another old battery question

Three times in two years my cranking battery has failed me.I fully charge it
,have it checked at a "battery terminal" and three outings later the thing
will barely turn it over , much less start it.I know the thing to do is to
charge it every time I charge my trolling batteries , but I always figured
that was what the alternator was for.Do you all charge your cranking
battery every time you hook up to charge your trolling batteries.? Would
you guess a bad battery or faulty alternator?? Or just someone lazy on the
maintaince end???
Thanks
Ken

I would put a volt meter on the battery as you are running and see if you
are charging.
Bill

"Ken Blevins" wrote in message
...
Three times in two years my cranking battery has failed me.I fully charge
it
,have it checked at a "battery terminal" and three outings later the
thing
will barely turn it over , much less start it.I know the thing to do is to
charge it every time I charge my trolling batteries , but I always figured
that was what the alternator was for.Do you all charge your cranking
battery every time you hook up to charge your trolling batteries.?
Would
you guess a bad battery or faulty alternator?? Or just someone lazy on the
maintaince end???
Thanks
Ken

"Ken Blevins" wrote in message
...
Three times in two years my cranking battery has failed me.I fully charge
it
,have it checked at a "battery terminal" and three outings later the
thing
will barely turn it over , much less start it.I know the thing to do is to
charge it every time I charge my trolling batteries , but I always figured
that was what the alternator was for.Do you all charge your cranking
battery every time you hook up to charge your trolling batteries.?
Would
you guess a bad battery or faulty alternator?? Or just someone lazy on the
maintaince end???
Thanks
Ken

Well Ken,

You have to remember that typically, all boat manufacturers wire their boats
so that EVERYTHING runs off the starting battery with the exception of the
trolling motor.

So, that means that your livewell pumps, bilge pumps, radio, locators,
accessories, etc., run off the starting battery. Then, if you're like most
anglers, you run the boat for 5-10 minutes, and start fishing. So, each
time you move, you're discharging the battery as you start the motor. IF
you keep any fish in the livewell, you're running the livewell pumps, which
is discharging the battery even more. If you have a radio in the boat, and
play that, or a gps, or any other 12 volt accessories, you're running the
battery down even further.

You then come home and dutifully hook up the battery charger to the trolling
motor battery, topping that off. But I'll bet you never charge up the
starting battery. Unless you're running long distances, your alternator
(assuming it's operating properly) never has a chance to re-charge the
battery.

Have the battery checked for dead cells and make certain it's fully charged.
Then, if the battery is all right, check how your boat is wired. I'd be
willing to bet that everything is hooked to the starting battery.
Disconnect everything but the leads for starting the outboard and connect
all these accessories to the deep cycle battery.

This way, all the things that will run down your starting battery are
running off the deep cycle and that battery is getting charged after each
trip. Also, if these accessories do drain the battery (batteries), the
worst that will happen is that your trip is cut short. But at least you'll
be able to get back to the landing.

I did this with my prior boat, the ProCraft, and that worked great! On the
Cobra, I have the starting battery connected to the on-board charger so that
all batteries in the boat are fully charged after every trip.

Good luck and let me know how things turn out.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in
message ...

"Ken Blevins" wrote in message
...
Three times in two years my cranking battery has failed me.I fully
charge
it
,have it checked at a "battery terminal" and three outings later the
thing
will barely turn it over , much less start it.I know the thing to do is
to
charge it every time I charge my trolling batteries , but I always
figured
that was what the alternator was for.Do you all charge your cranking
battery every time you hook up to charge your trolling batteries.?
Would
you guess a bad battery or faulty alternator?? Or just someone lazy on
the
maintaince end???
Thanks
Ken

Well Ken,

You have to remember that typically, all boat manufacturers wire their
boats
so that EVERYTHING runs off the starting battery with the exception of the
trolling motor.

So, that means that your livewell pumps, bilge pumps, radio, locators,
accessories, etc., run off the starting battery. Then, if you're like
most
anglers, you run the boat for 5-10 minutes, and start fishing. So, each
time you move, you're discharging the battery as you start the motor. IF
you keep any fish in the livewell, you're running the livewell pumps,
which
is discharging the battery even more. If you have a radio in the boat,
and
play that, or a gps, or any other 12 volt accessories, you're running the
battery down even further.

You then come home and dutifully hook up the battery charger to the
trolling
motor battery, topping that off. But I'll bet you never charge up the
starting battery. Unless you're running long distances, your alternator
(assuming it's operating properly) never has a chance to re-charge the
battery.

Have the battery checked for dead cells and make certain it's fully
charged.
Then, if the battery is all right, check how your boat is wired. I'd be
willing to bet that everything is hooked to the starting battery.
Disconnect everything but the leads for starting the outboard and connect
all these accessories to the deep cycle battery.

This way, all the things that will run down your starting battery are
running off the deep cycle and that battery is getting charged after each
trip. Also, if these accessories do drain the battery (batteries), the
worst that will happen is that your trip is cut short. But at least
you'll
be able to get back to the landing.

