Dakota Lithium Power Box 10... Thoughts?

What's up, guys.

Another SLA has bit the dust, and I'm thinking it might be time for me to step out of the dark ages of battery technology.

I keep seeing ads for Dakota Lithium, and I'm intrigued by the all-inclusive Power Box 10. It's obviously pricey, but I'm OK with that if it performs as advertised and holds up to the abuse of ocean kayaking.

So who's got one? What do you think of it?

Here are a couple of my concerns...

*How durable/effective are the rubber seals that keep moisture out of the USB and car charger ports? 

*Is it easy to keep the two post terminals on the exterior free of corrosion? (Can they be disassembled and deep cleaned if needed?)

*Have you ever noticed moisture or corrosion inside the box?

*If the Dakota Lithium battery were to fail, would a different 10 AH battery fit into the box?

I know there are other battery boxes out there (including the full range of DIY options) but I don't have time to tinker on a kayak project right now. That's why this all-inclusive box is appealing.

Thanks in advance for any insights!

Cheers,

~Alex

Around Dec. 2019, I was shopping for a new battery.  I went with an Amped Outdoors 12AH LITHIUM BATTERY (LIFEPO4) and charger.  I have an existing battery box and it fits right in.  I use it for my 7 inch FF/GPS turned on up to 8 hrs.  It charges fast and maintains the charge for my next trip.  I've been using it about 3 times a month since last Dec.  Amped Outdoors also has battery boxes.  Great reviews from the ice fishing crowd.


https://ampedoutdoors.com/collections/lifepo4-battery/products/12v-12ah-lifepo4-lithium?variant=31795466207369

I purchased my battery and charger here:
https://www.thornebros.com/collections/electronic-accessories-ice/products/amped-outdoors-lithium-batteries

I'm huge a fan of LiFePO4, as I've had one (7Ah) for a long, long time and it's withstood a ton of use and abuse. Not the Dakota brand, but it's the same thing.

I built a simple battery box that includes 2 power outlets (with fuses) and a port for a solar charger. The box cost a few dollars at Walmart and would be perfect if the metal rods in the hinges were stainless...

I'm huge a fan of LiFePO4, as I've had one (7Ah) for a long, long time and it's withstood a ton of use and abuse. Not the Dakota brand, but it's the same thing.

I built a simple battery box that includes 2 power outlets (with fuses) and a port for a solar charger. The box cost a few dollars at Walmart and would be perfect if the metal rods in the hinges were stainless...

Nice.

What kind of wire connections are you using between your head unit power cord and the battery box?

I’ve been using the “waterproof” connectors that came in the Hobie/Lowrance installation kit I bought shortly after picking up my Outback  (and subsequent replacements because they keep failing). Even with dielectric grease and thorough rinsing after each use, corrosion takes over. And they aren’t exactly serviceable.

That’s what intrigued me about the binding post connections on the Dakota box. It seems like it would be much easier to scrub off the inevitable corrosion from that type of connector than the male/female type plug that came with the kit...


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I bought a Dakota Lithium 10Ah Battery about a year ago and it is working great. Very light and can run my Humminbird helix 5 for at least 2 full days at full brightness, about 14 hours (could probably go a lot longer, but I haven't tested that). I used to have a 7Ah SLA but after 1.5 years it wouldn't even get me through one day. According to the literature, iron phosphate batteries should last much longer and handle full discharge better than SLA so I'm hoping this battery will last a long time. I used regular clips on the battery terminals connected to a waterproof fuse holder and a waterproof connector to attach the fish finder. I covered the terminals with silicone caulking so it is waterproof. I put the same waterproof connector on my charger so I never have to touch the battery terminals. I used to use a battery box, but I wanted the battery to be smaller to fit in a Hobie battery holder and I saw online that others just use silicone caulking on the terminals. So far so good. If you want pics let me know and I'll try to get some later.

I bought a Dakota Lithium 10Ah Battery about a year ago and it is working great. Very light and can run my Humminbird helix 5 for at least 2 full days at full brightness, about 14 hours (could probably go a lot longer, but I haven't tested that). I used to have a 7Ah SLA but after 1.5 years it wouldn't even get me through one day. According to the literature, iron phosphate batteries should last much longer and handle full discharge better than SLA so I'm hoping this battery will last a long time. I used regular clips on the battery terminals connected to a waterproof fuse holder and a waterproof connector to attach the fish finder. I covered the terminals with silicone caulking so it is waterproof. I put the same waterproof connector on my charger so I never have to touch the battery terminals. I used to use a battery box, but I wanted the battery to be smaller to fit in a Hobie battery holder and I saw online that others just use silicone caulking on the terminals. So far so good. If you want pics let me know and I'll try to get some later.

