New Battery For 2014
I went ahead and got a new battery for my kayak for 2014. I upgraded to a 40aH Lithium ion battery, weighing just 9lbs. My previous lithium battery (which still works fine) weighs just over 20 lbs. I wanted something even lighter. Lithium batteries are still relatively expensive when compared to conventional wet cell and AGm marine batteries. Since I use my kayak on a regular basis, it is worth the investment for me.
The battery is comprised of 8 lithium polymer cells. These cells are controlled/protected by circuitry that prevents over discharging and over charging. Everything is shrinkwrapped into a nice, neat package.
This past weekend, I was able to test the battery on the water. I launched out of Jean Roberts Memorial Park in Havre de Grace, MD. I spent about 7 hours on the water! After an hour of use, I pulled over to the shore and gave a quick visual inspection of the battery. Everything was working just fine.
It wasn't till the end of the day that the battery was drained. The "Protection Control Board" wired into the battery shuts the power off when the voltage reaches 9.2V. This prevents over discharging (running the battery too low), which will damage lithium cells.
Here is a video from the initial test...
http://youtu.be/whvfjxy9hlw
I am pleased with the results from this initial test run. I am looking forward to more trips with this light weight battery. The weight savings in my kayak are worth it!