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Member
Posts: 650
| tuffy 1760GC... I have HDS-8 on the dash and LCX-15 up front... battery draw... Doc, tuffy guys, anybody run a dual main battery set up? had a few times while running both sonars and extended fishing not running(small lakes) battery gets low... cold fall weather too...motor still starts but not easy... Also HDS turns off and on when I turn the key... this is after charging battery ahead of time... can 2 big sonars run down a battery in a day? this isn't even adding the livewell during a tourney... have the room in the front battery compartment for another battery...
thanks... |
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Posts: 921
Location: Manitowoc, WI | Iceman, turn your backlight down to the lowest setting before cranking the motor. There is quite the momentary draw when starting. Lowrance units semse low voltage and turn themselves off. |
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Posts: 2445
Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | I would first check the battery. I know you have a new boat but the battery may be a little short of needed capacities.
You have a opti-max which requires x- amount of juice just to run the motor. I suspect your battery is to light for your application. The reason being is When you crank the motor to start, it takes all the juice from the battery to do the job. That is why you are loosing the graph. Does it when it is cold because cold does that to batteries.
There is a difference in deep cycle batteries and marine starting batteries. It is the way that the juice is delivered to the needed product when asked for it. A starter needs short quick boosts of juice where as a trolling motor needs long sustained deliveries.
Lets use interstate batteries as a example. If you use there starting battery #24M-HD it will have 500 cold cranking amps (cca) and 625 Marine cranking amps (Mca) and reserve capacity will be 95. That is a fine battery for lots of smaller motors and the boats needed juice. However, for a Opti-max or e-tec it will be borderline at best when the going gets tough I.E. Colder out. You are seeing that now. When it was warm it had more cranking amps available.
Interstate #24MX-HD has 800 CCA and 1000 MCA with 135 Reserve capacity. Here is where this battery shines and was built for the new motors and is recommended by the motor manufacturers. The reserve capacity lets your graphs and live wells run and does not draw down the battery. The cranking amps insure the quick rolling of the motor by delivering the needed juice to the starter and electrical componants of the engine to insure a quick start. This will also eliminate the graphs and gps from shutting off. This is the battery of choice for the opti-max motors. I dont care who builds it, just as long as it is built to AT LEAST these specs.
Happy new year all. |
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Posts: 1991
| I found a Battery made by RAMCAR it is a industrial truck battery, i was looking for the biggest battery i could find and my search led me http://www.aabatteryco.com/About_Us.html they recomended to me a battery made by Ramcar, this thing is a beast group 31 series 1250 cca which in mca is about 1600 mca, I have had it for 2 years now and I have been able to run everyhting in my boat and has yet to let me down, never have a graph power down when starting, and the price was awsome leass than 100.00
The other battery I found is these, i have been using these on my trolling motor, outstanding battery http://www.odysseyfactory.com/battspecs.html series 31 is awsome, these would work for a starting battery |
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Posts: 2445
Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | As I said, it does not matter which manufacturer you use, as long as it has at least the minimum requirements. Bigger as far as group 31 is not always better. Added weight as well as eating space.
You do not have to look ALL OVER for the interstate batteries, there is a dealer on every corner every where and they will be where you decide to go fishing if you have a problem with there batteries. Warranty is as good as everyones. |
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Posts: 1040
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Denny is right on! I learned this a couple years back because everything I was running in the fall, livewell, couple of graphs and some other stuff was causing my graphs to do the same, actually pulled the battery down enough to where it wouldn't start two different occasions when I went to launch the boat in November. I did a little search and talk with Jay, the Mercury Tech at all the professional events about it and he told me my problem.
Here is a link to the Mercury website, it tells you the minimum amps for an Opti.
http://www.mercurymarine.com/serviceandwarranty/outboardfaqs/electr... |
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Member
Posts: 650
| thanks guys... think my battery is too small... I bought a battery before I picked up the boat... Delco... they make 2 marine cranking batteries, should have got the larger cranking battery... this Spring I'll get the biggest cranker they got... |
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Member
Posts: 3899
| I had an issues with my first battery losing charge during a tourney. Ran liverwell all day, sonars, and about 8 starts to move to begin trolling pass. The big motor wouldn't start for the 9th time, and I lost 1/2 hour of fishing time swapping out batteries to get it going. That battery came out the next day, and I got a dual purpose attery. Never had a problem since. I also made a set of jumper cables to go from the rear TM plug to the main battery. |
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Member
Posts: 340
Location: McFarland, WI | I always run 2 batteries on my starter system but I suspect I should have a dual battery isolator to protect the starting battery. The problem arises when I use my bow mount to troll all day long with the aerators running and all the electronics. The big motor never gets cranked up in 8 or more hrs. Two batteries will usually hold a charge but twice I have had to run jumpers from the trolling batteries. Yes, they run all day long and still jump the Opti. I think you could run accessories off one battery and start the engine off the other by using a dual battery isolator. I use those on my trucks when running refrigerators. |
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| I have been running 4 batteries on my boat, 2 for the bow mount, 1 just for the main motor and the 4th one for the boat's electrical system. The 4th battery is also charged by the kicker motor while trolling. I have 2 onboard chargers, 1 for the bow mount's batteries and the other for batteries 3 and 4. With this setup you don't need any isolators. I have been running this setup since 2001 without any issues. |
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| Can somebody diagram how you set up the two start batteries with an isolator. |
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Member
Posts: 650
| happy new year... first off I was under the impression that sonars should not be run off of the trolling motor batteries due to interference... 2 cranking batteries run in 12v Parrellel should provide juice for motor, sonar and livewells all day long... that was what I was getting at... I have the space up front in the battery compartment for the extra battery... just gotta run some wires... already got the extra battery... motor should charge both while running... please don't quote me on any of this... I'm just looking for a little security against a dead battery on the water...
Doc... where are you? pictures on your site show you with 5 screens on the dash... how you got that puppy wired? |
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Posts: 2445
Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | I would not suggest a isolator be hooked up with an opti-max or e-tec motor. Reason being is they need clean power delivered to there componants. A isolator has breaks in the wire from battery to engine, I.E. Isolator.
Iceman, I would not suggest hooking up a front battery parrallel with the rear battery. To much wire between the 2 and it could draw down the power that you think you are getting. If you want 2 you have to wedge them in the rear.
Remember also that most kickers produce 1 amp of juice if they are over 1000 rpms. That amp will be replacing the juice that the graphs will be using, or close enough anyhow.
Iceman, if you want a seperate battery for graphs and boat lights and stuff, put another battery in the bow and hook the touch pad to that seperatly. A group 27 battery will run all season. However, the problem you had wasn't from your graphs drawing it down, it was from a battery that was not up to the needed standards.
Edited by stacker 1/1/2010 4:02 PM
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Member
Posts: 86
| I use 5 batteries, 3 for trolling motors and 2 for starting and electronics. I presently use Optima Bluetop 31 series because they are dual purpose and provide lots of cranking power. A starting battery can’t last since we use them as a deep cycle battery in our boats. I have used isolators in the past and I now hook two batteries together and they start the boat and provide power to 4 Lowrance graphs, 2 aerators, one re-circ pump, 2 computer screens, oxygenator, lights, and anything electric in my boat and I have never had a problem. I went to the 2 after I learned the hard way (in a tournament) that they don’t make a big enough single battery to power our boats. They actually do but I can’t carry it. |
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