12v 3.4 ah charger enough?

I decided to go with a 12 v charger for my FF (cuda 300, b/w)  and am looking at battery size... is 3.4 amp enough to power the ff?    half the size and weight of the 7 ah batts  and my yak is already heavy enough.   

I currently use the 8 AA setup but it craps out on me after about half a day with reg batteries and less with rechargeable.

Yep!

A cuda 300 draws about 170 mA per hour normally (240 mA with light on).  So 3.4 amp hours would ideally give you 20 hours of running time with the lights off.

Brian

Check the ampere-hour rating on the AA batteries you are using and you'll have your answer.

For instance, Duracell Coppertop AA batteries are rated 2.85 aH.  Doesn't sound like you'll get much more life out of a 3.4 aH battery.  But ... I would have expected you to get more than a 1/2 day on the AA's on a cuda 300.  Maybe something else is going on here ... check your connections for any corrosion and unecessary voltage drop.

-Allen

Your getting less time out of your rechargeables because your not using 10 AA's.  Rechargables are 1.2V, vs alkaline which are 1.5V.  To have the same voltage you need to use two more rechargeables in a 10AA holder.  There are many differn't capacities of rechargeables, but if you use high end ones, they will last you all weekend for sure!

your charger is designed to run at 10-17 volts.

I run my cuda on this little guy, a 11.1volt, 2400mah Lipo Batt.

Tiny, ultra light, will run for days on end, even if you leave it on by accident.. havent charged it the last 4 trips cause i got lazy.

your charger is designed to run at 10-17 volts.

I run my cuda on this little guy, a 11.1volt, 2400mah Lipo Batt.

Tiny, ultra light, will run for days on end, even if you leave it on by accident.. havent charged it the last 4 trips cause i got lazy.

Porky, so whats that cost and do I need a special charger for it? I've given up on the AA's and I am using my brick but a smaller lighter set up would be sweet.

to be honest, i use the brick and while it is heavier when i'm carrying my stuff down to my kayak, i don't notice the weight at all if i'm on wheels or while on the water. 

the brick probably weighs 4-5lbs or so but that won't matter once i'm floating.  it doesn't affect my balance at all that i notice and i doubt that it slows me down stored in my hull.  8ah on a brick was enough to power my humminbird 343c for at least 20 hours straight (when i used it at Clear lake) even if the math doesn't seem to add up (8ah / 383mah draw).

 

this little guy will surpass 20 hrs, i throw it in my pocket while i unload, if your like me and carry your yak and gear everywhere cuz you got no wheeleez, being able to throw it in your pocket is priceless, also never have i got to the beach and said "crap, i forgot to charge my batteries" cuz even if i forgot to charge it, it always works.

you can get a basic lipo charger for like $50-$60 these days, just shop around.

The battery cost varies depending on where you buy, look for deals... but there are battery houses that sell good lipos for cheap... just saw mine online for $45

ive been using this battery for a long time, I also used it for a year and a half to power a little off road rc car....

charged it before i stored it for the winter, may 1st it worked perfect, lipos will hold there charge when stored, MINIMAL drop...

you can get a set up for under a $100, yeah slightly more cost, but its worth it.

oh, and it charges super quick!

Sweet...Porky, thanks for that.  I was contemplating on what sort of setup to use on my new (to me) T160...I use a 10-cell AA setup on my Hobie but this looks like a better option.  The 10-cell setup can be a PITA to charge (you ever notice how most of the chargers out there only hold 8 cells?).