Batterys & Charging

[Kokonuts]

Ok as I said in my last post I got the Minn Kota trolling motor with a Trojan Battery & it all works great. BUT I am only getting 5-6 hours of trolling time. The battery is rated at 7 hours so its pretty close.
I am thinking of adding another trolling battery & installing a onboard charger this would give me 3 batterys. I am thinking of moving them to the closed bow of my boat this would seperate the batterys & Gas tank. I could install the 3 batterys on a piece of plywood so that I can slide them out for maintenance.
Soooo I am wondering if any of you are using a onboard charger & what brand. I know Minn Kota makes them but the 3 battery charger is pricey, plus the cost of another battery. Any suggestions before I bite the bullet & go for it ?
Thanks Kokonuts

[Firetiger]

how big is your boat? I have a bow mount MinnKota and 1 battery in the bow on a 15' Smokercraft. Top speed dropped by 5 mph to 18 mph.

3 batteries in the bow may substantially decrease performance depending on how big your boat?

[HillbillyGeek]

how big is your boat? I have a bow mount MinnKota and 1 battery in the bow on a 15' Smokercraft. Top speed dropped by 5 mph to 18 mph.

3 batteries in the bow may substantially decrease performance depending on how big your boat?

WOW! 23 mph? That's smokin' fast! I've got a 40lb-thrust minn kota Maxxum on my 10 foot jon boat, and my top speed is 3.2 mph (clocked with a hand-held GPS). My record is 4 mph -- with a strong wind. :bounce:

It must be nice to have a real motor, but then there's the price of gas...

[HillbillyGeek]

Ok as I said in my last post I got the Minn Kota trolling motor with a Trojan Battery & it all works great. BUT I am only getting 5-6 hours of trolling time. The battery is rated at 7 hours so its pretty close.
I am thinking of adding another trolling battery & installing a onboard charger this would give me 3 batterys. I am thinking of moving them to the closed bow of my boat this would seperate the batterys & Gas tank. I could install the 3 batterys on a piece of plywood so that I can slide them out for maintenance.
Soooo I am wondering if any of you are using a onboard charger & what brand. I know Minn Kota makes them but the 3 battery charger is pricey, plus the cost of another battery. Any suggestions before I bite the bullet & go for it ?
Thanks Kokonuts

Those two extra batteries will add a LOT of weight. Are you going to connect two of them in parallel to get twice the run time, or just move the connectors when a battery dies? (I'm assuming you have a 12 volt trolling motor.)

You may want to consider a more efficient trolling motor. From what I've heard, standard 12-volt trolling motors draw the same amount of power regardless of the speed setting. The minn kota maxxum draws only enough power to support the throttle setting at any given time. When I'm on a large lake and run at full throttle to get from one location to another, it takes about 4 hours to deplete a large deep-cycle marine battery by 50%. However, I've trolled for six hours straight on low throttle settings, and the battery was only depleted by 25%! Slow-trolling is when the maxxum really shines as a power saver.

Also keep in mind that deep-cycle batteries last MUCH longer if you try not to deplete them more than 50%.

Here's a great article: Deep Cycle Battery FAQ

[Firetiger]

how big is your boat? I have a bow mount MinnKota and 1 battery in the bow on a 15' Smokercraft. Top speed dropped by 5 mph to 18 mph.

3 batteries in the bow may substantially decrease performance depending on how big your boat?

WOW! 23 mph? That's smokin' fast! I've got a 40lb-thrust minn kota Maxxum on my 10 foot jon boat, and my top speed is 3.2 mph (clocked with a hand-held GPS). My record is 4 mph -- with a strong wind. :bounce:

It must be nice to have a real motor, but then there's the price of gas...

To reach 23 mph you have to wax your hull or as in my case use the outboard.

[Kokonuts]

Thanks for all the info, I am still trying to figure out the best move.
My boat is an 70s glass 16ft. with a 70s 85hp johnson & a 4hp kicker.
I bought it last summer & its the first boat I`ve owned, I dont have a lot of $$ invested......yet!
I bought the 55lb. Minn Kota transom mount motor because the 4 hp kicker dosnt run well & I like
the quiet electric for trolling.
I think the boat is very heavy with me & all my stuff .
I am still thinking of moving the batterys forward to help with the weight & seperate them from the
portable gas tank in the rear. If I do mount them under the bow I will add some form of ventilation
to the area.
I am looking at the on board charger, Minn Kota has a 2 bank 10 or 15 amp model.
I have a seperate battery for starting the main motor & lights & I bought a Trojan SCS225 group 30
deep cell rated at 7.1 hours at 15 amps for the MK. I now think I wont need a 3rd battery for the MK.
If I go ahead with this I will mount the charger & 2 batterys forward so that I can plug in to recharge
at nite & be ready to go !
I am not sure if the charger works while the main motor is running.
How do you wire in Parallel?
So what do you guys think? Does anyone use the onboard chargers? What Brand? Ive been looking up
info on line but I would like to hear for you all!..........Thanks Kokonuts