Good to know. Thanks. Curious what kind of waterproof connector you are using between the fuse holder and fish finder? That connection seems to be where I have corrosion problems, even when I use dielectric grease. (I end up with a blue goop of corrosion-stained dielectric grease...)

I'm using the ones in the link below, however, on Amazon they only have 3 and 4 pin connectors now. I got 2 pin connectors.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WDBLFDN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I put a little dielectric grease on them to prevent corrosion.

FYI I also tried the ones below awhile ago and they were horrible. You could can short them while plugging them in (always carry some spare fuses), the wire started to corrode inside the insulation and they became loose and didn't make a good connection after awhile.
Don't use these:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C243XBM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use these connectors, which you can see on the outside of the box:

https://www.amazon.com/Sets-Waterproof-Connectors-Assembly-Harness/dp/B00M72QX82

The fuses are inside the box and all connections stay dry, but I still used waterproof heat-shrink on connectors. I’ve never had an issue with corrosion on these.

On the other hand, these things suck, corrosion-wise:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pin-Molded-Connector-10-Gauge-PigTail-10AWG-Wire-Male-Female/123401604479?hash=item1cbb4f0d7f:g:siYAAOSwbehbs6zu

I use these connectors, which you can see on the outside of the box:

https://www.amazon.com/Sets-Waterproof-Connectors-Assembly-Harness/dp/B00M72QX82

The fuses are inside the box and all connections stay dry, but I still used waterproof heat-shrink on connectors. I’ve never had an issue with corrosion on these.

On the other hand, these things suck, corrosion-wise:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pin-Molded-Connector-10-Gauge-PigTail-10AWG-Wire-Male-Female/123401604479?hash=item1cbb4f0d7f:g:siYAAOSwbehbs6zu

Interesting. Those look very similar to the Hobie/Lowrance connectors that keep giving me issues (sometimes it's corrosion, sometimes the pins pull out or get bent in a way that gives a bad connection).

Maybe I just need to buy a 5 pack and replace them periodically...

Interesting. Those look very similar to the Hobie/Lowrance connectors that keep giving me issues (sometimes it's corrosion, sometimes the pins pull out or get bent in a way that gives a bad connection).

Maybe I just need to buy a 5 pack and replace them periodically...

They do look kind of cheesy, but I've never had any trouble with pins breaking or corrosion, and I don't think I've used dielectric grease on them. I guess the rear hatch of my Hobie is pretty well protected.

The connectors on my Garmin FF have thin pins, and I've had issues with those, in spite of constant rinsing and dielectric grease.

I have been using a Nocqua 10ah battery for a few years and was really happy with it. I switched fish finders to a larger screen and a 10ah battery is only good for 5 hours. So I purchased another Nocqua 10ah along with their auto switch that was supposed to automatically switch from the low battery to the fully charged one.

In use it wouldn’t switch, and the Raymarine at 10.2 volts drops the sounder functions, and continues with chart plotter only. A big bummer because I’m usually on the water for 6-7 hours. I sent the new battery/ switch back, and asked for a full refund. It has been 2 months since they received the battery/switch back and I haven’t heard back from them. Not happy with their customer service.

In the future I will be trying out one the batteries our member CHET makes and sells:

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=87570.0

I have been using a Nocqua 10ah battery for a few years and was really happy with it. I switched fish finders to a larger screen and a 10ah battery is only good for 5 hours. So I purchased another Nocqua 10ah along with their auto switch that was supposed to automatically switch from the low battery to the fully charged one.

In use it wouldn’t switch, and the Raymarine at 10.2 volts drops the sounder functions, and continues with chart plotter only. A big bummer because I’m usually on the water for 6-7 hours. I sent the new battery/ switch back, and asked for a full refund. It has been 2 months since they received the battery/switch back and I haven’t heard back from them. Not happy with their customer service.

In the future I will be trying out one the batteries our member CHET makes and sells:

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=87570.0

Mark, which Raymarine did you use? Thanks!

Element HV 9

Any reason not to use a lithium style jumper box for jump starting cars?
Many of them have usb out put for charging phones as well as a 12v out let for a FF. Just curious since I dont see it recommended.
Didn’t want to start another thread for a simple answer. Thanks.

I went ahead and spring for the Dakota Lithium Power Box 10. I’ll write up a review after I’ve had a chance to use it a bit.


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