More trolling motor/battery installation questions.

[Skinnywater]

For the past 3 days I've been all over iboats and the www scouring all the info I can for the best options to build for my new trolling motor and it's battery.

There is a lot of good info for sure but it seems there is almost too much info. And for every question there seems to be 4 different answers and of course none matching exactly what I'm looking for.

What I'm interested in is simplicity and of course alternatives to a $200 automatic charging relay(ACR) especially if it's not needed.

The trolling motor is a new Motorguide W55 (55#thrust)12v bow mount. The alternator will be from Honda's new BF90 40amp. The starting battery is a group 27 marine lead/acid and is mounted mid-ship under the center console. I will mount a Mercedes Benz group 49 AGM or a Optima group 27 under the bow for the TM. I haven't decided which one yet, although the group 49 is much bigger and is more economical at my cost, I'm leaning towards it.
Motorguide wants a 50amp breaker used and 6 guage wire.

I definately want the outboard to charge both batterys when underway and I'm thinking using an off/1/2/both switch is the simplest and most economical.
Although a simple on/off switch and a HDuty (not a $200 one)relay may be better.
I also want an onboard charger for the bow mounted battery and a 6 amp will probably work for my needs.

I'm not opposed to spending $200 or more for a component that incorporates multifunctions, relay, switches, breakers and charger, etc. in one unit, if there is one.

Any and all recommendations, links or schematics are appreciated.

 

[JB]

Re: More trolling motor/battery installation questions.

I understand the appeal of the gp 49 battery for your troller, Skinny, but it is a starting battery, not a deep discharge battery. Battery life could become a serious issue. I recommend a gp 27 deep discharge battery if all it is going to do is run your troller. It should run that 55lb motor all day (it does have pulse modulation, doesn't it?), but a 6A charger won't bring it all the way back overnight if you have drained it most of the way.

I understand why so many people say to use one battery for starting and a different one for running a troller, but I still consider that overkill.

I start my 48SPL Johnny and run all my electronics and a 55lb Minn Kota Auto Pilot from a single Marine Maxx gp 27 dual purpose battery. No switches, no relays, no complications. The engine charges it when running and the power guage on the Minn Kota tells me if battery power is getting low so I could crank her up and start a fresh charge if that ever happened. It hasn't.

If I had any concerns about running out of battery during a long day musky hunting I would simply add a second Marine Maxx in parallel with the first one.

My rig is about as simple and economical as you can get running a 55lb troller.

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: More trolling motor/battery installation questions.

I think you're right JB. The best I can get out of my techspec's on the grp 49 is that is a rated dual purpose battery.
I think the grp27 you recommend is the way I should go.

I was brainstorming all morning long and came up with going with that and my existing grp27 in parallel.

I'll use a simple ag/industrial ($50) starter selenoid similar in design to the ones used on Fords to complete the circuit between the batterys. With the ignition key in the <run only> position the relay will close the circuit to be charged by the outboard. Ignition key <off/on> position the relay will be open making the start battery unavailable to the TM circuit.
If the start battery should ever need jumped all I would need is a short jumper across the relay.

Thanks for your recommendations, I'll go with a 10 amp on-board charger.
This weeks project............8)

 

[bruceb58]

Re: More trolling motor/battery installation questions.

i would still use an ACR. The BlueSea one would be perfect and it is only around $75

 

[JB]

Re: More trolling motor/battery installation questions.

Check with Honda on making that switch in power when on, Skinny. Those ECMs are very sensitive to transients in the power supply. I would simply hook the batts in parallel.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: More trolling motor/battery installation questions.

[colour=blue]I use an ACR with my EFI, JB. No problem.

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: More trolling motor/battery installation questions.

i would still use an ACR. The BlueSea one would be perfect and it is only around $75

Thanks bruce, for $75 it's cost effective not the $200 I was quoted. I'll go with your recommendation too.