Silly Question? Altenator on OB?

[olmpilot]

I'm new, so I'm sorry if this is a silly question, but does my Evi 120 HP actually charge the battery while the engine is running, like a car? I'm wondering how the electronics stay powered on the boat and don't want to over load the battery. It currently has all gauges, power T&T, and I'm adding a Lowrance Depth/Fish finder. I want to also add a am/fm cd and vhf marine radio, but don't want to kill my battery. <br /><br />Thanks for any info or links.<br /><br />Rick

 

[cp]

Re: Silly Question? Altenator on OB?

The knowledgeable folks on the Evinrude/Johnson Forum can probably tell you for sure, and maybe JB will move this thread there for you, but an old thread (below) from that forum indicates that you do have a charging system, so the answer to your question would be YES, your outboard will charge your battery (as long as it's working properly). Somewhere it was said that the 'stator' was rated for 10 amps or, if the high power option, 35 amps.<br /><br />Old Thread<br /><br />Might be a good idea to have a 2nd battery and switch or isolator if you intend to run the sound sytem for extended periods with the engine shutdown. That way you don't run down your only battery so you can't start the engine. Good luck.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Silly Question? Altenator on OB?

Ditto on pchonda's post, but posting the year of the motor would help a litle more... You will be fine..

 

[ThomWV]

Re: Silly Question? Altenator on OB?

Yes, it does. Virtually every outboard made that has an electric starter has a charging system. Even the most anemic of them puts out somewhere around 25 amps, which is more than enough to power the electrical needs of just about any small boat.<br /><br />Thom

 

[olmpilot]

Re: Silly Question? Altenator on OB?

Thanks for the information. Sorry, it's an '89 120 HP V4. This makes sense, but wanted to confirm it with the knowledgeable folks here. <br /><br />Rick