Jumping an Optimax

[Scott D.]

Question: jump starting an Opti. When you hook up the jumper cables between the start battery and the trolling motor battery, do you have to disconnect the trolling motor cables from which ever battery you're jumping from, or do you just clamp it on one battery on the big lead posts? I have heard that if you don't disconnect the cables that you are actually sending amps from all three batteries because they are in-line, and that will fry the computer inside the Opti. Well, I jumped mine at the Stren without disconnecting, and nothing bad happened, it started the motor just fine. Just checking for future reference because I KNOW I'll need to again someday!!! Thanks in advance.

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

*NM*

[Dewayne]

If they are seperate systems (4 battery 36V or a 3 battery 24V) you don't have to, but it is not a bad idea. As long as you jump off a single battery you will only be jumping with 12V. Disconnecting one of the battery leads that connects that battery to the next trolling battery will prevent any danger to your TM.

Now, if your starting battery also makes up one of your trolling batteries then you have to disconnect the lead to the next trolling battery. If you are not 100% sure how they are connected then disconnect. Otherwise you will short across a battery and it will not be pretty.

It is also a good idea to disconnect the power leads to your graphs when jumping.

[Andy Giannini]

To really screw it up, you would have to span the batteries that are in series. DO NOT DO THIS! For a 36 volt system that would mean putting one cable at one end of your 36 volt system, and the other at the end of the series, and attaching the two live leads to your start battery.AGAIN DO NOT DO THIS! IF you attempted to jump in this manner SERIOUS DAMAGE WILL OCCUR! That would be sending three batteries to your one or 36 volts to your 12 volt system. (With three hot batteries in 36v you could just about arc weld something!)

I have jumped mine by attaching my leads to ONE battery in the series and the other leads to my one start battery. This is jumping in paralel and 12v to 12v.

By wiring in series positive to negative, that is how you get up to 24 or 36 volts, if the batteries were side to side in paralel the three battery system would still just give the troller 12v.

Now that everyone is confused, consult with your mechanic, certfied marine technician, or electrical engineer for actual jump start instructions.

A.G.

[brambo0311]

just push it down the hill and pop in 2nd.

[mark poulson]

Those days of push starting your car are gone forever.

On a semi-serious note, if I connect two batteries in series to each of my 24volt TM leads, would I still have 24volt, but twice as many amps to draw off of?

[buddy brown]

Just buy a Black and Decker portable charger and keep it on board. I jumped the crankin battery once from the trolling motor battery with out disconnecting the series and luckily I just popped a fuse. I could have fried everything. Portable charger is only 80 bucks and it has saved my @ss already.

[brambo0311]

If your batteries are parrallel. its 12v with double the amps. When they are in series it is the same amp twice the volt. To be safe I just cary cables and conect to one battery and isolate the rest. Maby I am just over cautious, but it sure beats a cook off. Oh and yeah 24 volts is enough to weld with, welded a drive line on the rubicon with a handfull of nickels once. Its still on the jeep and holding 5 years later. And by some miracle it came out balanced.

my spell check is malphunctioning

[mark poulson]

So is parallel red to red, and black to black?

Must have been the old nickels, if it came out balanced.

[brambo0311]

parallel is + to + and - to -. this gives you 12 volt and double amp. but 2 trolling batteries deep cycle is a lot of amps to be playing with.

[brambo0311]

All right heres what ya do.
1 set the throttle wide open.
2 wrap the line on your swim bait around the prop 15 times.
3 stand on outboard cowling.
4 set the hook like its a 15lb peacock bass.
5 we will watch the news report.

[mark poulson]

It beats running out of juice with 1 1/2hrs to weighin.

[Tobe]

I use a small chargeable jump-starter that I carry in the back of my boat, only weighs about 5-7 lbs.

[supermat]

That would be sending three batteries to your one or 36 volts to your 12 volt system. (With three hot batteries in 36v you could just about arc weld something!)

That is a trick we used to use when rock crawling! When the trucks would have major breaks and we weren't prepared with spare parts everyone would pull the batteries from their trucks, link them together, then use a set of jumper cables as the leads to stick weld with. 3 batteries is perfect for most purposes.
With that in mind it will definetely damage your boat system!

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

*NM*

[Tobe]

Jim,

These chargeable jump starters can be found at any auto parts store, they have a single pair (hot & ground)cables attatched to them and can be stored in the back of most boats.

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

*NM*