16.99. The holder is designed to fit into 1 of the round hatches or wire tie to the sailing mast. Hobie battery holder part # 72025007 Last year my battery was stored in the oval hatch bucket (Tupperware container) this year I am going to use the Hobie bracket since it's only $16.99 with the larger battery you already have since I now have a color depth finder / GPS combo. Mine are on order from Delaware paddle sports

Sailing mast
https://www.google.com/search?q=hobi...F%3B800%3B1208

hatch
https://www.google.com/search?q=hobi...28%3B200%3B200

PS: marine wire and connectors are different than automotive wire. Marine wire is tinned that means it will not corrode (turn black under the covering and quit working) like automotive wire will when it's used near water.

For the guy's needing batteries Hobie wants $100.00 for the battery and charger Cabela's wants $35.00 . The Cabela's store in Delaware has plenty of them on the shelf with or without chargers. Yesterday they had at least 20 in stock at the Delaware store.

Here is a link
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabel...h-All+Products

This is a smaller 12 volt 5 amp battery that will power a Black and White Depth finder for about 3 days. I paid $15.00.
The Cabela's battery is next to it, you can see it's about !/2 of the size..
It is a house alarm battery I picked it up at tri-State battery warehouse.in Newark. Radio shack has it for $25.00
http://www.radioshack.com/enercell-1...Bbattery&sz=12

[eyedaddy]

Sorry about the delay getting back on this so here it is. The batteries they have range from 7 amp hours up to 30 amp hours of course the 30's are somewhat bigger but look like they will fit through an 8in hatch. They have stores in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. When you go to purchase a battery tell the sales person that you are a member of Snaggedline and tell them it is in the computer and they will give us a discount. The owner looked up our page and saw how we were spread out and the membership and was impressed by what he saw.