First Experience with PiranahMax 20

[smallmouth89]

Went out today with my new finder. This is the first fish finder I have ever used so I can't make any comparisons but I have to say I was very pleased. I was able to case out the ponds where I flyfish for trout and made some important discoveries. I was very pleased with the depth and temperature reporting. I also now am very aware of the frustration involved in locating fish but not being able to tempt them to hit.
Places that I thought were 15 to 20 feet deep were only 10 or 12 feet deep. I ran the unit from 9 am until 6 pm on my 7 amp SLA battery. Should I now charge it overnight or for 4 or 5 hours? I want to make sure there is full power for my next excursion. I'm going to be using my son's 1000mA charger that he bought for recharging his motorcycle battery. Is that O.K.?
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks for the report. You will get better at using your sonar and interpreting the readings as you are able to correlate what you see on the screen and how it translates to real conditions...and fish. Be sure to spend more time with the manual and become proficient with how to change the settings and to read the display.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It is interesting to take a sonar out for the first time on waters we thought we knew pretty well. It is both humbling and entertaining to see how far off we were in our previous ideas. And, as you have now discovered, it is frustrating to "see more fish than you catch". [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The upside of at least seeing the fish is that you can concentrate your efforts in areas and depths that hold fish, rather than just using the old "chuck and chance it" routine. You can waste a lot of casts in water that has no fish. Or, as I put it, "You cain't ketch 'em where they ain't." Lousy grammar but true fishing logic.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A big part of the success enjoyed by pro anglers is "fishing with confidence". When your sonar lets you know there are fish in the area you are fishing you can concentrate on making good casts and working your lures with more finesses. You will also be more alert for any possible strikes, especially when the bites are very light and might be missed if you are not expecting them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If your charger does not have an automatic shutoff, or a voltage reading, you should invest in a small voltage tester. They are not expensive, but they can help insure both having plenty of charge on your battery before each trip, and keeping your battery healthy longer.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The SLA batteries require different care than acid filled batteries. You should never run them all the way down to failure. They are designed as maintenance batteries, not as deep cycle batteries. Put them on the charger as soon as you return from a trip, and then top them off before you go out again. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have not used a 1000 mA charger, but I do have an 800. I see no reason why the slightly larger one would not work well. Just don't hook it up to one of the heavy duty ones used for auto batteries.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A good way to work out the timing on both how long you can run the battery and how long it takes to charge it would be to use the voltage tester after topping off the battery, to get a reading. Ideally, it should be putting out just over 13 volts at full charge. Then, when you get home, test it again. It should be no lower than about 11 volts. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Next, put the charger on and time how long it takes to bring the battery back up to the original voltage. Do the math with the amount of time you were on the water and you can get a ratio. Then, test the battery again after it has set a few days and see how fast it loses voltage when idle. Charge it back up to full charge the night before your next trip.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, I got my voltage tester at Radio Shack for about $20. It does help with peace of mind and I know it will extend the life of my batteries enough to offset the cost. Hope all this helps. [/#0000ff]
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[Fishhound]

Hey smallmouth89,

Don't ya just love those things. Even inspite of the let down of my own delusions of my imagined assurity and certain knowledge of what was beneath the surface of the waters that I had fished before, I was in awe of the real picture my first fishfinder painted of the reality of what was really there. It also freed up a lot of fishing time in some newly discovered unproductive past efforts. However, it alone didn't improve my catching much.

I use a 500 mA motorcycle battery charger to refresh my SLAs. I don't know for sure, but, I imagine a 1000 mA charger would do just as well. I don't know the effect of over charging one is, but, I think you would be able to find out if it is detrimental to the battery or even possible to overcharge it. There are some folks on the board that might know such things.

In my experience, the batteries seem to be just fine if I let them charge overnight right after using them and check(I use an automotive multi-meter) on the batteries condition in the morning and immediately before I use them again. I just make sure they are a little over 13 volts and go for it. Again, I am sure you can find the real scoop to learn what the folks in the know would say.
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[smallmouth89]

Tube Dude/Fishound,

Thanks for the input guys. In my efforts to track down a supplier of SLA battery chargers I eventually found a source but they would have to order from Ottawa. I inquired about using the motorcycle battery charger and he told me it would be fine. He suggested you couldn't overcharge the battery and if you left it on a little longer it's no different than forgetting to take your nickel metal hydrides out of the charger the next morning. I do believe a tester would be a good investment though. Thanks for the input.
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