[Crumb]

I installed the 3-bank SE charger (10/10/10) from Dual Pro on my boat last spring. Installing it was extremely easy and using it is brainless. When you want to charge the batteries just plug it in and go. When the batteries are charged it kicks off and runs in maintenence mode untill you unplug it (no over-boiled batteries). The draw back is that the charger is fairly big and heavy so I would advise looking at it before purchasing. It was not a problem for my boat, I had plenty of room in the compartment with the batteries. I would highly suggest this on-board charger if you have the room. Hope this helps.

[HillbillyGeek]

From the FAQ link:
"If more ampere-hours are required, you can connect two (or more) new and identical 12-volt batteries in parallel. You can also connect two larger new and identical six-volt batteries in series by attaching the negative terminal of the first battery to the positive terminal of the second battery. If you connect two 12-volt batteries in parallel that are identical in type, age and capacity, you can potentially double the total capacity. If you connect two that are not the same type, you will either overcharge the smaller of the two, or you will undercharge the larger of the two."

[Crumb]

just look at diagram ^^^ lol

[Kokonuts]

Thanks Hillbilly... I just had time to read the info on the FAQ battery site! Thats a whole lot of stuff to consider.
I guess I wont connect the 2 bat. that I have , they are not the same.

Crumb, I am pretty sure that I will try the 2 bank charger 10- 10 . Where did you buy yours?
Kokonuts

[HillbillyGeek]

Thanks Hillbilly... I just had time to read the info on the FAQ battery site! Thats a whole lot of stuff to consider.
I guess I wont connect the 2 bat. that I have , they are not the same.

Crumb, I am pretty sure that I will try the 2 bank charger 10- 10 . Where did you buy yours?
Kokonuts

You can still connect them, but charge them separately.

[Crumb]

Koko...I actually got mine off of Ebay (brand new in the box). I checked this afternoon and the people I got mine from don't have any listed, however there is two on there. One for a "buy it now" price of $189 + shipping (brand new) and a used one for $40 + shipping. Bass pro sells them for $219, cabela's $229 (for the 2-bank 10/10). Dual pro has an XL model which is 6/6 for $179 (BPS) but that may charge a little slow. I believe the Dual pro SE (sportsmans edition) are worth the money compared to some of the others out there, but that's my opion and I'm sure someone has a different view. I would ask what ever you do DO NOT get the Bass pro XPS on-board charger (all you have to do is read the reviews on it). Hope this help you. Good luck.

[Kokonuts]

Crumb....I read the reports at Bass pro & Cabelas, I think I will go with the MK 220 or 230. The 220 is 2 banks @ 10 amps
& the 230 is 2 banks @ 15 amps. I can buy them at my local Sportmans Wherehouse & save the shipping.

I am still planning on mounting them up front so I should get er done in the next couple weeks.
I'll let you all know how it works out!

Hillbilly.... Thats something to think about I will read that again, but if the onboard charger works out I should be OK!
Make up some of your spinners, & lures, Maybe we can get together & chase the Kokanee at Lake Merwin!
Thanks again for your help!...........Kokonuts

[Kokonuts]

Update.... I bought the Minn Kota on board charger # 220, moved the 2 batteries forward under the closed bow
& mounted the charger on the side wall below the second seat. I bought a good pair of jumper cables with #4
copper wire to use for extending the starting battery. I also had to buy the extension wire package for the MK.

So far everything is working well but I may have to buy a second battery for the MK. I am getting 4-5 hours
trolling time from the group 30 battery because I have to use the higher speeds . I think the boat & gear is at
the upper limits of the MK 55 lb. thrust motor. This is not a knock on the MK but I would have been better off
buying a new trolling motor or rebuilding the old one. Kokonuts

[beerbohm]

When getting a onboard charger is that somthing that hooks to in my case the big engine (115 merc) and will charge the trolling battery every time the "big" engine is running? If so were to get them and how much.

[sgpwayne]

The onboard charger uses an outside source for power, usually you carry an extension cord to plug it in at night so your batteries are fresh in the morning. It basically saves you from wrestling with a battery charger. In order to charge your batteries from the big motor, you have to have a selector switch and an electrical isolator for each battery. I just had mine done You can pick up the isolator for about $45.00 and the switch for $29.95. It works great and you don't worry so much about dead batteries