NEED MORE JUICE!

[Mharri333]

I am curious about others battery set ups on their boats. I seem to be running out of charge faster than I would like.

I have three group 27 (Interstate) batteries. Two run electronics and one runs the two gas motors, main and kicker. They are charged by the Minnkota 345 digital 3 bank charger. (45 amp. It is outstanding)

My boat is a 18.5 Thunderjet if you are looking for size. I have a Terrova with I-Pilot and 4 downriggers running most of the morning plus two fish finders. If I am trolling deep the downriggers eat up a lot of charge. The I-Pilot is running non stop also eating my charge. I use my kicker at times to push the boat and the I-Pilot to steer but I would much rather run on battery without the kicker. I also have TR-1 but it is a pain in the butt compared to the I-Pilot. I don't want to listen to the kicker and the hydraulics going back and forth non stop in the wind. (Sob story I know. Just trying to get it set up right )

Bottom line: What do you use and is it enough? Is it worth the cost to upgrade to a larger battery? Will it make enough difference in length of run time?

Other possible options:
1. I could put in a switch and two more batteries and just swap over. Possible overkill. Would require another charger too.
2. I could add one more battery and charger and separate the I-Pilot from the downriggers.
3. Just put in bigger batteries


Searches didn't come up with what I was looking for. Any thoughts or experience with this issue? 101idea101
Thanks,
Mharri333

 

[SuperD]

I-pilot should most certainly be separated from your electronics and house batteries. I wouldn't run my electric trolling motor on anything less than 29's or 31's and they would be independent of everything else. As for your onboard charger, I'd remove it from your main & kicker motor battery(s) since they get charged from the alternator.

 

[Mharri333]

What kind of time frame are you getting out of your I-Pilot with it separated? Which battery are you running?

 

[SuperD]

80 # thrust with 2 - 31's will get you one full day or around 6+ hours if the conditions aren't real windy and you stay around 1.5 mph. Your boat is likely a little lighter than mine so I'd expect a little bit of an increase. When you fish all day on your electric, do you trim your other motors out of the water? I always think that they could be producing a lot of extra drag so I do.

 

[Mharri333]

D, I usually keep the main in the water but the kicker up. I am getting probably around 6-8 hours out of it now unless I am really working the downriggers hard. If I know I am going to fish late I run the kicker and get a little more life out of it but not a bunch. I will have to look up the kicker to see what kind of juice it is putting out.

You made a good point though. I could look into taking the motor battery off the 3 bank charger and adding an extra battery in its place. Then I could just put a maintenance charger on the motor battery. That would be a relatively inexpensive solution. I could then isolate the electronics so that the I-Pilot is running off the two batteries I currently have and the DR's and FF's run off the new battery. That might be a stretch of my electrical brain power but I bet I could figure it out. I could mount the extra battery under the drivers console out of the way and it would be close to the other two batteries. That would make wiring easier. The new battery could be a 31. Then as I replace the others I could go bigger.

 

[SuperD]

If you are currently getting 6 to 8, you are doing pretty well and maybe only your expectations were a little high. That isn't to say that your electrical system can't be improved. Sounds like you have a plan.

 

[Mharri333]

My expectations are high? You must not remember the building of this boat. laugh hystlaugh hystlaugh hystlaugh hystlaugh hyst

I might be a little high strung. tooexcited I just want it to be flawless. When I travel I like to get as much time out on the water as possible. I know there are others that are the same way.

I appreciate your insight.

 

[gonefishing]

Mharri33

To prevent the issue you have, I did the following.

2 batteries up front to run my electronics.
Biggest Troajan I could purchase to run my down riggers.
Main starting battery.

Total 4 batteries - 3 interstate and one Trojan

Starting battery hooked to the Trojan ( Riggers battery) with a switch so I can charge it by the main motor when running the main or the trolling motor.

Dash switches that connect the front batteries to the electronics or the Trojan battery. Both switches up and those batteries can charge from main motor through the Trojan when its switch is on for charging.

I can run the electronics from either battery bank but have never needed to unless I switch the front batteries over to the electric trolling motor. They have been wired to convert to a 24 volt configuation just by flipping a few switches. A 10 second job, which isolates them from the rest of the system.

I have been out camping 6 days without plugging in to an AC power source fishing 5-8 hours each of those days.

Everything wired so they are charged by a multi bank charger when I get home.

I am a beleiver in MORE POWER, which will make for a long happy day'S of fishing.

Hope this made sense ( Happy fishing ) 12 Kokes and 8 trout in my hole today.


Gonefishing (RETIRED)

 

[Mharri333]

gonefishing, Thanks for the response. I am going to have to see what I can find on the wiring and see if it is something I can do myself. I am no electrical engineer but if I can get the concept I can usually figure things out. You system might be a little over my head. I may be able to do something dumbed down a bit to get the extra time. 6 days is an impressive run. If I could get a couple of days I would be pretty happy.