Ice camping with livescope

[hawkfan24]

I plan to get out a few times this winter ice camping. I am trying to get some feedback from other’s experience to charge my livescope bundle. I run a 93 uhd/lvs32/amped 30ah battery. I think I’m good for a day and a half fishing no problem but if I am out let’s say 2.5-3 days (2-3) nights I will need to charge my battery to 100% at least once but let’s say twice to be safe. I’m not too interested in solar or just buying another battery at this point. I’m looking into a portable power station but I’m not familiar with the technology enough for watts, volts, etc. I was told I should not go under 800 watts. I’m also on a budget for ice fishing spending per year lol. Anyone have any good insight for me? Thanks!

[hardwater diehard]

I am curious what others think as well . I would think you would need another battery to run your Livescope as the depleted battery rechargers . The price...weight ..size .of a "power station" need to be considered as well . I think getting some more lithium batteries  for your Livescope would be best for cost,weight and storage size . Those power stations can be costly and are bulky . Are you currently in a power tool platform ie Milwaukee ? If so some platforms have been used to power Livescope systems .

[HWeber]

You're either buying a battery or a generator. A "power station" is a battery.

[GBguy]

For a couple hundred dollars you could buy a small inverter generator to charge your battery, but idk if you could use it while it's charging. My small generator will easily run 8 hours on a tank of gas, could plug it in to charge while you're sleeping. I got mine from tractor supply a year or two ago for $160, not sure what prices are like now though. It's a 900 peak watt I believe, enough to run the fridge in my house when the power is out, I'm sure it would run a battery charger.

[badger132]

You need energy (amp hours) to run as long as you are out there. You can bring batteries, or a generator and gasoline to meet that requirement. If you have other batteries you can borrow, that is the cheapest- it could be a car battery, golf cart, or power tool battery. People run them on 18V tool batteries, and a 30 AH X 12V battery has the same power as 20 AH worth of 18V tool batteries. If you have to buy something, I think an off brand or used inverter generator is your best bet. Power stations are basically batteries with an inverter, so they will be the most expensive option.

[hawkfan24]

Thanks for the replies so far! I get that the portable power units are basically a battery but I guess if I could fine one that works for a couple hundred bucks or so at least it can be used for other purposes, like home electricity loss. Buying another 30ah battery it’s just the battery only. I’m real interested in what others have used, I know the site doesn’t get a lot of traffic this time of year.

GBguy: can you give me more details on the unit you bought from tractor supply so I can check it out?

[GBguy]

I couldn't find the one I have or anything comparable on Tractor Supply's website anymore, but here is a link to the generator on Walmarts site that I believe is the same one. It's out of stock and more than twice what I paid for mine, but I'm sure there are other options out there.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sportsman-1000-Watt-Inverter-Generator/708218539

[Skywagon]

Harbor Freight.  https://www.harborfreight.com/generators-engines/generators/1400-watt-super-quiet-inverter-generator-with-co-secure-technology-57063.html

[badger132]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/313964135712

[theskydiveguy]

I have an amped 32ah battery in my setup - if I remember to turn down my brightness I can get quite a while out of it (9" screen) - when I go camping I take my 100AH Lithium with me as well to charge everything. I jerry rigged up a charing station with it - I will make something more permanent this winter. In summer I use the battery in my boat for all my electronics.