Slipped Pontoon - trolling motor batteries

Hoffer

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I've been thinking of adding an electric trolling motor to our pontoon which sits in a slip at Southport for 90% of the summer. Trying to think of the best way to keep the batteries charged. Anyone have an elegant solution that doesn't involve removing 3 deep cycle batteries (it's a 36v Terrova) and hauling them home every time they need a charge?
 


RustyTackleBox

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how often are you using it and how many hours are you using the tm? 3 solar chargers would probably charge each batteries if you only used it on the weekends and 10-12hrs on the tm for the weekend... going to be spendy and take up a lot of room to get enough charge
 

Hoffer

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how often are you using it and how many hours are you using the tm? 3 solar chargers would probably charge each batteries if you only used it on the weekends and 10-12hrs on the tm for the weekend... going to be spendy and take up a lot of room to get enough charge

Yeah I'd say 10-12 hours max per weekend is all the use it would see. That's probably a high estimate. I thought about solar but figured I'd need such a giant array to charge 3 batteries it's probably not realistic.

The more I think about, maybe it's not such a huge deal to pull the batteries each time I need a charge. I could maybe work up some portable wheeled cart for the batteries with some quick disconnect cabling to make life a little easier.
 

LBrandt

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One of those big tired lawn carts would easly take 3 battries. Cost about 100 bucks or less.
 


shorthairsrus

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how many batteries and what engine: etec boom -- 3000 and up on rpm 25 amps of charging -- no other outboard touches that. and they sell a cord you can hook up additional batteries.



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southport have cords running out to the boats?
 

Hoffer

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how many batteries and what engine: etec boom -- 3000 and up on rpm 25 amps of charging -- no other outboard touches that. and they sell a cord you can hook up additional batteries.



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southport have cords running out to the boats?

It's a 36v TM, so 3 deep cycles. The big motor is a 115hp merc 4 stroke. Are you suggesting I can charge the 36 volt system with the starting battery?

You know I never thought to check with the marina. This will be our first year at southport...not sure if they have power at the slips or if they allow a guy to run an ext cord. I just assumed they didn't.
 

Kurtr

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Minnkota makes a charger that will charge the battery’s while the big motor is running. Buddy runs it on both his pontoons he guides with

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https://mk.factoryoutletstore.com/cat/20875/Minn-Kota-On-Board-DC-Alternator-Chargers.html
 

Davey Crockett

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It's a 36v TM, so 3 deep cycles. The big motor is a 115hp merc 4 stroke. Are you suggesting I can charge the 36 volt system with the starting battery?

You know I never thought to check with the marina. This will be our first year at southport...not sure if they have power at the slips or if they allow a guy to run an ext cord. I just assumed they didn't.


If you see cabin cruisers parked in the slips I bet they have shore power.
 

Hoffer

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Minnkota makes a charger that will charge the battery’s while the big motor is running. Buddy runs it on both his pontoons he guides with

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https://mk.factoryoutletstore.com/cat/20875/Minn-Kota-On-Board-DC-Alternator-Chargers.html

That's actually really cool, I didn't know this existed!

I'm not good with electrical stuff, but I don't think the alternator on my particular outboard has enough output for this. The product manual says you need 35a minimum alternator output to power the 3 bank version of their charger. The google machine tells me my merc 115 only outputs 25a.

Also, I am guessing you only get the full power of the alternator when you're at wide open throttle. Which for a river newbie like myself isn't all that often.
 


raider

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i'm waiting for the recreational batteries to catch up with the tool and phone technology... some day i can wee where we carry batteries the size of a vhs tape to use in the boat for a day, then pop them out and take home to charge for the night... think how far cell phone batteries have come in just the last few years... i'll be buying stock in the first company to come out with it...
 

guywhofishes

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I’d look into Li ion. Hauling three lead acids around would blow.

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$3,000-$4,500

way cheaper than spinal fusion
 

Wirehair

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Lease a slip @ SouthPort for our toon. The slips that accommodate the larger boats / cruisers have ship to shore AC. I do not believe that the other slips do. Ours does not.
 


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