Hooray Lowerance Elite-4x! Now, what battery for best results?

welp that does it so far for this Christmas the wife out did herself and snatched up an Elite-4x, now i have the fun of putting it where i want it to go... and what not.

This is the question that i am presenting to everyone out there, what battery are you all using and also is there some kind of current regulator that I should run with the battery to smooth out the current that is going straight to the unit? or does everyone essentially just direct connect to the battery terminals? I dont need anyone to hold my hand just kind of point my foot in the right direction and I can take the steps... lol. I always fall back on this community of yak lovers because you guys are always so eager to help out. thanks again guys.

Pretty excited to see some fishies
-Wet Behind the Ears-

I have one of these and love it . . .

Lasts for days.

All you need is a fuse, And a way to keep it dry.

I have one of these and love it . . .

Lasts for days.

All you need is a fuse, And a way to keep it dry.

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I have one of these and love it . . .

Lasts for days.

All you need is a fuse, And a way to keep it dry.

as far as fuze sizes what would be the size that i would run? I am pretty electronically incompetent unfortunately.
How would that fuze be incorporated into the circuit? is there a sleeve that i would splice in that would force the current to go through it (i apologize if these questions are half "retarded"  but i literally have never had to mess with anything electronic or modify something to make it work better.

3amp fuse on the end of the red (positive) wire.

3amp fuse on the end of the red (positive) wire.

Thanks Cure appreciate it. I just want to put this thing to work. asap!
thanks guys!

Here's a photo of my set up so far.
The white wire is a waterproof connection that's going to be siliconed so that it's sticking out of the Tupperware container.
The red is where I soldered the battery to the waterproof connector and covered it with red liquid electrical tape.
I forgot to add the fuse. So, I am going to remove the liquid electrical tape  undo my solder joint and add the in-line fuse, then seal it all up again with gobs of liquid electrical tape. I will be using a paddle fuse like the ones in your car.
The other connector in the photo is for charging the battery. The battery is sealed in a Seal a meal bag for extra protection.
The battery only weighs about 1 pound.
I know some people don't use a fuse, however I had an electrical fire in my car when I was a kid from installing A car stereo. Don't want to have that happen on the water.


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I just got an Elite 4 also.  This looks like an good setup and easy to keep charged.  There's plenty of these batteries on eBay and cheap.

What are other options?  I have not seen the AA packs.  Does anyone have any pics or experience with them?

- LoveDrums

The Li-Ions are cool, if a little expensive. I believe you need 10 AA's. Cases /holders available at Radio Shack or your local electronics store. The sealed lead acid batteries are pretty heavy. the 7 amp ones are tyoically used (easier to find). I use a 4 amp. Leaves more room in my center hatch. Four amps will last at least two full days of fishing

i like the options here so far and the feedback. Man this is why i love this site. you guys help out so much!

Perfect timing, I'm gonna be installing a Fish finder pretty soon as well.

How important is the fuse on a FF setup? Has anybody had any bad experiences using one versus not?

Also, where is everyone mounting the battery? Would mounting it on the deck in a water proof container be a bad idea?




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Perfect timing, I'm gonna be installing a Fish finder pretty soon as well.

How important is the fuse on a FF setup? Has anybody had any bad experiences using one versus not?

Also, where is everyone mounting the battery? Would mounting it on the deck in a water proof container be a bad idea?


Im making sure that i put in a $1.50 fuse to protect possibly frying the FF. i am thinking of it as an insurance policy. I would kick myself in the ass over and over again if i didn't do a in-line fuse install and somehow caught a power surge and fried the unit.

Perfect timing, I'm gonna be installing a Fish finder pretty soon as well.

How important is the fuse on a FF setup? Has anybody had any bad experiences using one versus not?

Also, where is everyone mounting the battery? Would mounting it on the deck in a water proof container be a bad idea?


Im making sure that i put in a $1.50 fuse to protect possibly frying the FF. i am thinking of it as an insurance policy. I would kick myself in the ass over and over again if i didn't do a in-line fuse install and somehow caught a power surge and fried the unit.

I agree. I'm defiantly doing the same, just curious if it's a realistic fear or not. 


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I did the AA battery thing. to me it was a pain in the ass. I used a sealed tupperware container. Where you mount the battery may depend on the kayak. I now have a hobie and bought their set up. I would recommend their thru hull waterproof fittings for wires. makes for a clean install if battery is inside the hull. If possible keep the battery off the bottom of hull. as salt water damages the connections. Along with the liquid electrical tape I'd also use heat shrink that has a sealer inside.

I LOVE the Hobie thru-hull fittings for passing the electrical & transducer wires.  Ordered mine thru Headwaters.

Bill