12.8V, 105Ah, 150A Continuous, 1344Wh
23 lbs. Group 24 Size
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery
WITH LION ENERGY LITHIUM MARINE BATTERIES YOU CAN BOAT LONGER... FOR LIFE
Never cut your trip short. Why Lithium is the way to go!
It's often been said that any day fishing is better than a day at the office. Whether you're fishing or just enjoy being on the water in your boat, it should bring a smile to your face. So, how can you get the most of your boating experience? Portable power is the key. We get it. So, let’s talk power gear!
So, here's 6 things to consider and know before you go:
It's often been said that any day fishing is better than a day at the office. Whether you're fishing or just enjoy being on the water in your boat, it should bring a smile to your face. So, how can you get the most of your boating experience? Portable power is the key. We get it. So, let’s talk power gear!
So, here's 6 things to consider and know before you go:
RECREATIONAL OR FISHING?
Boating comes in different shapes and sizes to fit a host of different people and different needs. Whether you’re using your boat for recreation, for family fishing fun, or more serious competitive fishing, you’ve got to have the right equipment to make the best of your boating experiences. And that starts with power and not just any power, we're talking lithium power!
HOW OUR PORTABLE POWER CAN HELP YOU ON YOUR ADVENTURE
Recreational
Being on the water in a boat with friends and family can be wonderful and relaxing. You don't want to worry about the auxiliary power for lights, music, or other devices. Low or dead batteries put a damper on all the fun. So, to prevent that and to make sure you have the power you need, consider upgrading your batteries for auxiliary power to lithium batteries. They last 2X longer and weigh several pounds less than lead acid batteries so you don't have to charge them as often or worry about the weight or space in your boat. And you can use them over and over again.
You may want to have some extra portable power devices that you can use on or off the boat. Here are some great options:
- Cub JC. This compact, multifunctional power bank can easily jump-start dead batteries so you're not caught off guard or embarrassed by needing someone else to give you a jump or a tow. It also has a 120 psi air compressor to inflate floatation devices (adapters not included) and two USB outputs to power other devices. It even has a 3 stage LED flashlight (strobe, SOS, standard). Learn More.
- Lion Prowler. This power bank fits into the palm of your hand and can wirelessly charge Qi enabled smart phones and has 2 USB outputs to power other devices. It has a built-in flashlight and a lamp to provide light to where you need it. Learn More.
- Cub GO and GO 20W solar panel. This handy power bank has USB and 12V outputs AND an AC output for things like computers and depth finders. It has 150W of output and can be recharged with an optional 20 watt solar panel. Learn More.
- Safari LT and 100W folding solar panel. This 11 lbs portable power unit outputs up to 500W at a time and is a versatile power station with AC, USB, USB-C and 12V output. It can power an electric grill, mini frig and a CPAP machine so you can enjoy power on the boat or on the beach for you convenience. It has an optional 100W folding solar panel so you can get virtually an unlimited supply or power where you need it. Learn More.
- Safari ME and 100W folding solar panel. This portable power unit is a significant step up from the Safari LT with 2,000W of output at a time so you can power virtually anything you would plug into a standard wall outlet. It can be expandable if you need the power to last longer and also can be recharged with 100W folding solar panels. It's the "every day work horse" of our portable power units. Learn More.
Fishing
Fishing can be for fun and for your profession. Either way, no one wants to worry about their batteries while they're after the next big catch.
Traditional agm lead acid marine batteries are heavy, limited on power and a hassle to recharge.
But there's a better way, and Lion Energy can help. We believe that Lithium Ion Phosphate batteries are the way to go now and in the future. The Lion Safari UT™ 1300 (105Ah) or 700 (56Ah) are the perfect lithium bass boat batteries to power a trolling motor, and here’s why:
- Use ALL the energy. The Safari UT 700 can use all the stored energy in the battery, called 100% depth of discharge. Lead acid batteries only give you half energy and therefore half the usage time. Lithium batteries keep you out on the water 2X longer so you can stay on the water longer.
