I know this has been covered but I seem to become more confused the more threads I've read. Two questions... Which is better, a 8 AA battery tray or 10 AA battery tray? I have both. Second, which type of AA is best? I've heard 8 lithium and 10 alkaline... still confused.

10 will last longer. I can usually get close to a week out of 10 cheap AA Rayovacs. I just get the cheap ones because I am going to take spares regardless. I have an X-4 however.

Your fish detector probably requires 10 or more volts to operate well. You want your batteries to supply at least 10 volts until almost all the energy is used out of them. Energizer ultimate lithium batteries are higher voltage than alkaline so you need less of them.
A set of 10 alkaline batteries will run your fish detector about twice as long as 8 alkaline batteries before the voltage drops below 10 volts.
A set of 8 Energizer ultimate lithium batteries will run your fish detector longer than a set of 10 alkaline batteries.
Lithium batteries will save you weight while alkaline batteries will save your money for the same run time.
Best alkaline batteries for the buck are Ikea, Kirkland (Costco), Duracell quantum, and Duracell.

This is what I was looking for guys. Thanks so much!

quote MagicPaddler: "A set of 8 Energizer ultimate lithium batteries will run your fish detector longer than a set of 10 alkaline batteries."

These are amazing. My PiranhaMAX finder uses 8 AAs and I always run Energizer Ultimates. Twenty-four fishing outings of around 4-5 hours each over the past few canoe seasons and I have yet to change this set. (Always taken out of the finder between trips, notes re: hours used written on the package...)

quote schweady: "

quote MagicPaddler: "A set of 8 Energizer ultimate lithium batteries will run your fish detector longer than a set of 10 alkaline batteries."

These are amazing. My PiranhaMAX finder uses 8 AAs and I always run Energizer Ultimates. Twenty-four fishing outings of around 4-5 hours each over the past few canoe seasons and I have yet to change this set. (Always taken out of the finder between trips, notes re: hours used written on the package...)
"

You are way smarter than I, I have been using my set for years but just changed them out---getting concerned that they will die on a trip but unlike you I have no idea how many hours I have on them. I will use your idea.

T

MagicPaddler: "Your fish detector probably requires 10 or more volts to operate well. You want your batteries to supply at least 10 volts until almost all the energy is used out of them. Energizer ultimate lithium batteries are higher voltage than alkaline so you need less of them.
A set of 10 alkaline batteries will run your fish detector about twice as long as 8 alkaline batteries before the voltage drops below 10 volts.
A set of 8 Energizer ultimate lithium batteries will run your fish detector longer than a set of 10 alkaline batteries.
Lithium batteries will save you weight while alkaline batteries will save your money for the same run time.
Best alkaline batteries for the buck are Ikea, Kirkland (Costco), Duracell quantum, and Duracell.
"

Yes, I know this is 3 years old... but still applicable.

In theory then, would 10 of the Energizer Ultimate Lithium AAs run significantly longer than 8?

countrybois: "

MagicPaddler: "Your fish detector probably requires 10 or more volts to operate well. You want your batteries to supply at least 10 volts until almost all the energy is used out of them. Energizer ultimate lithium batteries are higher voltage than alkaline so you need less of them.
A set of 10 alkaline batteries will run your fish detector about twice as long as 8 alkaline batteries before the voltage drops below 10 volts.
A set of 8 Energizer ultimate lithium batteries will run your fish detector longer than a set of 10 alkaline batteries.
Lithium batteries will save you weight while alkaline batteries will save your money for the same run time.
Best alkaline batteries for the buck are Ikea, Kirkland (Costco), Duracell quantum, and Duracell.
"

Yes, I know this is 3 years old... but still applicable.



In theory then, would 10 of the Energizer Ultimate Lithium AAs run significantly longer than 8?"

Yes

8 energizer ultimate lithium runs longer than 10 energizer ultimate lithium based on tests by Magicpaddler. A single AA EUL is 1.6 volts so 10 produces 16 volts which is above recommended voltage also. For lithium AA use, 8 is the better choice.

Castaway: "8 energizer ultimate lithium runs longer than 10 energizer ultimate lithium based on tests by Magicpaddler. A single AA EUL is 1.6 volts so 10 produces 16 volts which is above recommended voltage also. For lithium AA use, 8 is the better choice. "

Sonar unit is rated 10.8 - 20v so that is not a problem.

The voltage of lithium batteries does not gradually reduce as the batteries are used. Rather, once they are used up, they die immediately. So, 10 lithiums will produce a higher voltage during use than 8 lithiums but both sets will die after the same amount of time, so the extra voltage of 10 batteries is of no benefit. Admittedly, I do not understand why 10 lithium batteries will not last as long as 8 lithium batteries but there is additional cost and no benefit to using 10 lithium batteries.

countrybois: "

MagicPaddler: "Your fish detector probably requires 10 or more volts to operate well. You want your batteries to supply at least 10 volts until almost all the energy is used out of them. Energizer ultimate lithium batteries are higher voltage than alkaline so you need less of them.
A set of 10 alkaline batteries will run your fish detector about twice as long as 8 alkaline batteries before the voltage drops below 10 volts.
A set of 8 Energizer ultimate lithium batteries will run your fish detector longer than a set of 10 alkaline batteries.
Lithium batteries will save you weight while alkaline batteries will save your money for the same run time.
Best alkaline batteries for the buck are Ikea, Kirkland (Costco), Duracell quantum, and Duracell.
"

Yes, I know this is 3 years old... but still applicable.


In theory then, would 10 of the Energizer Ultimate Lithium AAs run significantly longer than 8?"

No
According to my tests on a couple of different detectors when you over voltage them they draw more current killing the batteries faster. There may be some detectors that this does not happen to but there is no advantage to running a fish detector above the manufactures maximum voltage.