08-06-2010, 06:35 PM
[quote TubeDude][cool][#0000ff]Pure and simple...your motor will not pull/push you through the water with as much efficiency as you would get if you were on top of the water...in a toon or small boat. Takes more power to move you the same distance...at a slower speed. There is a lot of drag when you have your legs in the water and anything else...like fish baskets, transducers, etc.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]So...it might be possible to power a toon across the lake fairly quickly, on medium settings. But, to move your fully loaded tube the same distance would probably take much longer on higher speed settings. There is a lot of difference between skimming across the top of the water and plowing through it. You use more power to go slower and for shorter distances.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are no exact tables set up to convert battery power and motor size to amp hours used on any specific float tube. You just have to make the best choice you can and do everything possible to get the best use out of whatever power you have in your battery. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It will likely take a few trips with varying useage to see how much juice you need for a particular trip. You should have a voltage tester to check the output of your battery both before the trip and after returning. A capacity tester helps too. It will let you know how much power you still have left. But it is not an accurate guage of how much longer your motor will work. As the voltage decreases the output and efficiency decreases. So even on high settings you might just inch along when your battery starts dropping down in voltage.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]In short a battery does not keep operating at full power until it is drained. So it is not a valid assumption that a 33 amp/hour battery will put out maximum power up until it has used 33 amps. That's why it is a good idea to buy the biggest and best battery you can afford...and fit in your craft...rather than trying to cut corners on cost or size. The wrong time to find out that your battery can't push you any further is when you are trying to get back to your vehicle against a stiff breeze in the wrong direction.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If somebody wants power on their craft to allow them to make longer runs away from their launch site...or to troll for several hours on battery power...they need to consider a toon or small boat. Much more efficient. On a float tube the motor is strictly for short hops and auxiliary power when needed.[/#0000ff][/quote]
A little surprised by this answer (going back to May reports), but absolutely.
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]So...it might be possible to power a toon across the lake fairly quickly, on medium settings. But, to move your fully loaded tube the same distance would probably take much longer on higher speed settings. There is a lot of difference between skimming across the top of the water and plowing through it. You use more power to go slower and for shorter distances.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are no exact tables set up to convert battery power and motor size to amp hours used on any specific float tube. You just have to make the best choice you can and do everything possible to get the best use out of whatever power you have in your battery. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]It will likely take a few trips with varying useage to see how much juice you need for a particular trip. You should have a voltage tester to check the output of your battery both before the trip and after returning. A capacity tester helps too. It will let you know how much power you still have left. But it is not an accurate guage of how much longer your motor will work. As the voltage decreases the output and efficiency decreases. So even on high settings you might just inch along when your battery starts dropping down in voltage.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]In short a battery does not keep operating at full power until it is drained. So it is not a valid assumption that a 33 amp/hour battery will put out maximum power up until it has used 33 amps. That's why it is a good idea to buy the biggest and best battery you can afford...and fit in your craft...rather than trying to cut corners on cost or size. The wrong time to find out that your battery can't push you any further is when you are trying to get back to your vehicle against a stiff breeze in the wrong direction.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If somebody wants power on their craft to allow them to make longer runs away from their launch site...or to troll for several hours on battery power...they need to consider a toon or small boat. Much more efficient. On a float tube the motor is strictly for short hops and auxiliary power when needed.[/#0000ff][/quote]
A little surprised by this answer (going back to May reports), but absolutely.
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