I did this with my prior boat, the ProCraft, and that worked great! On
the
Cobra, I have the starting battery connected to the on-board charger so
that
all batteries in the boat are fully charged after every trip.

I put a three bank charger on my Waco so that both trolling motor batteries
and the main battery get charged every time I plug it in. I'm thinking
about changing the two bank charger for a three on my big boat as well.
--
Public Fishing Forums
Fishing Link Index
www.YumaBassMan.com

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in
message ...

"Ken Blevins" wrote in message
...
Three times in two years my cranking battery has failed me.I fully
charge
it
,have it checked at a "battery terminal" and three outings later the
thing
will barely turn it over , much less start it.I know the thing to do
is
to
charge it every time I charge my trolling batteries , but I always
figured
that was what the alternator was for.Do you all charge your cranking
battery every time you hook up to charge your trolling batteries.?
Would
you guess a bad battery or faulty alternator?? Or just someone lazy on
the
maintaince end???
Thanks
Ken

Well Ken,

You have to remember that typically, all boat manufacturers wire their
boats
so that EVERYTHING runs off the starting battery with the exception of
the
trolling motor.

So, that means that your livewell pumps, bilge pumps, radio, locators,
accessories, etc., run off the starting battery. Then, if you're like
most
anglers, you run the boat for 5-10 minutes, and start fishing. So, each
time you move, you're discharging the battery as you start the motor.
IF
you keep any fish in the livewell, you're running the livewell pumps,
which
is discharging the battery even more. If you have a radio in the boat,
and
play that, or a gps, or any other 12 volt accessories, you're running
the
battery down even further.

You then come home and dutifully hook up the battery charger to the
trolling
motor battery, topping that off. But I'll bet you never charge up the
starting battery. Unless you're running long distances, your alternator
(assuming it's operating properly) never has a chance to re-charge the
battery.

Have the battery checked for dead cells and make certain it's fully
charged.
Then, if the battery is all right, check how your boat is wired. I'd be
willing to bet that everything is hooked to the starting battery.
Disconnect everything but the leads for starting the outboard and
connect
all these accessories to the deep cycle battery.

This way, all the things that will run down your starting battery are
running off the deep cycle and that battery is getting charged after
each
trip. Also, if these accessories do drain the battery (batteries), the
worst that will happen is that your trip is cut short. But at least
you'll
be able to get back to the landing.

I did this with my prior boat, the ProCraft, and that worked great! On
the
Cobra, I have the starting battery connected to the on-board charger so
that
all batteries in the boat are fully charged after every trip.

I put a three bank charger on my Waco so that both trolling motor
batteries
and the main battery get charged every time I plug it in. I'm thinking
about changing the two bank charger for a three on my big boat as well.
--
Public Fishing Forums
Fishing Link Index
www.YumaBassMan.com



I have a dual battery setup on my boat. 2 starting batteries and separate
trolling motor bats. Has a Guest switch to select which starting battery to
use. I leave it on 1 and have all the electronics off #2 battery. In
between the #1 & #2 is a a battery combiner. $80 from West Marine. When
you are charging the battery, then it combines the 2 bats together, but when
less than 14V they are separate. That way I never kill my starting battery.
And also avoids voltage spikes from the starter motor doing bad things to
the electronics.
Bill

Steve--- You pretty much summed up my fishing habits and how my boat is
rigged was also on the money.. I am not able to install an additional
battery because I just don't have the room. Although I believe that an
additional battery is the way to go... I think a three bank charger is the
best way for me to go.I don't like my 5 amp [2 bank] charger much anyway
..It's to slow.
Thanks for the suggestions
Ken


"Ken Blevins" wrote in message
...
Three times in two years my cranking battery has failed me.I fully charge
it
,have it checked at a "battery terminal" and three outings later the
thing
will barely turn it over , much less start it.I know the thing to do is to
charge it every time I charge my trolling batteries , but I always figured
that was what the alternator was for.Do you all charge your cranking
battery every time you hook up to charge your trolling batteries.?
Would
you guess a bad battery or faulty alternator?? Or just someone lazy on the
maintaince end???
Thanks
Ken

"Ken Blevins" wrote in message
...
Steve--- You pretty much summed up my fishing habits and how my boat is
rigged was also on the money.. I am not able to install an additional
battery because I just don't have the room. Although I believe that an
additional battery is the way to go... I think a three bank charger is the
best way for me to go.I don't like my 5 amp [2 bank] charger much anyway
.It's to slow.
Thanks for the suggestions
Ken

Ken,

A three bank charger is a good idea, but if you're going to leave everything
hooked to the starting battery, it would be another good idea to keep a set
of jumper cables in the boat with you.

In the fall, I guide a lot for muskies and we drag suckers while casting
lures for muskies. At anywhere between $2.50 -$5.00 each, I hate to see any
of them die in the livewell, so I leave the aeration pump on the timer.
There's been times that I had to use the jumper cables because the starting
battery was pulled down enough from just the aerator pump that it wouldn't
start the outboard. If I remember correctly, Warren had this happen during
a tournament and missed weigh-in because of a drained starting battery.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com