24v trolling motor hookup help

[jajeeper]

I have done a complete search and have found some info relating to this, but not really what I am looking for.<br /><br />I bought a boat that has a MinnKota foot controlled 12/24 trolling motor. It has 3 wires coming from it. I currently am only using two of them, red and black, to go to my single deep cycle battery's positive and negative terminals.<br /><br />1) What is the third wire for?<br />2) Will connecting 2 batteries to it, thus making it 24v, cause it to spin faster or have more lb/thrust, or will this simply make my charge last longer?<br />3) How should I hook up two trolling motor batteries together, including the three wires from the trolling motor? I have read pos. to neg. and neg. to pos. I have also read pos. to pos., etc... What is the difference in results in these two and how should the trolling motor wires be hooked to the dual battery setup? Does it matter that the batteries are different brands? Both are deep cycle.<br /><br />Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[kalan2000]

Re: 24v trolling motor hookup help

jajeeper,<br /><br />Check out the MK site for a manual and instructions for connecting the wires. They should have what you need there.<br /><br />If you want 24V, you need a series connection. Run the motor ground wire to batt A neg, jumper wire from batt A pos to batt B neg, run motor hot (red) to batt B pos. (Again, check with MK re: 2 red wires)<br /><br />For 12V, you need a parallel connection between the 2 batteries. TM ground to batt A neg, jumper from Batt A neg to batt B neg, jumper from batt B pos to batt B pos, TM hot to batt B pos. <br /><br />When I wired mine in parallel, I wired a off-1-all-2 switch that allows me to select either or both batteries to power the TM and FF. It also allows me to easily disconnect battery power from the TM during battery recharging.

 

[wilkin250r]

Re: 24v trolling motor hookup help

Being unfamiliar with trolling motors, I cannot tell you what the third wire is for. Having extensive electrical experience, I CAN answer all your other questions.<br /><br />In theory, 24 volts will make it spin faster then 12 volts IF it doesn't burn it up. If you tried to apply 24 volts to an ordinary 12v motor, it would definitely burn the 12v motor. I don't know if your motor has a 12/24 volt selection switch, or if is just able to handle the 24v, but that is DEFINITELY something you need to figure out.<br /><br />There are two different ways to hook up two batteries. One way is in series, connect the positive of one battery to the negative of the other. This adds the voltage, so you have 24 volts on the remaining terminals (the ones that aren't connected to each other).<br /><br />The other way to connect two batteries is in parallel, positive to positive, negative to negative. This will give you 12 volts, but it lasts twice as long. You MUST make sure that the batteries are EXACTLY the same voltage (within 0.1 volts of each other) before you do this, or one battery will drain into the other with a huge current. I caution you about hooking batteries in parallel, see the thread Battery Isolator...Should I use one in my two battery set up??? in this section for more detail on the subject.

 

[jajeeper]

Re: 24v trolling motor hookup help

OK...so from the responses here and from other reading I have done, I now understand that hooking the batteries in a series is the way to get 24v.<br /><br />Concerning the discussions around battery isolators. Until I can afford to purchase two, new, identical, deep cycle batteries, can I use the two different deep cycle batteries now for my trolling motor. Neither would be connected to anything except the trolling motor and I realize I would need to disconnect them from each other and charge them independently. It seems that the isolator discussion is mostly related to charging. So...will connecting them together damage one or both of them or how will this affect their performance.<br /><br />Thanks.

 

[jajeeper]

Re: 24v trolling motor hookup help

Anybody?

 

[wilkin250r]

Re: 24v trolling motor hookup help

It depends on what you are planning to do with the batteries.<br /><br />If you connect the batteries in series (positive to negative) to get 24 volts, you do not need an isolator. Obviously you would need to charge them seperately, but it doesn't matter if they are slightly different voltages. Also, if connected in series, you don't need a brand new matched set.<br /><br />If you connect the batteries in parallel to your trolling motor, an isolator won't do any good, and different voltages can cause problems. Although, I cannot see why you would ever hook them in parallel to your trolling motor. In parallel will give you 12 volts, but last twice as long, but it has risks. If you already have two batteries and you want twice as long, then just use one battery at a time. You still get twice the life of one battery, but you don't have the risks of them connected together.

 

[jajeeper]

Re: 24v trolling motor hookup help

Thanks for the responses. I appreciate your sharing your knowledge. <br /><br />My plan is to connect the two, differnt, deep cycle batteries in a series to my 12/24 volt switchable trolling motor to gain more power from it.<br /><br />All I need to know now is the proper use of the three wires coming from my Minn Kota. Hopefully they will respond to the email I sent their customer support. They don't have any manuals on their website. The wires are black, red, and white. I know what the black one is for, but I'm not sure whether the red one is for the 24V hookup and the white for 12V or vice versa.<br /><br />Oh well, I'll figure that one at easy enough.<br /><br />Thanks again.

 

[jajeeper]

Re: 24v trolling motor hookup help

Just found a wiring diagram on the Mag40 that shows the white wire being the 24v positive and the red wire being the 12v positive.<br /><br />Thanks again.