Underwater Fishing Lights

Battery Facts

Battery Facts

"Starting Batteries"
vs
"Deep Cycle Batteries"

Both "Starting" batteries and most "Deep Cycle" batteries are lead-acid
batteries that use exactly the same chemistry for their operation. The
difference is in the way that the batteries optimize their design:

A "Starting Battery" is designed to provide a very large
amount of current for a short period of time.

This surge of current is needed to turn the engine over during starting. Once
the engine starts, the alternator provides all the power that the car needs, so
a starting battery may go through its entire life without ever being drained
more than 20 percent of its total capacity. Used in this way, a starting battery
can last a number of years. To achieve a large amount of current, a starting
battery uses thin plates in order to increase its surface area.

A "Deep Cycle Battery" is designed to provide a steady
amount of current over a long period of time.

A Deep Cycle Battery can provide a surge when needed, but nothing like the
surge a car battery can. A deep cycle battery is also designed to be deeply
discharged over and over again (something that would ruin a car battery very
quickly). To accomplish this, a deep cycle battery uses thicker plates.

A Starting Battery typically has two ratings:
CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) - The number of amps that the battery can
produce at 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) for 30 seconds

RC (Reserve Capacity) - The number of minutes that the battery can deliver
25 amps while keeping its voltage above 10.5 volts

Typically, a Deep Cycle Battery will have two or three times the RC of a
Starting battery, but will deliver one-half or three-quarters the CCAs. In
addition, a deep cycle battery can withstand several hundred total
discharge/recharge cycles, while a Starting battery is not designed
to be totally discharged before recharging.

The bottom line is... Use Marine "Deep Cycle Batteries" for your lights
and trolling motor and a "Marine Starting battery for starting your boat.

For information on how long a light will run see "Run Time"

Click on here for more information on batteries.

BATTERY TYPE	AMP HOUR RATING	VOLTAGE
Group 27	100-115 Amp hours	12 volts
Group 29	110-125 Amp hours	12 volts
U-2400	251 Amp Hours	6 Volt

A simple formula to find out how long a light will run off of your particular battery
is to take the batteries "amp-hour rating" and divide it by the average load in
amps. So, a 115-amp hour battery running a 100-watt light that pulls 8-amps
should last approximately 14.4 hours (115/8). See Run Time to determine how
many amps each light uses and how long they will run on different batteries.

Notice: For best performance a Group 27, 115 amp hr. Deep Cycle battery or
better is recommended. While these lights are extremely bright, they require
sufficient amperage to operate at maximum brightness. If you are using a
generator or have an AC outlet on your dock, you can power your lights with a
AC to DC converter or battery charger. Also see 120VAC lights.

Always use a converter that puts out more amperage than you need.
The more amperage...the brighter the light will be!

Your lights are only as good as your battery or power supply.

IF YOU need a smaller battery that will fit in a back pack, the compact batteries
listed below will provide good light for a limited amount of time. The batteries listed
below are sold by Batteryspec.com and are listed as a customer service only. To
find out how long a light will run on these batteries, take the Amp Hours and divide
it by the amp draw of the light. For example, a 100-watt AquaStar draws about 8
amps. So, a 18 amp hr. battery would run the light for 2.2 hrs. (18/8= 2.25)
and a 40 amp hr. battery would run it for 5 hrs. (40/8=5)

Compact Deep Cycle Batteries

BATTERY TYPE	AMP HOUR RATING	VOLTAGE	APPROX. COST
TR18-12	18 Amp hours	12 volts	$34.80
TR24-12	24 Amp hours	12 volts	$43.50
TR26-12	26 Amp hours	12 volts	$46.50
TR33-12	33 Amp hours	12 volts	$54.80
TR40-12	40 Amp hours	12 volts	$69.50

Wal-Mart and Sam's Club carry a good selection of Deep Cycle batteries for
around $70. Sams' Club's also carry *Golf Cart Batteries.
*If you are looking for more power, you may want to hook up (2) 6-volt Deep Cycle
Golf Cart batteries in a series. Troy Hinds of Merritt Island, FL called and told me
he was using this set up and each Interstate U-2400, 6-volt battery produces 251
amp hrs.and only costs $89.00 at his local Interstate Battery Dealer.