- Extremely lightweight. Our UT 700 weighs in at 17 lbs, which is nothing compared to the 65+ lbs lead-acid batteries. Less weight means your boat sits higher in the water and the batteries take up less space. So you can add another person in the boat and move faster across the water. That also means better gas mileage. When you need to remove it from the boat, you won't strain your back.
- Lasts longer. The UT 700 can be drained and recharged over 3,500 times. That means if you used all the energy in it every day and recharged it, it will last nearly 10 years. Try that with a lead acid battery... not! That’s why we back it with a 10-year warranty.
- Maintenance Free. The UT 700 works day in and day out—holding a charge for 3X longer than most lead-acid batteries. And you don't have to trickle charge it or remove it from your boat during the off season.
LEAD ACID VS LITHIUM BATTERIES
When you're considering auxiliary power for your boat to run lights, music, trolling motors, etc., you basically have two options: traditional lead acid batteries or cool new lithium batteries. Here is what you need to know about the two options.
LEAD ACID VS LITHIUM COMPARISON
Lead Acid Batteries
Lead acid batteries have been around a long time and they come in various shapes and sizes including "golf cart" and AGM to Deep Cycle and more. Here's some things to consider with any lead acid battery:
Usable Energy. The energy in the battery is expressed in terms of Amp hours (Ah). Lead acid batteries often state its Ah as one thing but what is actually usable is another. For example, it may say it has 100Ah but lead acid batteries typically only use approximately 50% of that so you are really getting 50Ah of usable energy out of the battery. And if you drop much below that depth of discharge, you stand to damage or lose the use of the battery altogether. And that means replacing it.
Length of Use. The amount of times you us or discharge the battery and then recharge it for use again is called Life Cycles. Lead acid batteries, using the 50% discharge capacity mentioned above, will have approximately 25-350 life cycles before they need to be replaced. And that's assuming you take good care of it.
Maintenance. Taking care of a lead acid battery is important to extend its life. Some require fluid to be added, cleaning the terminal posts from chemicals, and have some type of trickle charging on the battery so they don't go dead after a few months of not using it.
Weight. Because you have to handle a lead acid battery from time to time, weight becomes an issue. Lead acid batteries range from 45 lbs or so to nearly 120 lbs or more for some deep cycle batteries. That's a lot of weight... and strain on the back.
Value. This includes the initial purchase price and the cost of maintenance and replacement. Lead acid batteries purchase prices range from just under $100 to over $300 depending on type and quality. Then you need to figure in maintenance and replacement costs as most lead acid batteries, even if maintained properly, last 3-5 years at most. That's why their warranties are usually only for that timeframe and are also prorated so you don't get as much use or value. Most people don't remember to do the proper maintenance so they have to replace the batteries every year, over and over again.
Lithium Batteries
Lithium batteries are a newer, more advanced technology than lead acid. They come in different shapes and sizes too. For RV use, they commonly are Lithium Iron Phosphate and provide several advantages over lead acid batteries. Let's use the same topics as shown on the left under lead acid batteries as a comparison:
Useable Energy. Lithium can use all of the stated Ah so if the battery says it has 100Ah, it means you can use 100Ah and do that over and over again. Most lithium batteries also have a Battery Management System (BMS) that regulates and protects the battery from things like over charging and over discharging. In practical terms, this means you'll get about 2X the use time using a lithium battery vs a lead acid battery. And that allows you to enjoy more time on your adventure and with family and friends.
Length of Use. As we discussed, the average Life Cycle of a typical lead acid battery is about 300 cycles. A lithium battery is more than 10X that or 3,500 if you completely use the energy in it each time and then recharge it again. It can last over 5,000 times if you don't always completely discharge it each time you use it. That means if you use all the energy in the lithium and recharge it — every single day — it will last almost 10 years and still have about 80% of its capacity left. Try that with lead acid batteries — not!
Maintenance. With the chemistry makeup of a lithium battery, there is virtually no maintenance needed. You can disconnect the wires to the terminals during the off season and simply leave the battery in your boat. When you're ready to use it again, reconnect and you're ready to go. You may want to top it off with a charge and then go.
