Nocqua Pro Power Kit

[iveofione]

On the advice of my fishing buddy Krusty's suggestion I bought one of these to power my depth finders on the Super Fat Cat and the Predator pontoon. At my age I am always looking for ways to reduce weight, especially on those hike-in trips where I have the SFC on my back or wheels on my Predator. For years I have used SLA 5ah batteries and have several of them and will continue to use them in the Casa where weight isn't much of an issue. But they won't be on a boat any longer.

For those of you that haven't discovered lithium yet here are the main differences between the SLA 5ah batteries and the Nocqua lithium ion 4.4ah model. Despite the lower ah rating the lithium will last a lot longer between charges. The size is significantly different with the LI battery being about 1/2 the physical size of the SLA but more importantly the SLA weighs 3 pounds and 4 oz whereas the LI only weighs about 12 ounces. If small and light is your goal then the LI is the answer, the fact that it last longer is a huge plus.

Cost is probably the only reason that the LI battery isn't more widely used. My kit delivered to my front porch was $93 but it included the charger needed for the lithium battery. By contrast the 5ah SLA batteries I have were purchased when the cost was $12-$15 so I got 4 of them for around sixty dollars. Nowadays the average cost is around $20 so you can still get at least 4 of them for the price of one Nocqua kit. But they outweigh the Nocqua by 4X despite only costing about 1/4 as much and only lasting about half as long.

I have ordered quick connects to make it easy to change from one depth finder to another and clean up the clutter of wires that often result. I store the batteries inside the pocket of my boats and route the cables through a hole punched in the pocket. A small frame made of thin plywood holds them in place.

 

[mickey rat]

Ive,
@Haggis57 suggested to me of using a battery jump starter to power my Striker. I think he claimed his is good for two days plus it fits perfectly in a Outcast Frameless Bag front pocket. Here are photos he sent me to do mine:

 

[Mike Monsos]

I bought a Nocqua kit myself about five years ago to run my Striker 4 on. I love it I got the 4.4ah also and was totally amazed how long it will last. We ran it about 5 hours a day for three days, if my memory is right, more than enough for a weekend of fishing. If you do think you would need more hours they do have a 10ah or 20ah battery available for a higher kit price. They are great!

Mike

 

[iveofione]

Ive,
@Haggis57 suggested to me of using a battery jump starter to power my Striker. I think he claimed his is good for two days plus it fits perfectly in a Outcast Frameless Bag front pocket. Here are photos he sent me to do mine:
View attachment 51644View attachment 51645

I have one of those but felt there were downsides to using in on a boat.
It isn't waterproof
It is twice the size of the Nocqua
And about twice the weight
The cabling is awkward
I might need that power when I get back to the boat ramp
It cost about the same as a Nocqua
ln a pinch it will work but better to plan ahead

I would definitely use mine in an emergency but wouldn't count on it for everyday fare.

 

[Northern]

Not as small, but I use this one on my kayak. About $120 with charger and the cable that lets you leave the charging wires (shown) attached while in use. I keep it in a cheap softsided, zippered lunch box for splash protection and cable management. So much lighter than the old SLA! The 4A one must be great for hike-ins.

MarCum Brute 12V 10A Lithium LiFeP04 Marine Battery
PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS
5-7/8″ x 2-1/2″ x 3-5/8″
WEIGHT 2 lbs. 11oz.


I have no idea how long it will last. I've done trips where I had it running my Striker 10 hrs a day for 3 days without running out of juice

 

[krusty]

I've been using the Nocqua lithium batteries to power my Striker 4 for three years. Started out with one, and was never able to deplete its charge in four days of use (probably about 6-8 hours per day), but I purchased another one because I tend to buy two of many things I really like and I didn't want to find myself 'out of juice' on a fishing trip. One of these days I'll find out just how long one of these batteries last on the Striker 4.

I fish from a large kayak, so weight isn't much of a concern, but the small size makes it easy to stow the battery (and a spare) behind the seat (along with other gear) in the setback bag. The orientation of the battery doesn't matter since it's a lithium ion not requiring venting...completely sealed.

Other than cost about the only downside to any lithium battery (including the ones now commonly used in cordless power tools) is that they will not tolerate charging below 32 F. Many lithium battery charging systems have protective features that prevent charging at low temperatures. For all of my lithium battery powered devices I charge them at house temps. Keeping them on a charger in low temperatures in a cold garage can irreparably damage the battery (unless the battery/charger system has intrinsic temperature sensing capability...which means it won't attempt to charge the battery until its temperature becomes favorable).

It's also important to use a charger that's designed to charge lithium batteries...there are fundamental differences in battery chemistry and associated charger function (desulfonation pulses that are beneficial in lead acid batteries) that could damage a lithium battery.

Despite the charging temperature issue lithium batteries still provide power at low ambient temperatures.

 

[Wanative]

I've been using the Nocqua lithium batteries to power my Striker 4 for three years. Started out with one, and was never able to deplete its charge in four days of use (probably about 6-8 hours per day), but I purchased another one because I tend to buy two of many things I really like and I didn't want to find myself 'out of juice' on a fishing trip. One of these days I'll find out just how long one of these batteries last on the Striker 4.

I fish from a large kayak, so weight isn't much of a concern, but the small size makes it easy to stow the battery (and a spare) behind the seat (along with other gear) in the setback bag. The orientation of the battery doesn't matter since it's a lithium ion not requiring venting...completely sealed.

Other than cost about the only downside to any lithium battery (including the ones now commonly used in cordless power tools) is that they will not tolerate charging below 32 F. Many lithium battery charging systems have protective features that prevent charging at low temperatures. For all of my lithium battery powered devices I charge them at house temps. Keeping them on a charger in low temperatures in a cold garage can irreparably damage the battery (unless the battery/charger system has intrinsic temperature sensing capability...which means it won't attempt to charge the battery until its temperature becomes favorable).

It's also important to use a charger that's designed to charge lithium batteries...there are fundamental differences in battery chemistry and associated charger function (desulfonation pulses that are beneficial in lead acid batteries) that could damage a lithium battery.

Despite the charging temperature issue lithium batteries still provide power at low ambient temperatures.

Thanks for the tutorial, good stuff to know about.

 

[krusty]

Thanks for the tutorial, good stuff to know about.

I learned some of it the hard way!