HDS Battery Life and Charting Question - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

wade · 01-29-2011, 06:33 PM

my battery lasts all day 9/10hrs+, fished all day & hooped just the other night no prob.i was contemplating getting the nautic plainum card, but i will prob wait, considering the nautic stock maps are really detailed already with the 50/200 .

THE DARKHORSE · 01-29-2011, 08:37 PM

Hey Tom, from my experience the Hi Def units are more efficient and easier on the battery in general. I'm guessing you have a bunk battery, did you check it with a volt meter? If it's a 12V/12 amp it should last longer than that. I use a 12 volt/ 14 amp so I don't have to even think about it. When your sonar dies---it sucks!

I could be wrong, but I believe the high powered, color units will automatically turn off when it gets down to 10 amps. It's not like a bait-tank pump that will run until the battery is dead.

And I'd have to agree with Wade on the stock nautic map with the HDS 5---it's pretty bad a$$ if you asked me. In my opinion, you'd be wasting money unless you're fishing with that unit offshore.

TCS · 01-29-2011, 09:51 PM

Thanks, turns out I have software version 2.5. There have been updates two updates since then. Hopefully the update will help with the stock charting because right now it's a little underwhelming.

I'll talk to Jared about the battery and see what he thinks.

01-29-2011, 06:33 PM	#1
wade Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Oceanside Posts: 1,214	my battery lasts all day 9/10hrs+, fished all day & hooped just the other night no prob.i was contemplating getting the nautic plainum card, but i will prob wait, considering the nautic stock maps are really detailed already with the 50/200 . __________________

01-29-2011, 08:37 PM	#2
THE DARKHORSE Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Seven minutes from the launch! Posts: 987	Hey Tom, from my experience the Hi Def units are more efficient and easier on the battery in general. I'm guessing you have a bunk battery, did you check it with a volt meter? If it's a 12V/12 amp it should last longer than that. I use a 12 volt/ 14 amp so I don't have to even think about it. When your sonar dies---it sucks! I could be wrong, but I believe the high powered, color units will automatically turn off when it gets down to 10 amps. It's not like a bait-tank pump that will run until the battery is dead. And I'd have to agree with Wade on the stock nautic map with the HDS 5---it's pretty bad a$$ if you asked me. In my opinion, you'd be wasting money unless you're fishing with that unit offshore. __________________

01-29-2011, 09:51 PM	#3
TCS Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 478	Thanks, turns out I have software version 2.5. There have been updates two updates since then. Hopefully the update will help with the stock charting because right now it's a little underwhelming. I'll talk to Jared about the battery and see what he thinks.