2 12 volt batteries or just one...

[AGUILERA2000]

hey guys, i just got me a new trolling motor and a new 12v battery to go along with it, my question is, for trolling only (a lot) should i use 2 12 volt batteries and does hooking 2 12volts make a 24 volt setup? i don't want a 24 volt setup and fry my new trolling motor (12volt) i don't need the batteries for anything other than trolling and finder... is it worth all the extra work to have 2 batteries, if so what is the correct way to connect 2 batteries that will be charged from a single charger. by the way the second battery will be my old one (the 2 are different) does that matter...
or honestly do i just forget it and stay with a single good new battery???
what would you do?????????

 

[j_martin]

Re: 2 12 volt batteries or just one...

hey guys, i just got me a new trolling motor and a new 12v battery to go along with it, my question is, for trolling only (a lot) should i use 2 12 volt batteries and does hooking 2 12volts make a 24 volt setup? i don't want a 24 volt setup and fry my new trolling motor (12volt) i don't need the batteries for anything other than trolling and finder... is it worth all the extra work to have 2 batteries, if so what is the correct way to connect 2 batteries that will be charged from a single charger. by the way the second battery will be my old one (the 2 are different) does that matter...
or honestly do i just forget it and stay with a single good new battery???
what would you do?????????

Don't know what motor you have, it's current draw, how heavy your boat is, percent of time at what thrust setting you're running, or size of your new battery.

I also don't have a crystal ball, so all I would say is try the new battery. If it doesn't make it through the day, add another new battery.

Don't put a new battery and an old battery in the same setup. You'll just greatly shorten the life of the new battery.

Connect the batteries in parallel. Positive to positive, negative to negative, and treat them as one large battery.

hope it helps
John

 

[AGUILERA2000]

Re: 2 12 volt batteries or just one...

thanks John, i have a 15 foot deep v aluminum boat, 12volt 50lbs minn kota trolling motor, running at 4-5 speed mostly and a big maxx 29 trolling/starting deep battery, i was just thinking that by hooking 2 batteries together i would get twice the amount of power (is that so?) but i am not sure if putting 2 12volt batteries together makes a 24volt set up.
but if i can't put old and new together then i will forget it... thanks!!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 2 12 volt batteries or just one...

If you have old and new....run one until it gets down to 50% charge(12.0V) and then switch over to the other battery.