# Battery setups for wading



## carpekd (Mar 14, 2012)

I am currently using a lawnmower battery tucked in a small backpack while i wade gig. I'm saving up to build an led setup where i can use an 8 AA cell battery pack that is light-weight.

I was wondering what setup you guys use to haul around your batteries while wading with incandescent lights.


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## SHO-NUFF (May 30, 2011)

Wash tub with a tire tube around it works good. old school, but gets the job done. You can use a full size car battery with this setup, so plenty of reserve time on the light.


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## Russian (Jan 13, 2009)

I find the backpack works best, I have a 12 amp hr battery that should never run out, my light draws roughly 1 amp/hr. I use the backpack as double duty to carry the important stuff like beer or a stringer until you need it. Not sure how I feel about AA batteries, but if you get rechargable ones maybe it would work fine, depends on how long they last. Ive seen setups before with battery packs in the handle, always wondered how well they worked.


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## Night Wing (May 16, 2011)

Hauling a heavy lawnmower battery around in a backpack isn't fun. Too much weight. I use a 12 volt SLA (sealed lead acid) deer feeder battery. Much smaller than a lawnmower battery and weighs less too.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

The Backpack is a good idea.

The Lawnmower battery not so good.

The reason is, it is a vented Lead Acid battery. This could lead to a nasty acid burn.

I suggest one of the 12V batteries used in the Exit signs in a commercial building. They are Sealed.

They look like this 7Ah battery


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## carpekd (Mar 14, 2012)

Nightwing: Good idea on the deer feeder battery...i'll check that out.

X-Shark: Where do you find those exit sign batteries for sale?


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Those sealed batteries are called Gel Cell batteries and X is correct about using Lead Acid open celled batteries in a closed in space like a backpack. Nasty burns can result and that back pack wont last long with the fumes that are present when they are being discharged.


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## SHO-NUFF (May 30, 2011)

carpekd said:


> Nightwing: Good idea on the deer feeder battery...i'll check that out.
> 
> X-Shark: Where do you find those exit sign batteries for sale?



Lowes and Home Depot have the 12volt 7amp hour {AH} batteries in the lighting section. Battery source on 9- mile road has them also. They are about 30 bucks each locally, but available online for about half that price. You will also need a low output milliamp charger to charge them. Don"t use the boat charger!


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## carpekd (Mar 14, 2012)

SHO-NUFF said:


> Lowes and Home Depot have the 12volt 7amp hour {AH} batteries in the lighting section. Battery source on 9- mile road has them also. They are about 30 bucks each locally, but available online for about half that price. You will also need a low output milliamp charger to charge them. Don"t use the boat charger!


Thanks for the info... Does lowes/home depot have the chargers as well?


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## Fisherdad1 (Oct 4, 2007)

You can also find the deer feeder batteries at Academy for around $25 if I remember right. A regular car battery charger will charge it, just set it to the 2 amp setting. I use this for my kayak fishfinder / gps.


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## carpekd (Mar 14, 2012)

I just looked at my battery tender charger and it's rated at 750 mA... I guess that would work wouldn't it?


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## SHO-NUFF (May 30, 2011)

carpekd said:


> I just looked at my battery tender charger and it's rated at 750 mA... I guess that would work wouldn't it?


It would work fine. Just keep it under 1 amp. Any charger will charge them, they just don"t last as long, meaning battery life and output.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

I wouldn't use a car charger to charge a gell cell battery they could explode if the charge is too fast. They are sealed and have a gell in them which will not stand too fast of a charge. Be safe and get the correct charger for them. They aren't that expensive on E-bay.


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## wndsurfor (Feb 18, 2011)

I bought an LED light from fishing lights etc. Relly like the LED. Nice and bright. Hooked it up to a 12v 7ah batter like the one mention above. I have the light isolated from the battery through a toggle switch. I noticed last night that when the switch is off, the LED are still on a very faint glow. Any idea how the LED is getting power when the switch is off? The LEDs go out when I disconnect the battery lead.


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## submariner (Oct 2, 2007)

does the toggle have fuse indicator associated with it ????


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## RichardFL (Mar 6, 2012)

*When i first started*

I took a regular full size tube and folded a big blue tarp 4 times and sat it in the hole and put a car batery in it then strapped about a 10ft pole flat on it and ran the light out and tied to the end so it was in front of me and i tried myself to tube handle so i didnt have to hold anything but gig plus tube could house other items as well. I just got worried about stepping on stingrays after a close call and got a cheap boat LOL. Any qestions just PM me?


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## wndsurfor (Feb 18, 2011)

sumbmariner. I do not think so.


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