The one you use for R/C can't handle motorcycle duty. It doesn't have enough cranking amps and wouldn't last very long with the vibrations you get on the road. Jet skies might use motorcycle batteries or might even have requirements that require a more specific battery. They'd have the same requirements to turn over a sizable engine and be vibration resistant...and be waterproof. Not sure what else. What are PWC engine sizes? ... around 650 cc to 850 cc?

Yep, you need to decide what fits your style - I like to fit stuff in small toolboxes, makes it easier for me to carry stuff to the range. This basic toolbox contains my battery, cables, and homemade launch controller. I keep the charger at home. I put the estes tool thingy there just to give you an idea of size, its 12" long (and warped!). I have the next size up yellow toolbox to keep my launch supplies in. I like the bright yellow too since I'm less likely to leave it at the launch site (I tend to do that ) Now if I could just figure out how to fold up my 4' launch rods in a little case...

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Paul
If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane - Jimmy Buffett
NAR #87246 www.wooshrocketry.org

I'm partial to ammo boxes. The battery is the 7Ah one in my first post link.

Sorry - I'm getting into this conversation a little late - but this type of power supply is what I use, too. It's a sealed lead-acid battery, and is simple as anything to charge. The charger is built in; I just need to plug it into an outlet. It always has more than enough juice to launch anything I throw at it. I was actually looking at getting something like a small motorcycle or lawn tractor battery to use for launches, but then I saw the jumpstarter on sale at Radio Shack; I think I paid about $28 for it. Mine weighs about 8 lbs. Yes, it is a little bit clunky, but then, so is my launch pad. The built-in handle on the battery makes it easy to carry, though. I look at it this way: I just have to schlep it and the pad out to where I set up once. Then I do all the launching I want, all day long. And then I just have to tote it back to the car once. Yes, 8 lbs. may seem like a lot, especially when you are used to just carrying around an Estes Electron Beam launch controller, but it is about the same weight as a small stack of college textbooks. It can easily be carried in a small knapsack, as I have done. My mid-power launch pad weighs about the same, and I never hesitate to take that whenever I head out to launch. And the jumpstarter has other uses as well. For instance, I use it to power anything from a lantern to a DVD player whenever a storm takes out the power in my community, which happens with some regularity.

Mark \\.

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SAM # 0011

About 9" tall x 7.5" wide x 5" deep at the base (tapering to the top). Approx. 7-8 lbs.

Mark \\.

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SAM # 0011

My PWCs do NOT use sealed batteries....they are "normal" wet motorcycle batteries with a vent tube. The DEFINITELY are NOT waterproof. If you flood the interior of the hull they wont work any more than the battery in a flooded boat hull would.
I mentioned them for "size" comparison only.
My R/C battery is a Yuasa sealed 12V battery that looks almost exactly the same size as the one in my brothers Yamaha TW200.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

That's a pretty fancy battery for an R/C prop kicker.

As for the PWC battery....you'd think that they would have the sealed batteries instead of motorcycles!

Yeah, I know my R/C starter battery is pretty "fancy", but it is over 10 years old and is still very alive and kicking.
I would have absolutely no problem spending the ~$80+ for another one as amortized over 10+ years it has cost me less than $8/yr.
Seeing as R/C fuel alone costs about $18+/gal, that's one of my cheapest R/C expenses.

Agree that one would think a PWC battery would be sealed, I have never had a problem with them being "standard" wet cells. Then again, I don't flood my hulls either.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

I also bought mine recently at Walmart. (my previous one was stolen)

I paid $65 to get the 450 amp version. It has a 19 amp-hr battery (as opposed to a 9 amp-hour in the $35 version) It also has a compressor to inflate tires with.

I have never had it go dead, even on a full day's flying.