07-18-2011, 02:45 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Those little air mattress pumps are okay to get the tube partially filled but do not have enough pressure to properly "top off your tank". Get a good double action hand pump. It only takes a couple of minutes to fill your tube from flat to functional and it will firm it up as much as you need.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Another factor in your observed air loss might be that those little pumps start heating up as the pressure increases and they have to work harder. You probably pumped in warm air and it shrunk when it cooled.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Don't pull the bladders and go through all that until you are sure there IS a leak. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you plan to add a motor you will also need a big deep cycle battery...series 24 or 27. Figure on another 40 to 60 pounds of weight. The little SLA batteries will run a sonar for quite a few hours but they draw very little power. A 30# thrust motor will suck a big battery dry much faster on a float tube than it will on a pontoon or small boat...because it is dragging you THROUGH the water...not skimming over it. I have never completely drained my series 27 battery but I do not run it wide open for hours either. It is an auxiliary power source for making longer moves or getting back in against the wind.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You might plan on bringing down what you have so far and taking a closer look at what I have set up. Some things are possible but others require a bit more codgertation and engineering.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Another factor in your observed air loss might be that those little pumps start heating up as the pressure increases and they have to work harder. You probably pumped in warm air and it shrunk when it cooled.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Don't pull the bladders and go through all that until you are sure there IS a leak. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you plan to add a motor you will also need a big deep cycle battery...series 24 or 27. Figure on another 40 to 60 pounds of weight. The little SLA batteries will run a sonar for quite a few hours but they draw very little power. A 30# thrust motor will suck a big battery dry much faster on a float tube than it will on a pontoon or small boat...because it is dragging you THROUGH the water...not skimming over it. I have never completely drained my series 27 battery but I do not run it wide open for hours either. It is an auxiliary power source for making longer moves or getting back in against the wind.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You might plan on bringing down what you have so far and taking a closer look at what I have set up. Some things are possible but others require a bit more codgertation and engineering.[/#0000ff]
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