Navigation lights and battery system

A few folks have expressed interest in seeing how I rigged my fish-n-dive for navigation lights.  I used standard equipment for a small boat.  I got it from Bass-pro and spent about $150 for the parts, wiring, battery and charger for the battery.  The wiring is standard marine romex-type wire from home depot with silicon stuffed marine wire nuts for most connections.  The power cables for the bow and stern lights were run together with a T off to where it joins with the power cable for the fish finder.  Both have independent fuses and join together into one connector for each side of the battery.  The battery is a computer system back up battery and weighs about 4 pounds.  I can run the fish finder, with backlighting, and the navigation lights for at least 8 hours.  I have been using the same battery for almost 10 years now and it still lasts all day.  I don't remember where i bought it, but the batery was only about $30 bucks and the charge was a little more than that.  I put a switch in line for the lights so that I can turn the lights on and off without disrupting the power to the fish finder.  I used a trolling motor puck transducer and epoxied it to the inside of the hull, it has also stayed in place for almost 10 years.  roughing up the spot where you will put it and resting a weight on the transducer while the epoxy dries makes for a good seal and pushes out any air bubbles in the epoxy, which is critical for good sonar readings.  I found a zip up lunch bag which fits the battery and i just strap it to a scupper post in the hold of the kayak with a bungie.  Doesn't move and again, has worked well for almost 10 years.  During that time, I have had to clean the contacts in the fuse holders and replace the connectors to the battery every few years because of corrosion, but other than that, no problems.  Let me know if you have any more questions, lots of pics below.

Norm

Yes thanks, I was asking a while back, i've booked marked this post...i'm not quite there yet but might have some "?'s" down the road...Looks great, good pics, thank you for posting them Norm...

Mike...

Wow Norm, that's some riggin'!

Just wondered, do you know how much the whole set-up weighs?

Wow Norm, that's some riggin'!

Just wondered, do you know how much the whole set-up weighs?

Beyond the battery, the rest of the equipment is very light weight and I would say that all of the wiring and lights together don't weigh more than about a pound.  The pole light weighs maybe 6 oz. or so and the bow light has a plastic casing and weighs probably 2 oz or so.  All together, probably about 5 pounds, not significant from my perspective as I usually end up taking about 25 or 30 pounds of gear total with my milk-crate rod holders, tackle and quiver of rods.   

All together, probably about 5 pounds....

Oh, not too bad.

Nice work Norm. Thanks!

gook looking stuff there,
where is the mount for a 1m candle power spot on the front?
 

jim

Cool stuff Norm.  Not sure I would ever have the need for it, but it is cool.

My style would be more like duct tape a couple of flashlights front and back and call er good.  Or those flashy bike lights.

BTW:  That knot you showed me to join spectra to mono is awesome.  One of the best knots I've learned.  You should do a thread on that too.

BTW:  That knot you showed me to join spectra to mono is awesome.  One of the best knots I've learned.  You should do a thread on that too.

just getting ready to spool up some new briaded <-sp?/mono...just curious...

gook looking stuff there,
where is the mount for a 1m candle power spot on the front?
 

jim

Not a bad idea.......I was thinking more along the lines of electric downriggers and a winch for my crab pots....

BTW:  That knot you showed me to join spectra to mono is awesome.  One of the best knots I've learned.  You should do a thread on that too.

just getting ready to spool up some new briaded <-sp?/mono...just curious...

Glad the knot is working for you Dave, it is my favorite and if done right, pretty durrable.  I've caught 40 pound white seabass and similar sized tuna and even some big yellowtail with that knot and it holds up pretty well.

I'll take some pictures and write the knot up in another post when I get some time, don't think I'll have time to get it done today.  The best thing about it is you can make the mono or flourocarbon leader as long as you want becuase it winds on pretty easily and casts fine. 

Norm