Pond Boss Magazine
https://www.pondboss.com/images/userfiles/image/20130301193901_6_150by50orangewhyshouldsubscribejpeg.jpg
Advertisment
Newest Members
Grit160, Falcons_King, Aakash, REDRIDER07, Sparkyyc
18,441 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums36
Topics40,872
Posts556,784
Members18,441
Most Online3,612
Jan 10th, 2023
Top Posters
esshup 28,365
ewest 21,463
Cecil Baird1 20,043
Bill Cody 15,097
Who's Online Now
3 members (Bobbss, anthropic, Fishingadventure), 519 guests, and 149 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#529656 01/13/21 04:48 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,789
Likes: 67
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
OP Offline
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,789
Likes: 67
Every couple years have to replace my crappy TH feeder batteries. Now I need to replace my Vexilar battery and have read great reviews on Lithium 12V 10AH batteries from ice fishermen - lightweight and last supposedly over 10 years. Anyone have experience using these in their feeders or flashers? While they cost $70-$100 I'd still be ahead fiscally and with less hassle when I do the math. Appreciate the feedback in advance!


Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[Linked Image from i1261.photobucket.com]


Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 491
Likes: 13
M
Offline
M
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 491
Likes: 13
How are you charging the current batteries? SLA/AGM batteries in 7-12ah are dirt cheap. That said, the new lithiums (marcum brute, amped outdoors, dakota, etc.) are very light. Keep in mind they require a lithium specific charger and have a different discharge curve compared to sla/agm. Some have a 12v start, with a bulk of their discharge curve being in the 11v range. You would likely want the 13v start. There are some great tests/comparison videos on youtube


Mat Peirce
1.25 acre southeast Iowa pond
LMB, BG, YP, WE, HSB, RES, BCP
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,789
Likes: 67
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
OP Offline
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,789
Likes: 67
I’ll be using these in TH feeders - they charge using solar panel. Would lithium battery charge in a TH feeder fo you think?


Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[Linked Image from i1261.photobucket.com]


Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,859
Likes: 297
A
Online Content
A
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,859
Likes: 297
Originally Posted by teehjaeh57
I’ll be using these in TH feeders - they charge using solar panel. Would lithium battery charge in a TH feeder fo you think?

I got a large lithium battery for my trolling motor a couple of years ago and it required a special charger. Be smart to check with TH before trying.


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 491
Likes: 13
M
Offline
M
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 491
Likes: 13
All of the lithium batteries commonly used for ice fishing state that reduced performance and life expectancy can be expected when not charged with a lithium specific charger. I have no clue what is different about these chargers but it seems that there may be something.

Most of the batteries have a built in battery management system that will cut output power when the battery reaches a set voltage. The bms will also cut charger input when the battery has reached a set voltage


Mat Peirce
1.25 acre southeast Iowa pond
LMB, BG, YP, WE, HSB, RES, BCP
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,365
Likes: 774
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,365
Likes: 774
TJ, a customer in Texas had the same problem with the TH batteries. I talked to Chris and he said to leave the batteries plugged in during the winter and leave the TH feeder outside so the solar charger will keep them topped up during the winter, don't unplug the batteries. Just turn the feed timer to "OFF" for all the feed times.

Batteries are lasting more than 5 years now.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


http://www.pondboss.com/subscribe.asp?c=4
3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,789
Likes: 67
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
OP Offline
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,789
Likes: 67
Good intel, Scott. I wonder if lithium would work with TH - guess I owe Chris a call.


Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[Linked Image from i1261.photobucket.com]


Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,365
Likes: 774
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,365
Likes: 774
Originally Posted by teehjaeh57
Good intel, Scott. I wonder if lithium would work with TH - guess I owe Chris a call.

The concern of mine would be "will the solar charger charge the lithium battery?"

What do you do with your batteries now during the winter?


www.hoosierpondpros.com


http://www.pondboss.com/subscribe.asp?c=4
3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,789
Likes: 67
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
OP Offline
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,789
Likes: 67
Charge and store them indoors. I guess I could try keeping them in the feeders all Winter to be charged via solar - but still need to find out if lithium would work.


Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[Linked Image from i1261.photobucket.com]


Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 1,123
Likes: 271
A
Offline
A
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 1,123
Likes: 271
Lead acid batteries will slowly discharge when they are not in use. Multi-bank maintainers are inexpensive. A 10-channel unit can be found on amazon for $250. 4-channel units for less $$$

Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 491
Likes: 13
M
Offline
M
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 491
Likes: 13
TJ the other thing you could do is use a 9ah sla/agm battery vs the 7ah that TH sells - they are the same case dimensions. Do you leave the batteries in the feeder throughout the warm season? I would be pulling them out and putting them on a good 3 amp auto charger like a noco genius even when the solar charger keeps them fully charged. AGM batteries need a good "hard" charge every now and then if they are constantly being drained and trickled back to full.

