battery life

[fishindude]

i know there have been about 50 posts on this in the past month but im still not sure when to charge the battery on my vexilar. i know most of you charge it after every use but im still not quite sure. so...for the last time, should i or should i not charge it after every use(even if its for 2-3 hours at night should i still charge it then)

[William H Bonney]

I use mine every weekend and once or twice during the week and I charge mine about once every 2 or 3 weeks. You'd be AMAZED at how long the battery will last. My battery is 5 years old and I've never run outta juice on the ice.

[bgoodenow]

I don't have the link, but last time this came up somebody posted a link from Vexilar's site saying you should do a "top-off" charge each time you use it.

[Big Daddy Benelli]

Well guys here is the link that will answer your question about the Vex battery do's and don'ts.....:corkysm55

http://www.vexilar.com/help/tips/tip004.html

[Bucktail Butch]

That link refers to lead-acid batteries. I believe the batteries in question in this post are the gel cell types.
I bought my FL-8 when they first came out and was told at that time that if you used the battery for a particular length of time, you should charge it for for the same amount of time. They should also be fully discharged and recharged periodically to prevent the battery from developing a memory.
I have since bought a backup battery so I can have one fully charged at all times. I also bought a V-300 battery charger from Vexilar; it is an automatic charger for gel cell batteries. Just attach to the battery, plug in, and let it go. A green light comes on when the battery is fully charged and the charger automatically shuts off. No problem.

[9mmruger1]

I use mine every weekend and once or twice during the week and I charge mine about once every 2 or 3 weeks. You'd be AMAZED at how long the battery will last. My battery is 5 years old and I've never run outta juice on the ice.


I totally agree with William. My battery is three years old and I recharge after about 24 hours of usage. It has never run down to the point of non operation, in fact it has always operated just fine. I do think that the battery will last longer if you allow it to run down some before recharging. At least that is what I have read in several rechargable battery manuals.

[wally-eye]

I just purchased a new FL 18 Saturday and there is a sticker on the box that states you should charge after each use. Also in the manual it states that the machine should be charged after each use.

Has anyone purchased the newer "faster" charging battery charger from Vex. It took 36 hours to charge originally and I used the vex yesterday for 6 hours and plugged it in last night at 8PM and it is still showing it is accepting a charge. Has anyone had any experience with the faster chargers and if they are worth it?

[ih772]

A gell/cell battery is a lead acid battery. The "gell" refers to the electolyte in the battery being in gell form and not liquid.

[Big Daddy Benelli]

ih772 I guess the manual & website lie??:confused: I stick to following the directions..

[tommy-n]

What is this a weekly discussion, charge it every time you use it, it will last at least 2 years. I fish 3-4 times a week all winter and replace them every 2 years if needed or not. They only cost 20 -25 bucks if it lasts 2 years or longer thats cheap. :D