Charging system, how important?

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Rumbles1960

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I'm sorry if this is a dumb or over done question but I have never set up a boat who's sole function will be fishing. I'm looking for a tiller motor and I am wanting to know the importance I should place on the motor having a charging system. I'm not sure if these charging systems are sufficient to keep a battery topped off enough to run a trolling motor and a fish finder for a reasonable amount of time or will I be using a battery charger between fishing trips anyway. Average run times to fishing holes will probably be 5 to 20 minutes or so. What do you guys think?
 
My motor doesn't have one. Well, it does, but it hasn't worked since I got the motor, and I haven't felt the need to fix it. It will not provide enough to run a trolling motor, and a standard battery will start your outboard, and run lights, sonars, and aerators all day. Outboards are unlike cars in that they do not use the battery to run on - only to start. All the power for the spark plugs is generated while the motor is running.

I wouldn't bother. If you fish tourneys (livewell pump and aerator) or have a lot of accessories that run continuously, get 2 deep cycles. One for the trolling motor only, and one for the outboard and all accessories. If your only accessories are sonars, bilge pumps, and the occasional nav. lights, a cranking battery for the motor and all accessories, along with a deep cycle for the trolling motor is adequate.
 
I agree with bassboy.I like the old jerk start motors myself.No need to worry about a starter or starting battery.The charging system on small outboards will top off a starting battery, after the engine is running.I'd plan a battery dedicated to the trolling motor and extra equipment.Two batteries would give more range while running the trolling motor and other equipment on board.I only run one battery, but I don't stay out long and I only have a trolling motor.
 
Electric start motors and Trolling motors need different types of batteries based on how they operate. A TM needs a deep cycle battery because they can discharge deeper and be recharged with less wear and tear on the battery. They can sustain a longer constant drain better than a Marine Cranking battery. Personally I would only have the TM on a Deep Cycle battery and everything else on the Marine cranking battery. When using a battery charger always charge the batteries as soon as possible after the trip because a battery that sits too long in a discharged state can be permanently damaged
 
flounderhead59 said:
Personally I would only have the TM on a Deep Cycle battery and everything else on the Marine cranking battery.
That's what I thought for a while, but it is perfectly acceptable to do it otherwise. Most deep cycle batteries have cold cranking amp ratings on the top that are about equal to most starting batteries, even those found on large V8 car motors. In fact, these days, most police cars will have deep cycles due to the amount of idling police cars do, and a lot of people are putting deep cycles in cars for the added durability. Most guys like to have a deep cycle on the cranker, as with an aerator running full pump all day, and sometimes a bait well pump running full pump too, along with nav lights in night tourneys, sonars, and cranking the motor a lot, with short runs (takes a bit to recharge the battery with enough to compensate for starting the motor), a standard cranking battery will not survive.

I will be replacing my starting battery with a deep cycle as soon as this stupid AAA battery that we pulled out of an old Toyota that we inherited dies. I cannot believe a battery this old, that was left out for about 5 months with no charger, then only charged when it settled down to about 12.4 volts when stored for more than a year, then thrown in a fairly rough environment (thrown around a lot more than a car battery ever would), would last this long. I have had it in the boat since August, and it is still going strong. Only thing is, I just don't trust running aerators the whole day in a tourney along with all the other tasks, so whenever I fish one out of my boat, I get my backseater to bring a deep cycle.
 

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