I would wager that a lithium would work fine with a the solar charger to maintain but you would likely need the follow the same process of removing the battery every few days for an indoor full charge. It sounds like the TH solar chaarger has a top end cutoff to prevent over charging. If you use an amped outdoors 12ah (same size as your current TH 7ah) it will have a fully charged voltage near 13.2 just like a sla/agm. You could call amped for verification - they might say it will work in the feeder but not with the solar charger just to cover any liabilities.


Mat Peirce
1.25 acre southeast Iowa pond
LMB, BG, YP, WE, HSB, RES, BCP
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,789
Likes: 67
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
OP Offline
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,789
Likes: 67
Good feedback guys - appears I may extend the battery life by keeping them solar charged in feeder year round, but I wonder how the timers will respond to extreme Winter temps. I am still using my original timers [over 10 years old] and am thinking that may be in part because I pull them for Winter and prevent exposure to cold temps. I don't have any evidence to support this - I haven't performed a comparison, just my gut sensing that frigid temps may shorten the life of my timers. I certainly don't want to trade a couple years of extra life on $16 batteries for replacing far more expensive replacement timers.

I did find this recently regarding charging Lithium:

You can use a lead-acid charger to charge lithium batteries as long as you can set the maximum voltage of the charger and as long as the charger does not have an automatic equalization mode enabled.

Most modern chargers will let you turn that feature off, and assuming it is turned off, the charger should be safe to use.

If you opt to use a lead-acid charger with the equalization mode disabled to charge a lithium-ion battery, then you must disconnect the battery as soon as it is fully charged, to avoid damage to the battery.

The ideal option, however, is to use the correct charger type for the battery. There are multi-mode chargers that can be used to charge any kind of battery and that have features to protect the battery and prolong its life.

Last edited by teehjaeh57; 01/15/21 03:18 PM.

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[Linked Image from i1261.photobucket.com]


Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,859
Likes: 297
A
Online Content
A
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,859
Likes: 297
I can't imagine keeping TH batteries functional for five years. Mine seem to die about every 18 to 24 months. I do feed year round, though obviously a lot less in winter.


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,365
Likes: 774
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,365
Likes: 774
TJ, I leave my timer and battery out in the TH feeder year round, no issues. We hit -21°F ambient 2 years ago.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


http://www.pondboss.com/subscribe.asp?c=4
3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,789
Likes: 67
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
OP Offline
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,789
Likes: 67
Thank you guys for all the feedback. Called TH and no one had any experience using lithium batteries so they weren’t able to direct me on the issue.


Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[Linked Image from i1261.photobucket.com]


Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 179
P
Member
Offline
Member
P
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 179
I just had to replace the battery on my hanging TH feeder after 8 years. It was reading 10.4 volts and couldn’t throw the feed. The solar panel was looking a bit hazy from sun damage so I replaced that too. All I do is bring the feeder in and disconnect the battery for winter, nothing else. After 8 years I have no complaints!


[Linked Image from img.whynotgif.com]
[Linked Image from i68.photobucket.com]
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 618
Likes: 73
Offline
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 618
Likes: 73
Just replaced my TH feeder battery last month. Lasted 5 years living outdoors in Iowa year round, although I tucked the feeder into my unheated tractor shed during the winter. Mine is a hanging feeder with a solar charger.


"Politics": derived from 'poly' meaning many, and 'tics' meaning 'blood sucking parasites'.
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,007
Likes: 270
D
Moderator
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Lunker
D
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,007
Likes: 270
I’m generally good for about 2 years


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP

Link Copied to Clipboard
Today's Birthdays
PasquotankPond
Recent Posts
What did you do at your pond today?
by Boondoggle - 03/19/24 12:13 AM
Horizontal vs Vertical (big bass)?
by FishinRod - 03/18/24 09:41 PM
Watershed or Groundwater Pond?
by FishinRod - 03/18/24 09:30 PM
Pond needs help!
by Falcons_King - 03/18/24 06:31 PM
A modest proposal
by anthropic - 03/18/24 06:29 PM
Hybrid Striper Stocking Frequency
by esshup - 03/18/24 05:26 PM
Rust in Small Engine Gas Tank
by esshup - 03/18/24 05:17 PM
Bladderwort problem
by ewest - 03/18/24 02:49 PM
Managing black crappie
by Sunil - 03/18/24 12:47 PM
Reducing fish biomass
by Snipe - 03/17/24 10:08 PM
Water hyacinth woes: Dredging?
by esshup - 03/17/24 05:52 PM
I'M NEW SO BEAR WITH ME
by FishinRod - 03/17/24 04:12 PM
Newly Uploaded Images
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
by Tbar, December 10
Deer at Theo's 2023
Deer at Theo's 2023
by Theo Gallus, November 13
Minnow identification
Minnow identification
by Mike Troyer, October 6
Sharing the Food
Sharing the Food
by FishinRod, September 9
Nice BGxRES
Nice BGxRES
by Theo Gallus, July 28
Snake Identification
Snake Identification
by Rangersedge, July 12

� 2014 POND BOSS INC. all rights reserved USA and Worldwide

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5