Battery information

[merc850]

Lots of questions involve batteries and rectifiers, this might help:

 

[The Force power]

In my opinion; this should be a sticky

 

[merc850]

I agree, of course, so should this with answers:
I have a 1976 mercury 1150 inline 6 that I just recently purchased with a boat. The first problem I have is that the primer bulb won't stay hard and when I do get it hard the top carb leaks gas. Is this calling for a carb rebuild? If so do I need a whole rebuild kit with new jets and such or Just the kit with new gaskets,washers and float needle? Lastly, it takes about five minutes to get going and when I cut it off for about ten minutes, it's hard to start again warm. Is this also due to dirty carbs? The guy I bought it off of must have been running like a 3-1 mix for the gas, as when I pumped the old gas out it was almost black!!!
I had a "friend" who ran his 200 on a heavy duty deep cycle battery that he had to charge with a 30 amp charger before going on the water, he fried the rectifier then later the stator; we didn't know about batteries back then.

 

[The Force power]

this site must have some glitches, in your post is shows part of Tduv opening post.

 

[dingbat]

A lot of its points in that article go against everything I’ve learned and experienced over the last 25 years in my “ outboard fishing boat”

i run two group 27 deep cycles on an outboard

I run “ sealed” batteries, going on year 9 with the same pair

I run 9” 600w side and down scan sonar, 1kW conventional sonar, 8” GPS display, 18” HD radar, VHF radio and a 200w stereo. Rarely if ever put a charger on my battery banks.

 

[dingbat]

Not saying they are not making any valid points. It just paints with a very board brush based upon the attributes of 2-3 generation old technologies.

Outboards have come a long way in the last twenty years

 

[The Force power]

Not saying they are not making any valid points. It just paints with a very board brush based upon the attributes of 2-3 generation old technologies.

Outboards have come a long way in the last twenty years

TRUE, however if the outboard is just equip with a Rectifier and/or volt-regulator; the battery is still being charged, regardless of how "charged-up" it it.

unfortunately even the volt-regulator does not control the amps output and keeps putting out whatever its rating at the engine's RPM.

In my opinion; it also should be a amp-regulator like the car, where it measures the battery voltage and cuts down the amp output as required.

it would save any battery
p.s. I use deep-cycle batteries because of the characteristic

 

[The Force power]

I'm sure those big inboard motors that have a "regular" alternator don't have over charging issues (unless it's a faulty alternator)

 

[The Force power]

To explain my experience with batteries on outboards at bit better;

During the summer months my boat is tied to the dock and I'm only there on weekends.
I installed a solar-panel 2 amp max out put(with charging regulator so when the battery is full it stops charging, I made this to keep the battery charged for the(auto) bilge-pump that does it work when I'm not there

the issues with fully or close to fully charged batteries is that when you run the motor it keeps putting voltage into the battery (regardless if regulated voltage)

I have to run a high drawing light bulb to keep draining the batteries while running the motor to regulate the charge in the battery(preventing over-charging)

 

[dingbat]

I'm sure those big inboard motors that have a "regular" alternator don't have over charging issues (unless it's a faulty alternator)

No alternators. Rectifiers with voltage regulation.

I have a 60 amp charging system on my outboard

 

[The Force power]

You also have 4 batteries in your boat as I understand correctly, this helps tremendously to deter over charging as the volts/amps can be absorbed by 4 batteries

If...what you have is a standard rectifier/volt-regulator, the voltage is brought down to lets say 14.2 volt; the reduce voltage has an increase of amperage out-put.

I like your set-up, unfortunately that would be too many batteries for in my boat (weight/space) I'm working with two batteries; one at the transom and the other under the rear bench in the center of the boat