battery (for my boat) question?

I have a Minn Kota trolling motor, I run off a 12v battery.

Does anyone know of a way to charge these batteries, so I am not constantly
buying a new battery?

Does anyone have expierence with those solar battery chargers (you mount the
solar panel on your boat, and hook up the cables to the battery)????

Any ideas etc.. would be greatly appreciated,
_Bigred

"_Bigred" wrote in message
...
I have a Minn Kota trolling motor, I run off a 12v battery.

Does anyone know of a way to charge these batteries, so I am not
constantly
buying a new battery?

Does anyone have expierence with those solar battery chargers (you mount
the
solar panel on your boat, and hook up the cables to the battery)????

Any ideas etc.. would be greatly appreciated,
_Bigred

Solar battery chargers do not have the output to successfully charge a deep
cycle battery. They are meant for maintenance of a battery that has little
demands placed upon it.

My suggestion would be to get a 10 amp (minimum) on-board battery charger.
This device is mounted permanently inside the boat and connected to the
battery (batteries). When you return from fishing, it is a simple task to
plug an extension cord into the charger. The on-board charger will
replenish the battery and shut off once the battery is at full charge.

There are a number of different companies that manufacture such devices, a
Google search should bring up many to pick from.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

I would suggest the use of a good quality RV battery. I have the 12v Minnkota
and have used the same battery for the last 4 years, and it still holds the
same charge. You need to use a battery that can be constantly recharged, and
the use of a solar trickle charger is another thing I'd invest in if I were
you. Don't go cheap on that either, you'll only regret it later. The cheapest
I'd go with is the $70 model. That'll give you enough amps into the battery if
you aren't using the battery constantly and for all the accessories. Use a
second battery and a third for the accessories like the fish finder and the
radio. There's a really nice, larger solar panel available at Fry's (
outpost.com ) that, if you have the room onboard, you'll not need to worry at
all about power except at night.

I would suggest the use of a good quality RV battery. I have the 12v Minnkota
and have used the same battery for the last 4 years, and it still holds the
same charge. You need to use a battery that can be constantly recharged, and
the use of a solar trickle charger is another thing I'd invest in if I were
you. Don't go cheap on that either, you'll only regret it later. The cheapest
I'd go with is the $70 model. That'll give you enough amps into the battery if
you aren't using the battery constantly and for all the accessories. Use a
second battery and a third for the accessories like the fish finder and the
radio. There's a really nice, larger solar panel available at Fry's (
outpost.com ) that, if you have the room onboard, you'll not need to worry at
all about power except at night.

I would suggest the use of a good quality RV battery. I have the 12v Minnkota
and have used the same battery for the last 4 years, and it still holds the
same charge. You need to use a battery that can be constantly recharged, and
the use of a solar trickle charger is another thing I'd invest in if I were
you. Don't go cheap on that either, you'll only regret it later. The cheapest
I'd go with is the $70 model. That'll give you enough amps into the battery if
you aren't using the battery constantly and for all the accessories. Use a
second battery and a third for the accessories like the fish finder and the
radio. There's a really nice, larger solar panel available at Fry's (
outpost.com ) that, if you have the room onboard, you'll not need to worry at
all about power except at night.