Want to extend the run time of your kayak electronics for longer fishing trips or tournaments? This article focuses on How To Connect 12V Batteries in Parallel. This can be easily acquired with the addition of a second SLA or LFP battery (LiFePO4) wired parallel. The second battery will need to be the same voltage as the first or they will work against each other which may result in heat issues or decreased run time. Also if you are using a SLA you must use the same type of battery in parallel due to the voltage issue.

You can create a parallel connection between 2 batteries with a few materials simply right at home.

Materials needed:

• (4) Female Spade Crimp On Connectors
• (2) 18″ length – 14 AWG Copper stranded wire w/ insulation Red & Black
• (2) Butt Connectors (optional)
• Fuse Block or Inline Fuse
• Blade Fuses

Tools:

• Wire strippers/crimps
• Heat Gun

Fabricating a Parallel Wire Harness:

Most small 12v batteries have male spade connectors on the top as battery terminals. Although some have other connectors its best to match them so you may disconnect the battery from the harness. Since the battery harness will be used in a wet marine environment its best to use marine grade heat shrink connectors.

The parallel harness will simply connect two batteries together on the same polarity. Positive to Positive and Negative to Negative. Seen in the diagram on the left, you will to wire in an inline fuse or fuse block on the positive side. Then adding a latching switch adds safety while plugging and unplugging devices around water.

If using an inline fuse the switch can be spliced in after. If using a fuse block a switch can be added before the block as a master switch.  Also you may want a switch to control power to every accessory. In that case switch all positive leads from the fuse block. This comes in handy when running say lighting and a fish finder. Separate switches will operate each electrical device.

My Parallel Battery Project includes (2) 12V 12 aH LFP (LiFePO4) batteries. When completed total output will be 12V 24aH. This will extend the run time of the battery but will still power the same electronics.

For building the battery box check out my post: Portable Water Resistant Enclosure & Switching 

Portable Power Charging Station

So you have installed your sparkling brand new Torqeedo Ultralight 403 electric outboard. How do you maintain it? Maintenance is always good practice for protecting and getting the most longevity from your investment. Being an electric motor the Ultralight 403 has very low maintenance.

Cleaning off your Motor:

After a day out on the water its always good to rinse off your motor. Remove dirt and mud that may have accumulated. Also remove any weeds that may have wrapped in the prop. This is always a good time to inspect the propeller for any foreign objects such as fishing line.

For use in saltwater its good to rinse off with soap and a brush off the motor thoroughly. Just about the entire motor system is aluminum which will discolor and pit over time. Using a soap such as simple green a brush and some water clean off the entire system after each use.

Keeping Connections Clean:

Over time power and data connections become dirty. The gold plated electrodes are easy to clean by spraying them down with WD-40. Drain the residual out the plug. Then insert each end into the battery. Then pull out and reinsert them.

Capping Connectors:

Personally I like to cap my connectors after use. Using Screw Protector and Pipe End Caps on the connectors keeps out dirt and sand that could cause a connection to fail. They also protect against damage to the pins in the connectors. Bent connection pins will result in the cable failing.

Cleaning the Throttle Controller:

Over time salt, dirt buildup, and grime can bind down your throttle handle. Its good practice to rinse the throttle controller after use but often this is forgotten. If it becomes bound up and doesn’t seem to stop propulsion simply fill up a tub with about 3/4″ of warm water. Set the throttle int he water on its side with the throttle handle. Let soak fr a good 20 minutes. This should dissolve salt from the unit.

Torqeedo has done it again innovating motorization of small watercraft with electric propulsion. The New Torqeedo 1417-00 Spare Battery at 915 Wh 31 Ah which packs in 3X the power as the stock 1416-00 320 Wh 11 Ah Ultralight battery. Unlocking both distance and run time with all of the same features as the stock battery plus. The overall dimensions of the 1417 battery is the exact same but it has a bit more weight to it.

“Game Changer”

If you do a ton of kayak angling on large bodies of water I would recommend picking up the 1417 battery as your main and using the 1416 the which is included with the Ultralight 403 as your spare. In my previous article I went over the Travel 1415-00 battery for use as a spare battery. At 530 Wh 18 Ah this was efficient and allowed much more distance running the ultralight 403 all day long. Although with the included 1416 battery you can run all day long at slow speeds. The larger capacity allowed for running against tides and up rivers at a much wider open throttle.

The term “Game Changer” is often used in the industry for little things. This battery is a true”Game Changer”. Using the motor as you would previously paddling speed you will easily have a run time of 24 hours.

Why an Expensive Battery?

If you are not familiar with Torqeedos’ High Performance Lithium batteries, here are some reasons why they are top of the line. Torqeedo Inc. only uses high quality LiFePo (lithium iron phosphate) cells from Japan and the USA to have the most stability that lithium batteries can have. Therefore being safe to use on small watercraft. Torqeedo Inc has engineered The Battery Management System or BMS which balances the reactions necessary to charge the cells and output power to the motor. Torqeedo packs the cells separately in steel cylinders which unlike most lithium cells are packed in foil or coffee bags. The steel cylinders are the utmost protection without being as costly as ceramic cylinders. All Trorqeedo battery housings hold a Waterproof to IP67 rating. Meaning the battery can withstand being submerged in under 3.3 feet of water for 30 minutes. Any type of water in lithium batteries can lead to problems such as BMS hardware corrosion or creating electrolytic gas which is highly explosive.

If the battery becomes submerged for longer than 30 minutes you may want to send it to Torqeedo to be serviced.

The on board GPS is a computer within the battery. This computer communicates with the throttle controller to display your current speed and distance to charge. The new 1417 battery is also  compatible with the Torq Trac module and app like the previous battery’s.

Torqeedo Website Link

MSRP $899