Secondary battery for boat electronics

[TriStateBassin106]

I currently have a 100AMP Mighty Max Lead sealed battery for my 10ft pelican boat. only thing I have connected is my 55 lb minn kota but I plan on having a fishfinder, nav lights in the front (required on my lake) and a stern light pole in the back that will be controlled by switch panels. now my question is can I run all these off the same battery I use for the trolling motor or should I buy a secondary battery for my electronics to run on? if so what batteries would you recommend? I only plan on running those basic three things for now (not including the motor on the bigger battery). 

[GaryH]

I’m a firm believer in electronics and trolling motors don’t play well with each other.

I would definitely run a second battery for your lights and FF. As for battery I always go with the largest that fits my needs and budget and space. 

 

 

 

[Tennessee Boy]

Trolling motors sometimes cause interference on fish finders when connected to the same battery but not always.   If it was me I would wait till I saw a need before adding another battery but that's just me.

[Jig Man]

You battery needs will depend on the fish finder you choose.  Some of them are power misers and some are power hogs.

[gim]

4 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Trolling motors sometimes cause interference on fish finders when connected to the same battery but not always.

I agree, if I could avoid doing this I would.

[MN Fisher]

4 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Trolling motors sometimes cause interference on fish finders when connected to the same battery but not always.   If it was me I would wait till I saw a need before adding another battery but that's just me.

Agree with this.

 

I have a single battery in the canoe - it runs my TM, my Striker 7, my camera and my tablet. I've not had an issue with the Striker when the TM is running, even at '5-speed'. A lot has to do with the circuits too - I have my battery in a Minn Kota Power Center box - the TM runs off the main terminals, the Striker off one aux-port, the camera and tablet off the second aux-port - each has it's own circuit breaker...that may be why the TM doesn't interfere.

[TnRiver46]

A $20 lawn mower battery from wal mart will run electronics and weighs/costs much less than standard deep cycle 

[TriStateBassin106]

On 6/21/2021 at 6:00 PM, Jig Man said:

You battery needs will depend on the fish finder you choose.  Some of them are power misers and some are power hogs.

I plan on getting a lowrance hook 5 

[Jig Man]

That lawn mower battery will probably do the job.

[Bankc]

I run my Lowrance Hook2 5 on the same battery as my Minn Kota C2 30 on my kayak, and I don't have any issues.  I have a second, smaller battery for when I want to remove my motor and just paddle my way around.  And while I could hook up both batteries, there's no way I'd want to deal with the weight, lack of space, and inconvenience.   

 

Just make sure your cables aren't running next to each other and your fish finder and transducer are a good distance from your motor.  A battery is a constant voltage source, so it shouldn't be the cause of any interference itself.  If you get interference, it's most likely a wiring or some other problem.

[WRB]

On 6/21/2021 at 6:33 PM, MN Fisher said:

Agree with this.

 

I have a single battery in the canoe - it runs my TM, my Striker 7, my camera and my tablet. I've not had an issue with the Striker when the TM is running, even at '5-speed'. A lot has to do with the circuits too - I have my battery in a Minn Kota Power Center box - the TM runs off the main terminals, the Striker off one aux-port, the camera and tablet off the second aux-port - each has it's own circuit breaker...that may be why the TM doesn't interfere.

The battery box is a good method to manage your 12V needs with 1 battery.

Tom

[newbiedmv]

On 6/21/2021 at 5:13 PM, Tennessee Boy said:

Trolling motors sometimes cause interference on fish finders when connected to the same battery but not always.   If it was me I would wait till I saw a need before adding another battery but that's just me.

Absolutely... The new mostly digital controlled motors put a ton of noise on the power line. Most is filtered out by the battery but some "radiates" off the leads and is picked up by other wires and antennas. If you have an AM radio tune to an unused station then listen with the motor on(under load) and off.

 

I used to use a small tractor battery for my depth finder

Sorry, retired EMI (electronic noise type) engineer. It comes back every now and then.

[Functional]

https://www.amazon.com/ML12-12-Battery-Terminal-Mighty-Product/dp/B00K53FG5Q/ref=sr_1_5?crid=FQYCWR1XFYND&dchild=1&keywords=12v+12ah+battery&qid=1624555880&sprefix=12v+12%2Caps%2C234&sr=8-5

 

I run a Striker+ 4CV off this and I can get multiple full day uses off it before I need to charge. I know Kayaks can get cramped but it should be fairly easy to find a home for this.