Rusty FF battery pack and battery connector.

Hi. I´m using a Lowrance X50 DS Fish Finder in a Pro Angler Kayak (the one provided in the "Ultimate kayak fishing package"). It works very well but the 8 AA battery holder and the snap connector rust very, very fast, since I use it regularly in Acapulco, Mexico (saltwater of course).
Is there any way to protect them or to slow the rust process?
Is there any battery pack that holds the required power supply longer than the AA 8 battery cells with 9 volt snap fastener supplied? It will run out of enough juice in about 8 hours of operation.

Thank you.

To keep rust off of your connectors, use dielectric grease. It is available at any auto parts store. Coat all the exposed metal liberally from the connection between the fishfinder and the battery. This includes the prongs of the power cord that insert into the fishfinder.

If you want more life out of the batteries for your fishfinder, you'll have to ditch the AA pack and upgrade to a rechargeable 12 volt 7ah or more battery. I use a Humminbird 385ci color fishfinder / GPS unit and my 12 volt 9ah battery will run for about 20 hours.

Thank you for your advice lqt420. I´ll do all you suggest. I´m sure this will solve my problem.

i never understood y anyone would use those AA packs... truth be told they run at the low end of voltage (max in the 10.5 volt range)..... get yourself a 12 volt like was said.. A 12volt bat has a full charge of 13.6volts.... But i would go bigger than the 7ah... the weight diff between a 7ah and a 12ah is very little.... i use 12ah for most everything... it has more than enough power to run everything i can dream of all day and night long... lights, graph, bilge, aerator, and even my small power converter so i can charge my phone... I set up a dry box inside my yak that has my batt and a fuse panel...... i run everything to the panel... that way i only have one wire on each post of the batt... more or less its the same setup as you would find on a fishing boat..

I am using a 5 amp 12 volt battery to run a Humminbird 787ci with internal GPS with excellent results. the smaller 5 amp battery is in a water tight plastic box sourced from Walmart and it is plenty of power for multiple days on the water.

Hiya!, my solution sees plenty of salt too!

12V 7 aH, battery in a sealed box, the 12V charger cable also became a connector, so it can be connected directly to the battery or used with the orginal clamps for other purposes







Using it to power a B&W 565 HB FF, it lasts for days

PF

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hobie Quest

I use a 12v 8ah sealed, non-spillable battery for my 343c and 597ci depth finders.

After I connect the battery, I place it in a rolled up Sea Line dry bag, along with other items that I carry (first aid kit, small towel, etc.). All terminal connections stay dry in the dry bag.

If you have so much water in the hull that your dry bag fails, then you've got bigger problems to worry about.

I also highly suggest the use of dielectric grease. Not only on the battery terminals, but also on the depth finder terminals too.