To display battery information on a Lowrance, open Instruments, create a new layout from the digits two-by-two template, then change the fields to Battery and pick readings like time remaining, voltage, and state of charge, which the NEMA connection on a Lithium Pros battery feeds straight to your screen. In this How 2 Tuesday I am on the boat showing exactly how I set this up so I know precisely how much trolling motor battery I have all day.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
Go to Instruments and choose New Layout. You can start from blank, copy an existing layout, or use a built-in template. I pick the digits two-by-two template, which gives me four spots for digital readouts. Then I tap a field, hit Info, and change it to Battery, where I can choose current, temperature, voltage, ripple, state of charge, state of health, or time remaining.
Time remaining shows how many hours of trolling motor use you have left at your current rate of expenditure. When my Lithium Pros battery is full it reads ten ninety two, and under heavy current on high it might show twenty-six hours, then count down like a fuel gauge. It is one of the most important gauges on my entire boat.
Besides the normal positive and negative terminals, the Lithium Pros battery has a third fitting, a NEMA connection that ties into the network running through the whole boat. That connection is what feeds real-time battery data, like state of charge and time remaining, to my Lowrance so I can see it right on the screen.
Because it tells me whether I can run the trolling motor all day. I use the trolling motor to catch bait in the morning and then to fish all day, casting lures or flies to the mangroves. With lead acid batteries I used to just guess how much juice was left. Seeing remaining hours lets me plan instead of guess and avoid getting caught short.
The two I want to see first thing in the morning are the remaining hours reading of ten ninety two and the voltage of 41.8. Together those tell me the battery is at 100 percent and we are ready for the day. I also like to add the clock and water temperature so one screen shows me everything important.
The Power-Pole Move is the quietest, most efficient, and most durable trolling motor I have run, and the Lithium Pros battery is the one with the NEMA connection that makes all of this possible. Not all lithium batteries are created equal, and it is that data connection that lets me display real-time battery info on the Lowrance.
I run a Power-Pole Move trolling motor, the quietest and most efficient I have used, to catch bait in the morning and fish all day. With my old lead acid batteries I could only guess how much juice was left and whether to slow down to conserve. The Lithium Pros battery and its NEMA connection fixed that. I walk through the whole setup in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here are the steps I walk through in this How 2 Tuesday, with the full demonstration in the episode.
I unpack each of these in the episode. Press play in the player above.
When the battery is full it reads ten ninety two, and on high under heavy current it might show twenty-six hours, then count down like a fuel gauge as the motor works harder. Knowing exactly how much time I have left tells me whether I can fish the way I want all day. I explain how I use it in the episode, so press play in the player above.
I add voltage so I can confirm 41.8 and ten ninety two for a full charge in the morning, then the clock so I know what the tide is doing, plus water temperature. Once I save it, I can jump from the chart or sonar back to this one screen any time. I show the exact taps in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Setting this up takes a few minutes once, and then you have your most important boat information in one place for good. Remaining hours, voltage, time, and water temperature right where you can see them.
It has made me far more efficient through a fishing day, and it all hinges on that NEMA connection on the Lithium Pros battery. Press play in the player above.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
Lowrance · Lithium Pros battery · Power-Pole Move trolling motor · NEMA connection · state of charge · battery voltage · time remaining · trolling motor · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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