electronics problem/question

[David Waters]

Ok, went fishing yesterday after a 5 day band trip to Orlando. If I didn't go, I would have lost my mind. The trolling motor batteries were not charged, but I thought I could have fished for a few hours on a local lake. Fished for about 45 minutes and realized the batteries were very low. Then, I noticed something else. My front depth finder started turning off every time I hit the switch on the troling motor. Is this because the batteries were not charged? Has this ever happened to anyone else? Also, I felt like the plug was not making a good connection, and I had to wiggle it form time to time.

[labill]

Ok, went fishing yesterday after a 5 day band trip to Orlando. If I didn't go, I would have lost my mind. The trolling motor batteries were not charged, but I thought I could have fished for a few hours on a local lake. Fished for about 45 minutes and realized the batteries were very low. Then, I noticed something else. My front depth finder started turning off every time I hit the switch on the troling motor. Is this because the batteries were not charged? Has this ever happened to anyone else? Also, I felt like the plug was not making a good connection, and I had to wiggle it form time to time.

You're right David, almost all of the sonar units have an automatic low voltage shutoff when the batteries get too low. A good charge should do the trick. The battery drain when you hit the TM switch activated the shutdown.

[TAE73]

Is your depthfinder connected to your trolling motor batterys? If so you should hook it to your starting battery. The on and off of your trolling motor can damage your depth finder. It says this in the directions, I know must guys wont read them, but I did because I didnt want to toast a 300 dollar depth finder. I remember it saying not to connect the to the trolling motor.

[GABoy]

Is your depthfinder connected to your trolling motor batterys? If so you should hook it to your starting battery. The on and off of your trolling motor can damage your depth finder. It says this in the directions, I know must guys wont read them, but I did because I didnt want to toast a 300 dollar depth finder. I remember it saying not to connect the to the trolling motor.

That is exactly right....you should ONLY have your trolling motor running off your trolling motor battery....EVERYTHING else should be on the starter battery....that is what I have always been told and have followed.....

[Fishnbuddy]

Same here, David. I ran extra length wires to accomodate the fishfinder in the front from the starting battery. Seems to work OK.

[David Waters]

well, I think it is hooked up to the trolling motor battery. I just boght this boat a few months ago and haven't relaly found all the kinks in it yet. I will definately change over in the next couple of days. Thanks.

[Roberta]

"That is exactly right....you should ONLY have your trolling motor running off your trolling motor battery....EVERYTHING else should be on the starter battery....that is what I have always been told and have followed....."

...If you have a boat equipped with two batteries. We've had some of the same problems, but we don't have a gas motor, so there's no reason to carry a cranking battery just for the fish finder, not there's room for one anyway. Besides, our little boat's wiring for the trolling motor, aerator and auxiliary (in our case,we ran a wire and plug for the Humminbird) all goes to the battery compartment - for one battery. - Roberta

[Barnacle Bill]

Now this is a situation where you should have a volt meter connected to the starting battery. Most older motors do not have regulators and a bad connection or bad battery can cause the voltage to go way up and blow your sonar. Been there, done that. A meter will serve two purposes. It will tell you if your motor is charging and it will tell you if the voltage is too high. Even if you have a higher amp stator and regulator, it will serve the same purpose. They really don't cost much and are very easy to hook up. Just my 2 cents worth.

[labill]

Now this is a situation where you should have a volt meter connected to the starting battery. Most older motors do not have regulators and a bad connection or bad battery can cause the voltage to go way up and blow your sonar. Been there, done that. A meter will serve two purposes. It will tell you if your motor is charging and it will tell you if the voltage is too high. Even if you have a higher amp stator and regulator, it will serve the same purpose. They really don't cost much and are very easy to hook up. Just my 2 cents worth.

I have to agree with IBNFSHN. I've had a sonar (my first one) smoke due to a failed regulator. It spiked so high the fuse blew, and so did the unit. Now I do the exact opposite by not attatching anything to my cranking battery except the motor. The rest is powered by the TM battery. My reasoning is not so much being overly concerned about the sonar,since I'd put it on the TM battery, as much as having everything hooked up to the cranking battery. With the livewell, instruments, lights, bilge pump, minnow areator and everything else on the motor battery, I've been stranded a couple times when the battery was too low to start the motor, but have never lost power to my TM even with every thing else tied to it's battery, and I fish the entire day. Cranking batteries lack the capacity for a long term drain, whereas the deep cycles are made just for the long term. Both times that my cranking battery failed, I had been on fish in a large cove for a good length of time and never started the motor.....but when it was time to head home, I could hear the selenoid make contact, but wouldn't even begin to turn over. I've used this hook-up for a long time, and have had no problems. Not trying to change what everyone else does, just sharing what I found that works for me.

[Big Zig]

The '91 Fisher I have is wired from factory with everything at the console powered by the starting battery, everything on the front deck powered by one trolling motor bank. (3 batteries on board)
Every once in a while, the console mounted Garmin will shut off due to over voltage protection. Doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen.
This usually coincides with the meter going from 13 volts to 16-17 volts.