battery help

millsryno · Post by **millsryno** » Sat May 20, 2006 9:28 pm

I have a 1 year new boat. Last week when I was on the lake, the boat made a beeping noise and died on me. The cranking battery died. I figure this beeping noise must have been because of that. Sure is fun using the trolling motor to get back in all the way across the lake lol.

I took it into autozone and got it tested. The machine said to charge and retest, so we did that it was fine.

I recently took my boat in for service and they did not wire up the trolling motor batteries correctly. So I am wondering if all of this is wired right. Is the "power" switch on the console and fish finders supposed to be hooked up to the cranking battery? Also, does the dual bank charger charge the 2 trolling motor batteries or all 3?

Thanks,

Ryan

Kelly Ripa · Post by **Kelly Ripa** » Sun May 21, 2006 11:30 am

Dual Battery Charger charges only your trolling motor batteries. The engines alternator charges the crank battery everytime you run the big motor just like your car. Yes, the power switch on the console and fish finders and everything else EXCEPT the trolling motor run off of your crank battery. The newer motors require a battery in top condition. A one year old battery used normally should have about 3 more years left in it. Now for what I think the problem is....The Alternator! I had my alarm go off at Clear Lake last year with a battery that was one week old. I took in the battery and they said it was dead. I bought a new one and went fishing the next day without mishap. The day after while heading down the lake at full tilt the same alarm. I checked that battery. and it was way down. I got it to Anglers Marine and as I'd guessed, it was the Alternator. Depending on your motor get ready for the sticker shock on your new alternator!

Rip

millsryno · Post by **millsryno** » Sun May 21, 2006 11:34 am

THanks Kelly,

I was kind of thinking it could be the alternator also. I was hoping something like that was covered under warranty. It is a 115 HP Optimax. Hope it is not too pricey.

scottsweet · Post by **scottsweet** » Sun May 21, 2006 11:44 am

The battery chargers may or may not charge all your batteries depending on how it was set up. I have set it up to be on all batteries. For example, if you have a 24 volt trolling motor system and a dual bank charger, then you will not have the main battery being charged.

As a side note, batteries is a great topic within itself and most people just find the least expensive deep cycle battery and put them in. When I bought my boat last year, I decided to put down the big bucks and bought the Lightening Series batteries by Dual Pro (www.dualpro.com). I personally got the 31 series. While they are big...there capacity is unprecidented in the industry with 1500 CCA! I have run in to a few people with new boats with the Verado's and several have said they have had dead main batteries after a day of fishing. I have NEVER had a dead battery with livewells going all day. (Watch..it will happen next weekend

) With all the electronics on our boats today, batteries are used quite heavily and your 850-1000 CCA batteries just don't hold up...and they may not be fully charged at the beginning of a fishing day if you don't have your charger on them.

I know that they can be purchased if you request them even if they are not a regularly stocked item...as I got mine from Anglers Marine. The 31 Series are about $250, but if you look at it from a multi-year perspective, it is small peanuts compared to a lost day on the water, especially in a tourney!

Scott