Confusing Trolling Motor Setup
horsehunter
Posted 1/16/2017 4:13 PM (#846395)
Subject: Confusing Trolling Motor Setup




Location: Eastern Ontario
I just bought a new to me boat that I'm planning to leave on the Larry. The trolling motor batteries (2 12v=24v )have 4 wires 2 red 2 black running to the front of the boat but no connection between the batteries in the battery compartment.

My other boat has 2 12 volt batteries in series in the battery compartment with 2 wires running forward .
I would like to put the 8o lb Ipilot from this boat on the new boat and the 70 lb powerdrive on this boat better still would be to make them interchangeable but I don't understand the wires in the new boat. Not much I can do till spring as both boats are now shrink wrapped but i was going to swap plugs on the trolling motors which are in the basement.

I guess i should call them casting boat and trolling boat.

Edited by horsehunter 1/16/2017 4:16 PM
danmuskyman
Posted 1/16/2017 5:10 PM (#846399 - in reply to #846395)
Subject: Re: Confusing Trolling Motor Setup




Posts: 633


Location: Madison, WI
That's actually quite typical, the female receptical for the trolling motor will have jumper built in to make the 24 volts at the plug. My Tuffy was wired that way. I believe the reasoning is so you can run either a 24 volt TM or a 12 volt with two batteries for longer life.
btfish
Posted 1/16/2017 5:47 PM (#846405 - in reply to #846399)
Subject: Re: Confusing Trolling Motor Setup




Posts: 410


Location: With my son on the water
The main problem with this type of set up though is that the Marinco connectors commonly used are only rated for 40 amps. Our new motors like a 80 lb Terrova draws 56 amps at the higher thrusts. I was smoking plugs like crazy with a series setup like this and my 80 lb Terrova.

I finally rewired my rig in parallel and used a Battery Tender plug that is rated for 100 amp. I did a few other safety related things to. (Breaker, and Master shutoff switch).

If you do rewire (don't guess on the wire size) look it up on a Wire Size/Amps Draw/Length chart.

Feel free to PM me if you need help. I like many other on here have lots of experience with this stuff.

Brad

Edited by btfish 1/16/2017 5:48 PM