Quinte Fishing

I have a humminbird 597 hd di ci unit that I've been running off my portable Vexilar 12 v battery for about since the fall. That battery has been well maintained, lasts all day on the ice (and then some) and used to last all day (and then some) in the boat with the 'bird hooked up to it.

Since I got the navionics chip and started using the map-screens on my unit, my battery only seems to last about 4-5 hours. I have only been out a few times, but it seems pretty consistent, if I'm not leaving the map screens up all day, battery seems to last all day, but if I have the map on all day it seems to die MUCH quicker. Is there any chance leaving the map up is utilizing the battery more somehow, or did my battery degrade co-incidently at the same time I started using this chip?

I can run mine in split screen GPS/Sonar mode all day on a 9 amp hour battery so my guess is that your battery is degrading.

A solid full day on the water would kill a 7 amp hour battery though, where as I can do a full day on a 9 amp hour. Hope this helps.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. Guess it could be a co-incidence that the battery degraded at the same time I started using the map functions...guess the only true test would be to run it all day without the map on. I only suspected this was related due to timing, and the fact that running the GPS/Navionics on my smartphone kills it REAL quick.

I am using a 9Ah battery...looking at updrading though, maybe a 12Ah 12V would be the way to go.

I got the lowrance elite4 ice machine this past winter. It came with a 9ah batt. On the ice this year I didn't have to charge til the end of the season. Once I changed from ice mode to general use, then started using split screen plotter/sounder.. the battery started to die out a lot quicker. It now goes through the battery faster and I assume its because of GPS, temp sensor and spit screen plotter sonar. I am very happy with the performance of the elite 4 ice machine. Even the ice ducer works through my aluminum hull boat... sometimes clearer than straight in the water of the debris filled trent river.

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be safe out there... lines tight bye's!!

I wonder, does it not use the GPS as much if you don't have the map screen up constantly? I guess a good test would be to use it all day without the map up...but since I got that navionics chip, I can't turn it off...it's awesome!

I.don't have the chip.. only the.phone app. I only use.split.screen to make sure I'm on course but 90% of the time.only have sonar on. I turned off my overlays for speed over ground and other GPS overlays and it seems to work all day now. That sucks that you can't turn it off after you install the navigation chip. Could you not just take the card.out when fishing known waters to save on battery? I know that's a big inconvenience and is.something that should be looked at when buying finders.

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be safe out there... lines tight bye's!!

I haven't noticed any difference having the GPS turned on or off on my unit which is an HDS5 which would have a similar power consumption. I only get about 5 hours on my unit on a 9ah battery. I don't think it would draw less power when on the map screen, but you never know, they may have built something in like that to save battery power when the GPS isn't an active screen.

-Lawren

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Oh, don't get me wrong - you CAN certainly flip to a screen with no maps, and I likely will when I'm casting for bass in known waters, but I've just been trolling since I bought the map chip, so I always use the map. Regardless of experience, I will need to get a new battery.

Recommendations anyone? I'm looking for a compact battery, as I have a small boat. Was thinking a 12v 12ah type

I use HDS-7 on the same type of battery. I find when you turn down the brightness/light for the screen
it last me 8-10hrs, hope this helps