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Posts: 80
| Here is a great idea (I think) - I have an Alumacraft TP185 Tiller with a 90 Honda on it. It is wired for bow and transom trolling motors.
My dad was out three nights in a row with the interior and navigational lights on, mainly using the transom trolling motor - without running the big engine very much.
Well that last night the big motor would not start as the starter battery was dead. It is a 90 horse, so pull starting it with that emergency rope was not going to happen, especially in the middle of the night. So he had to wrestle one of the trolling motor batteries out from under the rod locker and haul it to the back of the boat, and hook it up to get the engine started.
So, for the next time this happens (there is always a next time)... He crafted a nice emergency jump starter for the boat. He picked up another Marinco trolling motor plug-in, and wired two jumper cables to it. Now all we have to do is unplug the transom trolling motor, and plug the jump start plug into the outlet - and connect the jumper cables to the starting battery....
It is a heck of alot easier than taking all the rods out of the rod locker, and unhooking and hauling one of the trollign motor batteries to the back of the boat. Especially at night, when getting eaten alive by mosquito's...
Of course - the best solution would be to charge the starter battery, or to not run it dead in the first place, but what fun would that be....
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Posts: 333
Location: menasha wi 54952 | That is a great idea!!!!
Depending on battery location it may be just as easy to pick up a cheap set of jumper cables and keep them in the boat. You never know when someone else might need them 
MR |
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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | Got a set of cables in my boat for just such an occasion. Never thought of the plug idea, though. Brilliant! |
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Posts: 80
| Cables would work just as well.
But in my boat, the front trolling motor batteries are mounted way up front in the bowels of my boat, under the rod locker. The only way to get at them is to take all the rods out of the rod locker, take the cover off of the battery compartment and then horse the batteries out... |
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Posts: 910
Location: Hastings, mn, 55033 | that is a great tip, definitely one i'll have to remember. i was always under the impression you couldnt use a trolling battery as a starting battery.
as a side question. has anyone been able to start a motor that size with the pull cord? i attemted it once with my 75hp honda and it wasnt happening. on motors that size, especially four strokes, you think they could put some type of compression relief in them to make it a little easier. otherwise seems kind of ridiculous to even put a rope in the tool kit!! |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | My Tuffy is wired to charge the starter battery off the deep cycles with the flip of a switch on the front control panel or start it. Cool options. |
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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | That is pretty cool too. My next boat will be wired like that. |
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Emergency Jump Start Tip...