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Maintaining Battery Life for Portable Fishing Kits and Ice Fishing Kits by Garmin®
Garmin manufactures a variety of portable fishing and ice fishing bundles which include a 12VDC lead acid or lithium-ion battery and charger; for information on which battery is included with which bundle, refer to the product page on Garmin.com or the Owner's Manual.
Garmin does not manufacture batteries. For additional battery specific information not found here contact the battery manufacturer.
Charging time will vary depending upon the battery type, battery size, and the type of charger being used, and the draw of the equipment in the bundle. Charging time also varies with temperature, taking even more time to charge at colder temperatures. A mostly drained battery will take more time to recharge than a partially drained battery, and a battery that is at end of life will fail to fully charge, and issues with the device operating correctly may occur.
The amount of time that a battery will last depends upon the maximum expected Amp Hour (Ah) capacity and how much amperage is being drawn by the connected electronics. How much amperage is drawn by an electronic device can vary as individual hardware components within the electronic device will draw more amperage when initialized.
To determine an approximate range of time for how long a battery will last, factor in the total maximum power usage or current draw of all connected electronics in with the Ah capacity from information found in the appropriate Garmin device Owner's Manual and the information found in How to Calculate Amp Draw.
Whether brand new or at any other phase of a products usable lifetime, a product that is appearing to have become defective may instead be receiving inadequate power to properly function. When a battery fails it may be unable to output enough amperage and voltage for the device to function properly. To test the health of a battery, it is necessary to use a load tester. Many retailers who sell batteries also have a load tester on hand, and if issues with a device functioning occur, a defective battery must be ruled out. For more information related to a proper power supply, see Power Issues on Garmin Marine Devices.
| NOTE: The following is provided for general reference. The Owner's Manual, which may have been included with the product, will have information about which battery type is included, the expected charging time, and other important maintenance and charging information about the included battery and charger. |
Battery Lifetime
If information found on this page and in the Owner's Manual is observed, the overall lifetime of a battery should last up to and even longer than the warranty window of the Garmin product.
For more information on the warranty see the Marine Warranty Policy.
Factors that may increase or decrease how long a battery lasts during each use include but are not limited to:
Screen brightness set at its highest setting increases amperage draw
SONAR transmit enabled; set to disable between uses if transducer data is not needed
Transmit power increases or decreases depending on water conditions
Wi-Fi being enabled increases amperage draw
Reading or writing of data to or from inserted microSD™/SD Card™
Recording of Quickdraw Contours
Loading non-built-in chart data
Current air temperature and or direct sunlight to the electronic device or battery
Factoring in the above and the following information as well, if the battery and or the unit is exposed to conditions that are too hot or too cold, the battery may not last as long
A properly stored and routinely properly charged battery may operate better when mild weather returns, unless the hot or cold conditions were too extreme, in which case the battery may be near end of life
Factors that increase or decease how long a battery lasts overtime include:
Proper storage
Excessive heat and or cold to be avoided
For information on the minimum and maximum temperature range, refer to the device Owner's Manual
Connecting to a charger between long periods of non-use
Disconnect the equipment from the battery before storing
Electronics in a powered-off state do draw a very small current which can result in excessive drain to the battery
Routine charging after each use and charge periodically after longer periods of non-use
Storing a discharged battery can result in a battery that will discharged to the point of no longer accepting a charge
Chargers for lead-acid batteries and the Battery Management System (BMS) of lithium-ion battery prevent accidental overcharging
A battery's age can play a role in the expected lifetime of a battery as can how many times it has been charged or discharged
| LEAD ACID NOTE: Once the battery voltage of 11.6VDC is reached, it is recommended that the equipment be powered off and the battery placed on the included Garmin charger as soon as possible. Failure to routinely recharge, trickle charge the battery and or operate the battery below 11.6VDC can result in battery failure. |
| LITHIUM-ION NOTE: Lithium-ion batteries included with Garmin bundles are engineered with a Battery Management System that cuts the battery off to protect the battery from discharging too far, and from overcharging. The BMS is not designed to maximize the lifespan of the battery. Failure to routinely recharge and trickle charge the battery between uses and or operating the battery below 10.8V can result in battery failure. |
Batteries Included with Portable Fishing Kits and Ice Fishing Kits
The Portable Fishing Kit, Small Portable Ice Fishing Kit, and Large Portable Ice Fishing Kit do not come with a bundled fishfinder or chartplotter, but do include a battery and charger:
7Ah included with Portable Fishing Kit & Small Portable Ice Fishing Kit
12Ah included with Large Portable Ice Fishing Kit
The STRIKER™ fishfinder & ECHOMAP™ combo bundled portable fishing or ice fishing marine equipment factors in to what size and or battery type is included:
7Ah lead-acid battery included with 5", 6" & 7" bundles
12Ah lead-acid battery included with discontinued 9" bundles and still included with the Large Portable Portable Ice Fishing Kit
16.5Ah Lithium-ion battery included with current model 9" LiveScope Ice Fishing bundles which features the GLS™ 10 Sonar Module
| NOTE: Lithium-ion batteries included with kits are not sold separately by Garmin, and the battery in the kit is not proprietary. If a new battery is needed, see Recommendations for Third-Party Lithium Ion Battery for Garmin Marine Devices. |
| LEAD ACID NOTE: Once the battery voltage of 11.6VDC is reached, it is recommended that the equipment be powered off and the battery placed on the included Garmin charger as soon as possible. Failure to routinely recharge, trickle charge the battery and or operate the battery below 11.6VDC can result in battery failure. |
| LITHIUM-ION NOTE: Lithium-ion batteries (such as those included with Garmin bundles) are engineered by the battery manufacturer with BMS that cuts the battery off to protect the battery from discharging too far, and from overcharging. This BMS microchip is not designed to maximize the lifespan of the battery. Failure to routinely recharge and trickle charge the battery between uses and or operating the battery below 10.8V can result in battery failure. |
| NOTE: Do not use or attempt to use rechargeable batteries intended for cordless power tools with Garmin products. |
Information About Charging
With the included chargers the 7Ah lead-acid and 16.5Ah lithium-ion battery takes approximately 8 hours to charge.
The 12Ah battery takes approximately 14 hours.
Charging varies with temperature, taking a long time to charge at colder temperatures.
A battery not fully drained will take less time to recharge.
With lead acid batteries, failure to routinely recharge, trickle charge the battery and or operate the battery below 11.6VDC can result in battery failure.
With lithium-ion batteries, failure to routinely recharge and trickle charge the battery between uses and or operating the battery below 10.8V can result in battery failure.
Technology in the included charger for lead acid batteries or in the BMS system for lithium-ion batteries protects the battery from overcharging and is not a feature for maximizing battery life.
For information not found on this page, see Owner's Manual.