Weight. Lithium batteries are much, much lighter than lead acid batteries, especially deep cycle lead acid ones. The Lion Safari UT 1300 lithium battery weighs only 23 lbs. Other lithium batteries are just over 31 lbs. So, you can move them around easily and remember, they have 2X the useable energy than lead acid too.
Value. When you take into account the initial cost, no maintenance, longer use and more usable energy, lighter weight and longer warranties, lithium is a much better value. It's more upfront but worth every penny.
WHICH LITHIUM BATTERIES ARE BEST
All batteries are not the same. That is true of lithium batteries too. There are several things to consider when choosing a lithium battery – usage energy, weight, size, smart technology, value. So, which lithium is best? (We're a little biased but we'll share the facts with you so you can see why).
Why the Safari UT Lithium battery is better than all the rest (well feature the Safari UT 1300 to answer this question)?
LIFETIME WARRANTY
You don't want to worry about how long the battery is going to last before you have to replace it. Mostly lithium batteries have a limited warranty of 8-10 years. The Safari UT 1300 has a lifetime warranty. It's the last battery you'll have to buy. Yup, a lifetime warranty.
MORE USABLE ENERGY & POWER
The Safari UT 1300 has 105Ah of stored energy, which is more than other lithium batteries and it can output 150A continuously and over a 900A peak. Others have 100Ah and only 100A of continuous output.
LESS WEIGHT
When you have to move a battery or you're needing a lighter load in your boat, weight matters. The Safari UT 1300 only weighs 23 lbs compared to 30+ lbs of other lithium brands.
STANDARD SIZE
Batteries come in "Group Size" which is basically how big the outer casing is. The Safari UT 1300 is the standard size (24), which is also smaller than other lithium brands. Others are 27 or 31 sizes so you might not be able to fit them into the space you want to.
SMART BATTERY
An advanced smart Battery Management System (BMS) manages and protects the Safari UT 1300 battery. As part of that, it has a light indicator and reset button on the top so you can see how much energy is in it and has the flexibility to easily reset itself. Other lithium batteries don't.
CAN NOT OVER CHARGE
You can not overcharge your Lion battery. The Smart BMS is like a battery guard, it protects and regulates the battery from over charging.
Bundle and Save with UT 1300 Custom Kits
Add as many solar panels, charge controlers, battery warmers, etc as needed. Save up to 24%.
COMPARING THE LION SAFARI UT 1300 UT 700 LITHIUM IRON PHOSPHATE BATTERIES
Lithium batteries come in different sizes, rates of power output and energy stored. What you need depends on what you're using it for. Let's take a look at two great options and see how they compare: the Lion Safari UT 1300 and the Lion Safari UT 700.
Lion Safari UT 1300
- Capacity. The Safari UT 1300 has 105Ah (1344Wh) of stored energy, can output 150A continuously and over a 900A peak. It is a 12.8V lithium iron phosphate battery that works in 12V systems.
- Weight. It is very light weight at 23 lbs. compared to other lithium brands and especially lead acid batteries.
- Size. It is a standard Group 24 size which means it has a smaller footprint than other lithium brands and can fit back into where you may be replacing lead acid batteries on your boat.
- Warranty. The Safari UT 1300 has a limited lifetime warranty. Yup, lifetime. What that means is you can use all the energy out of it, recharge it, and do that over and over again. And in about 10 years you'll still have 80% of the cells capacity left. So, you don't want to worry about how long the battery is going to last before you have to replace it. It's the last battery you'll have to buy.
Lion Safari UT 700
- Capacity. The Safari UT 700 has 56Ah (716Wh) of stored energy and can output 100A continuously. It is a 12.8V lithium iron phosphate battery that works in 12V systems.
- Weight. It weighs only 17 lbs.
- Size. It is a standard Group 24 size which means it has a smaller footprint than other lithium brands and can fit back into where you may be replacing lead acid batteries on your boat.
- Warranty. The Safari UT 700 has a 10 year warranty.
- Life Cycles. Both the UT 1300 and the UT 700 have 3,500+ life cycles.
