The global marine battery market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 18 percent every year between now and 2030. With greater demand though comes an increasing number of battery options to choose from, making it more challenging to select the optimal battery for your needs. RELiON’s tried and true RB100 12 Volt 100Ah battery has long remained a popular choice among pro anglers, from Bryan Thrift to Matt Becker to Trevor Fitzgerald. However, RELiON recently announced the launch of its first-ever 36 Volt battery, the RB36V40, which has been optimized further for prolonged use in fishing, as well as other marine and commercial applications. Although the RB36V40 offers the same high, 99 percent efficiency, temperature range, size, and IP67 waterproof rating as the RB100, there are some key advantages the RB36V40 provides beyond the RB100 as well as 12-volt lead-acid batteries.
Longer Lasting Capacity
Although the RB100 has proven its robust capacity time and again in pro angler tournaments and practices, the RB36V40 has been designed and engineered to offer 20 percent greater capacity. This large increase is based on a comparison of three RB36V40s (40 Ah) wired in parallel versus three RB100 12V 100 Ah batteries wired in series. This is because the parallel wiring allows the RB36V40 battery's amp hours to be multiplied, unlike wiring in series. The parallel wiring of the RB36V40, therefore, serves to not only make the setup of the battery system faster and the charging easier, but also directly translates to greater stored energy when you need it.
Given that 12-volt lead-acid batteries have around half of the nameplate, or usable, capacity as lithium batteries, you would need to purchase double the amount of lead-acid batteries to reach a similar capacity to that of either the RB100 or RB36V40 lithium batteries. This is due in large part to the fact that lead-acid batteries cannot be discharged as deeply as lithium batteries without being damaged. If you’re looking to stay out on the water all day without having to take up too much space on your boat for an energy storage system, the RB36V40 is the ideal choice.
Simpler 36V Marine Setup
The RB36V40’s parallel wiring offers a multitude of benefits, not the least of which is streamlining the installation process. Parallel wiring is the simplest and quickest way of installing batteries, as it only involves combining the positive leads together and then combining the negative leads together. As a result, the RB36V40’s improved connectors and parallel wiring enable you to receive maximum voltage with minimum hassle. Not all batteries are able to be wired in parallel, as it is important for you to factor this in when determining which battery is right for your needs. Additionally, in order for 12-volt batteries to reach 36 volts, they would need to be wired in series, which makes for a more complicated installation process.
Beyond the more streamlined setup the RB36V40’s parallel wiring provides, the battery also provides a much greater voltage with a significantly reduced footprint compared to 12-volt lead-acid batteries. By reducing the complications of installing much heavier and larger lead-acid batteries, the actual installation of the RB36V40 is much more straightforward.
More Durable Casing
Both the RB100 and the RB36V40 offer an IP67 waterproof rating, which means they are each 100 percent protected against solid objects like sand and dust and have been tested to work for at least 30 minutes while under 15 centimeters to 1 meter of water. They have both been fully optimized for marine environments, including also through enhanced cases, a glue channel, and screw-latched enclosure to protect against airborne contaminants. You should make sure to always review each battery’s specifications, as not all lead-acid batteries or lithium batteries are able to meet these stringent marine standards.
Optimize Your Boat's Weight
Despite all of the above advancements with the RB36V40, it only weighs about 4.5 pounds more than the RB100. Despite having 20 percent greater capacity, a much higher voltage, and a more streamlined installation process through parallel wiring, the RB36V40 only weighs a negligible amount more than the RB100. The same cannot be said for 12-volt lead-acid batteries, which often weigh double that of lithium batteries, still without reaching a similar usable capacity to that of either 12-volt or 36-volt lithium batteries.
If you are still unsure as to whether the RB36V40 or the RB100 is right for your needs, get in touch with a RELiON expert today.