Anyone Have Experience with Smart Chargers?

Gave myself a firm kick in the ass, because I discovered I had inadvertently unplugged my C-Tek Smart Battery Charger. I have a panel that serves all sorts of plugs I use in my study. I must have pulled the charger plug when trying to unplug my external photography monitor. I always unplug that after I use it. 

Charger could have been unplugged a day, or maybe a month. I keep the closed cell marine battery I use for my electric motor constantly on charge. When it slightly loses charge, the charger juices it back, so basically it's always fully charged. From what I read, that's what's best for it. I'm not very technical, so I don't remember specifics well enough to explain. 

Two-and-a-half years ago, I bought the same sort of Cabelas battery I previously owned. I used to just charge the old one before going out, and it lasted seven years. I bought the C-Tek for $107.00 and figure it's worth the money, if it adds a few years more than seven to the life of a $265.00 battery. I had to buy a new charger anyway, and that was a good thing, I think. 

Anyone have experience with smart chargers? Any stories of long-lived batteries? Please tell the story in the comments section below, if you do.

Don't Sit Down, It's Time to Dig Another One

I phoned Stanhope Bait & Boat before I left, sure the hours would be the same, and they were--Saturday and Sunday only. I really wanted to ice fish, and I thought if she was open, I might swing by and then head over to Budd Lake. Oliver Round had to quarantine, so our plans to ice fish Tilcon were dashed. Also, I woke two hours late this morning, having set my alarm for pm by mistake. I had to go over to Autosport Honda to get plates put on and pick up the registration. No way would I go all the way over to The Sporting Life--just as well, because I later found they closed at 2. And not Dow's, either. 

So I headed over to Round Valley in a nasty mood for yet another photo shoot. (And still need yet another because it seems I need to focus shift on a narrower aperture setting. In all that brilliant sunlight, it was hopeless trying to see images on the camera's display.) Before I left, I had a quiet moment when I told myself I would go over there and get taken out of the wretchedness.

It did take awhile. You go in and do your damn working-class job day after day and it changes you. Makes you bitter and depressed (anger turned inward). All day long you do little mundane tasks when you're the kind of person to do things that require much more intelligence. You tried to get a better job, but they required a degree. 

As I might have said before, one outing, even a short one like today's, beats a full week of all that nonsense saturated by music like Taylor Swift. 

Home, home again. (I like to be here, when I can.) I felt the certainty--on Sunday, I'm ice fishing. My brother Rick is also quarantined. Brian is going through back treatment and might not be able to go. If not, I'm going to Budd or Aeroflex. Reports from Budd speak of 10 inches and even with the mild weather and some rain, it should still be safe. 

 

Cooperative Anglers Striped Bass Program

DEC 

Hackettstown Hatchery Summaries, Etc

Hackettstown