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Time for new batteries on board? Well, you could simply replace like for like and carry on as before. If your system worked perfectly, and the batteries lasted five, six or more years, then why not? But this is also an opportunity to review your electrics and see whether there is a more suitable battery out there for you. Could you fit in a higher-capacity unit perhaps, or prevent the plotter switching off when you fire up the engine?

Most of us use lead-acid batteries and their performance is determined by two factors: the amount of current they can provide quickly, and how often they can be discharged. Both of these are affected by basic design, and by the quality of the materials used in the battery – particularly the density and purity of the lead. You really do get what you pay for here, with more expensive batteries