need some pointers/help please

[surreyboy]

hi every one , im new to the whole boating department . just bought a 15 foot with a 50 HP Johnson . not too sure how the marine battery works ?? do i just leave it connected all the time or should i disconnect when not using ?? also i want to hook up a cd player in it , do i go directly off the batt ? or is there special hardware i need ? thankx for all the help

 

[HAV2FISH]

Re: need some pointers/help please

Leave the battery hooked up all the time during boating season. If your going to put in a radio i would also put in a second battery to run the radio. You don't want to run radio on your cranking battery. it will drain it and possibly leave you stranded. Thats why it's best to use a separate battery. You could run radio straight to battery but put in a fuse link.

 

[surreyboy]

Re: need some pointers/help please

ok great thankx , now would just a simple car batt. work ? there is a alternator in the motor to charge the batt when running right ? if so i should be able to hook up the secondary batt to keep it charged up ?

 

[redone4x4]

Re: need some pointers/help please

a marine battery is preferred...but a car battery is better than no battery. I disconnect mine every single time i pull it out of the water, then put it on a maintainer when i get home.

 

[Floatsum]

Re: need some pointers/help please

ok great thankx , now would just a simple car batt. work ? there is a alternator in the motor to charge the batt when running right ? if so i should be able to hook up the secondary batt to keep it charged up ?

If you've got a good one,, it'll work fine.
If you need to buy one,, go for the marine battery.

I'd hook the (low draw) radio to the single battery. You should be good unless you play the radio constantly and don't run the engine for charging.

I ALWAYS disconnect the bat when not using with the switch.
Saves on corrosion of wireing (salt water thing).

 

[surreyboy]

Re: need some pointers/help please

thankx guys , very much . i dont quite get it , if i hook up a stereo to the sole marine battery that the motor is connected to it will work just fine as long as i have the motor running to keep the batt. charged up but if im just sitting crankin the tunes without the motor running , i will have to row back to shore ???? thankx for all the help .


cheers !

 

[redone4x4]

Re: need some pointers/help please

I sit at anchor and listen to the radio while the engine is off all the time. I also have an extra battery just in case, and I start the boat at least once an hour just to let it charge back up a little. You can take a fully charged battery as a backup, and not hook it to anything that way you know you will at least have that to get it fired up if you have to.

 

[flargin]

Re: need some pointers/help please

Yup,
it will take a while of tunes and no motor running - if you just have a simple radio and a good battery, or it will take no time at all with a big radio or a bad battery.

basically, radios take amperage (small ones 2 to 5 amps, big ones up to hundreds of amps) the standard auto/marine battery has 70-100 Amp hours (i.e. 2 amps run for 1 hour = 2 amp hours) so you have a lot of time. Motors take a lot of power (100-400 Amps, yours on the 100 amp side) to start, but usually don't take to long to start.

When you are running the motor, it charges the battery, so it is a non issue.

You might just want to get a rope to pull start your 50... but check it out first if you can do it.

Or you might want to buy a "Jumper box"

Or you could just put a spare battery into another compartment in and a set of jumper cables...

Or wire in a more complex multi-battery switch.

all will work, just depends on what you want to accomplish, and how complex you want to be.

if the motor starts over really easily the rope may be easiest.

Don't skimp on a staring battery... it sucks to be stuck floating , waiting for someone to float by...

regardless if you have a single battery system, best to re-charge when off of the lake and disconnect or use a switch to 'turn off' the battery.


Welcome to the boating world...

 

[surreyboy]

Re: need some pointers/help please

thankx to every one for the great advice

 

[22E6441]

Re: need some pointers/help please

I have a Johnson 50 too, so I'll throw in my two cents.

I disconnect whenever I'm done. Just habit...no reason.

You'll want a good car battery or a good marine rated starting battery.

You could run the radio to the battery with no problem. Fuse it. I'm going to install a radio in my boat too....just a simple deck and a couple speakers. I'm also going to get a trolling motor, and once I do I'll be getting a second battery anyway and I'll run the radio and trolling motor off the new deep cycle marine battery I buy for it.

If you're planning on an amp and big speakers for pumping tunes....then I'd get a second battery for sure.