6V - 12V ?
 

Are those of you running 6V batteries using 12V pumps or are there 6V pumps available? If it is a 12V pump, does it still have the same flow capacity with less voltage? :confused:

12v pump. The 6v batt runs the pump longer and with less flow. That is the idea.... Most people are running a 360-500gph pump for their 4-8 gallon tanks. Flow overkill.....

6v works great for me..Runs all day with plenty of flow to keep bait happy!

I've got the thresher tank and use a 6v battery, its lasted me 2 whole 8-9 hour days with it constantly on. Very quiet too.

good deal, thanks for the help.

How many amps on those 6V batteries are you guys using?

Thanks!

the one I use is a 12amp 6 volt, the 1.5-2 amp draw of the pump is cut in half with the 6 volt, so 12+ hours of running time. It is also 1/2 inch shorter and about 1/2 thinner than the same 12 volt 10 amp battery.

Cool...thanks! I spoke to a guy at Interstate batteries and he told me that my run time would decrease in half with the 6V battery on the 12V pump. Good to know that he was wrong.

I love this thread!!!

I have a 12volt battery running my tank and it will die in about 7 hours. I hated this aspect of the tank and did not know that the answer was so simple.

Thanks guys.

I run my FF and tank off one battery and use a time switch for the BT.I still like the idea of a 6v setup.

I run my FF and 12v pump off a 12v Batt. I carry two 8 amp hrs if I'm out all day and running the pump nonstop. (Running it down past 10.7v shortens the life) I was under the impression that lower voltage draws more amps or current? Isn't thyat why brown outs cause electronic stuff to burn out in your house? I trust you all are doing what you say but before I buy a 6v Batt to get more time with less waight, I'd like to know some more facts. Can anyone offer up some technical facts to set me straight?:o

Habanero....no technical facts here but since you are on a Hobie and already know that Hobie tanks come with 6v batteries, 12v pumps and are one of the best operating tanks out.......that should make your decision for you :)

Some tips
 

For you guys running 12 volts, if you want an easy option to control the volts going to your pump, go to Fry's electronics. In the computer fan area you will find a "fan speed control". It costs about $6 and gives you the ability to adjust your voltage from 3vdc- 12vdc using your 12 volt battery (thus allowing you to adjust your pumps flow rate). Its similar to a speed control unit you would find at a hobby shop to control electric motors in cars/ planes etc. This is a whole lot cheaper though.

If you already have a 12 volt setup (battery/ chargers etc) this is a great way to be able to tone your flow down, and save your battery. Not to mention if your battery is running your FF, you can have this "fan speed control" only wired inline with your bait pump, and still run full voltage to your FF.

As far as I understand, your run time is more about the Amp hour rating of the battery, not the volts. So, either way you go (6v or 12v) look for 6ah or above to get good run time on the water. (These batteries can also be found at Fry's. $19.99 for 6v 7ah, $26.99 for 12v 7ah.)

One final trick on a 12 volt setup is to reverse the polarity, which should make a noticeable decrease in pump flow (if you are running 12 volts straight to a 360gph or 500 gph your flow will be too high...

I have been wondering if something like this existed, thanks for the info Rob.

Although I have plenty of juice with my current battery set-up, I really want to ditch the timer switch and reduce the noise from the pump. This should accomplish both and an easy enough mod to at least give a shot. Thanks again!

http://home.earthlink.net/~webpics/images/%2317.jpg

I can't take all the credit, I ran across this info while researching for my own bait tank. These guys were using the hobby speed control though, so finding the "fan speed control" was a great alternative. Its already set up for 12 volt input.. Check out the pic in the link. Notice the little dial that adjusts voltage;

http://img.tomshardware.com/us/2003/..._fanmate_1.jpg

This is very similar to the one I found at Fry's

A little 6V/12V science. My 12 V pump running on 12 V uses 0.4 amps (4.8 watts). Running at 6 volts it uses 0.3 amps (about 1.8 watts). So at 6V it uses only 1/3 the power than 12V. That's why this works in your favor. Personally, I use a 12V battery and a Pulse Width Modulator.

Does it have wiring info or is it in a bin? That looks like a cool idea. No effect to the FF? Store it in battery box of course.

I have a 12v pump running on a 6V battery. The battery is rated at 22ah, but the size of a 12v 8ah. A 6 hour run only pulls 4000 mah off it. So if I run it down to its full capacity, theoretically, it will run for 33 hours :)

Motor speed controls are cool. I am worried about complexity rearing its ugly head though. Specially since circuits dont take well to corrosion. A simpler design would be to place a resistor along the motor power line. This is a simpler speed control. Some experimentation will be needed to get the proper resistor value to get the right speed, but after that, you can dunk the whole thing and it won't fry.

/bing

Where did you find the 6V 22A battery?

Also, will reversing polarity increase run time while decreasing flow? If so, by how much approximately?

Thanks!

V = I * R

Voltage is equal to Current times Resistance.

This is Ohm's Law.

Since the resistance is pretty much fixed for the bait tank, the only variable is the voltage and current. The voltage is directly proportional to current. This means that if the voltage goes up, the current goes up. If the voltage goes down, the current goes down.