- Series and Parallel. Both the UT 1300 and the UT 700 can be connected in series (increase the voltage) or in parallel (increase the Ah).
CONNECTING CHARGING YOUR LITHIUM BATTERIES
Most lithium iron phosphate batteries are designed to be an easy replacement for lead acid batteries. To get started, check out some of the commonly asked questions below.
FAQS
IF I SWITCH TO LITHIUM, WOULD I NEED A NEW CHARGER?
You don’t NEED a new charger. The lead-acid charger will work just fine 99% of the time (just slowly). If you have a full night to charge, then it is less of a concern. It will also charge at a lower voltage rate so it can't quite fully charge a lithium battery but also (about 80-85%).
However, if you already have a nice charger, many of them can be re-programmed to a Lithium specific mode. This will increase your charging speed and maximize the capacity (i.e. range) of your batteries.
Lithium batteries have the capacity to charge very quickly. With the right charger, you can potentially have the battery charged in as little as 1 hour! This can be a game-changer for the pro fisherman who forgot to plug in the boat the night before. So, at the end of the day, you will get some amazing benefits from upgrading, regardless of the charger. But, getting a Lithium specific charger will get you faster charge times and allow you to use the full capacity of the battery (instead of ~80%)..
HOW LONG WILL THE SAFARI UT BATTERIES LAST?
There are several factors that can affect how long your batteries will run before they are fully depleted (e.g. how choppy the water is, how windy it is, whether you are trolling constantly or intermittently, etc.)
However, for reference, one of our walleye fisherman customers reported that, in his 18.5ft boat loaded to 3500 lbs, he got 12 continuous hours of uninterrupted trolling between 1-1.5 MPH with three Safari UT 700s.
Another customer, a pro bass fisherman, reports being able to compete in a multi-day tournament (both 2 and 3-day tournaments) without having to charge his batteries during the tournament.
Both customers’ motors have 112 lbs of thrust, and both customers are using three Safari UT 700s in a 36V configuration. And remember, all three of those batteries weigh less than 50 lbs total!
HOW DO I REPLACE LEAD ACID BATTERIES WITH LITHIUM BATTERIES?
You can DIY or have a pro help. There's lots of YouTube videos to show you how. However, here are some basics:
First, take a picture of the current batteries and how they're connected. You're basically going to disconnect the lead acid batteries and remove them and then reinstall the lithium batteries the same way (thus the picture is handy to have). We recommend the Safari UT 1300 or UT 700 lithium iron phosphate batteries (don't mix them, chose one or the other). The old batteries were likely connected together to use all the energy in all the batteries. That connection type is called parallel. You can tell because the connection between the batteriesare + to + (red to red) and - to - (black to black). You'll also have a connection from the boat to the first lithium battery (via + post) and a connection from the last battery in parallel to the boat (via - post). If you've been using 6V batteries, they will also have been connected in "series" to increase the voltage to a standard 12V system. That connection between batteries is + to -. You can connect the Safari UT batteries in series and parallel.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I'M PUTTING IN BRAND NEW BATTERIES
If you are putting batteries in your boat for the first time, we recommend you have a pro do that for you and have them install at least two Safari UT batteries.
You can use a standard battery charger and it will charge the lithium batteries just fine. However, since most chargers are designed for a lead acid battery, they are made to charge up to a certain voltage. On a lead acid battery their "full" is about 13.6V. The Safari UT 1300 can accept a charge up to 14.6V (full will be between 13.9V to 14.6V). So, most lead acid chargers will get the lithium batteries to nearly 13.6V and it will be about 80% full. That still is more energy than a lead acid battery. Some lead acid chargers are programmable, meaning you can set it to charge at certain rates. If your charger is programmable, set it to its highest setting in terms of volts i.e. "Lithium" or "Deep Cycle" or if it is customizable (i.e. Bulk, Absorb, Float or Equalize) set it to its highest voltage on each. It will basically be charging the lithium batteries faster and more completely. The built-in Battery Management System (BMS) will regulate the charge and shut it off when the battery is full.
For best performance, we recommend a lithium charger. It's a fairly inexpensive upgrade but well worth it.