I need to do some rearranging of my 2 battery system and am considering gel batteries. My understanding is that they will not leak when punctured, can be mounted sideways, no fumes and recharge much quicker. Does anyone know of any reason not to use them? Anyone using them now?

Check out the blue top Optima's
www.optimabatteries.com

I've also been considerng the Optima batteries ... I run a 74 lb Minn Kota in AK and use it for about 45 minutes at full power every day, so a top notch battery is in order.

I'd be interested in hearing any feedback on the 24 volt (twin 12's) system that they offer!

I own a 24 volt gel cell beside the fact that they are a little expensive. I feel it is money well spent if you use a electric motor alot. I have a 74 volt minkota Tide Water and I can run it hard all day and it still has plenty of juice left at the end of the day. There is no fumes and very compact for a 24 volt system. They do charge quick and hold a charge for a long time even if you don't use it right away. I feel it is a good investment if you have the money to spend. That's just my opinion though.

One of the reasons I like the Optima's,is depending on the temp your storing it at,it won't lose a charge for up to a year. They also charge faster,and won't leak if punctured. You can even mount them upside down.

Bob, if your 74 lbs. thrust is a 12 volt you could go with 2-6 volts in series and double the amperage of a single 12 volt.

Nah, it's 24. I think the largest 12 volt I've seen was 65 lbs.

I've always run two std. 12V Deep Cycle and was thinking about upgrading to some of the newer battery options

Had a buudy who owns an autoparts store tell me a couple years ago to stay away from them for that type of use.
He said as good as they are they won't take a lot of drawing down the juice and then recharging them on a regular basis.
Said to stick with a deep cycle because they are made for that.
Like I said, its been awhile, so that advice may not apply anymore.

I've made the switch from lead-acid batteries to gel and am very impressed. As an ex-navy electrician by trade and avid downrigger fisherman, I can tell you that the new gel cell batteries are the best batteries that have ever been made available to the public for this kind of duty.

Here's why. Bottom line, they can deliver more amps for a longer duration than their lead-acid equivalents through the technology built into the gel cells. They will last longer and require less maintenance. And in the long run, will probably cost less than lead-acid batteries even though they cost more up front.

You should always get a marine deep cycle for downriggers and other loads with a significant sustained draw like an electric trolling motor. The deep cycle battery is made specifically for this duty.

HntnFsh,
Blue top Optima batteries have 2 styles,marine starting or deep-cycle.

Heh SEACAT, do you use a gel deep cycle to start your motor with or do they make a "starting" gel deep cycle also? Do you notice any difference in "recharge time"?

I was told never to use the gel batteries with outboard motors. Something to do with the charging system off the motors coukld cause the batteries to explode. No real proof, just what a buddy told me.

In the past I always ran a type 27 Marine Deep Cycle, but found they just didn't cut the mustard for what I was running off them. Now I am running 2 6 volt industrial deep cylce batteries in line. They are much smaller, produce more power, and I have had zero problems.

I agree it is nice to be able to mount your batteries wherever you want. (i.e. beaing able to mount gel batteries upside down) but my question is, where in a boat do you mount a battery upside down, and if you had a spot how would you get it to stay up there???

About the Gel batteries. I heard great things about them so I bought one. I went a bought a Yamaha 4 stroke and the dealer said that they do recommend them for outboards because of the charging system on the motor. He said that outboards do not have the right system to give them a full charge do to the memory in the battery. I called the Yamaha company to find out if this was true and they told me that was in fact that was the truth. So now I use the gell battery as a back up. I hoped this helps.

I use the deep cycles for starting too, even though that's really not the best use for them, it's really kind of a no-no but you can do it. The deep cycle battery has less Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) than it's Marine counterpart, which is designed for starting motors and providing more amps in a burst rather than sustained amperage like a deep cycle. I usually only have to start my motor 5 times or less every time I fish and only the first start is a cold start, so I can live with that small misuse of the battery. In fact, the CCA's of these new deep cycyle gels batteries is comparable to the CCA's of the lead acid predacessors, so maybe it's not hurting them all that much. If you use 2 batteries, make sure to switch one into standby before starting with the other.

The charging cycle is different and does require a charger that can adjust the charging rate. Basically the recharge cycle is done in 3 parts, 1st part, pour in the charge as fast as the battery will take it, 2nd part, slow down the charge by about 40%, 3rd part, finish up with a trickle charge. Each battery manufacturer will have a slightly different variation and will provide the info on how best to charge. You may need a new battery charger or at least a solid state one to provide the variable charge rate.

I usually charge up the day/night before I go and when I get back I hook them right back up. Don't let them sit on less than a full charge, that will cause less life and charging capability (memory). The time to recharge has been about the same overall, maybe it can trickle a little longer but that's hard to say for sure. The bottom line is that the gels can hold more power and for downrigger fishing that's the ticket for a full day of up and downs.

My understanding is that if you take a new battery, fully charge it up and then completely drain it, it's memory is 50% of it's original capacity. If you were to repeat that again, the battery would be at 25% of it's original capacity. That's why it's so important to keep them fully charged and get them right back on the charger when you're done. You should be able to get a good 4 years out of these new batteries if you take care of them.

One last thing. One of the biggest enemies to your battery is corrosion, which is everywhere on the boat. It causes the battery to have to provide more amps (due to a voltage drop at the load)when terminals are corroded and this leads to premature failure of batteries. Keep you terminals and wiring corrosion free for maximum life. I usually re-wire my setup every 3-4 years and notice a big improvement in performance everytime I do.

Thanks SEACAT..........I guess that about says it all. Will have to check on the different charging rates before I purchase.

HEH LINGCOD .......... The one thing Ihave been told is to definately not use a gel and wet battery in the same system. You may want to make sure that they are totaly isolated from each other. Also, if you have a good phone number for YAMAHA I'd love to have it. Never have been able to contact them directly about some motor questions. THANKS!

Forgot to mention this; I coat both posts with a good covering of vaseline. I also cover the power bar with vaseline. This stops corrosion 100%