Cranking Battery Backup
from T-Boy  
11/5/2009 8:20:01 PM

Rated:

 While fishing today about 8 miles from the ramp the cranking battery would not crank the motor.

Of course it was windy and no one around. Just about an hour before dark and a two hour troll back to the dock.

Pulled cranking battery out and replaced it with one of my trolling motor batteries. Thank goodness it cranked and I made it back.

Do you guys keep a short set of jumper cables in your boat or is there a portable jump box to bring along.

Do not want to be stranded in the dark if possible.

Thanks

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   Jumper cables are a good idea from Catfan #10754  11/5/2009 8:34:27 PM
 But the tools to swap batteries are good enough if your battery isn't too hard to get to. I carry jumper cables most of the time on bigger water. The portable would work, but it's extra weight and another battery to keep charged.

   Portable Battery Pack from Paul Sonnier  11/5/2009 9:12:56 PM
 T-Boy,

I carry a Battery "Booster", happens to be an emergency thing I bought at Sam's Club about 2-3 years ago for about $40.00 if I remember correctly. Has a light, air compressor, USB plug in for Cell phones, and a pair of leads, for Jump starting a dead battery..

Plugs into a 110 volt house plug, charges in about 12 hours, and I have used it before.....

I have used it to air up a trailer tire on the boat one day, I used it to Jump start my wife's Escalade one day when she still had it and left her dome light on all weekend, so it has the juice to start a big motor...

I have used it to start her Honda Odessey about 6 months ago where the battery went bad.

I keep it in a storage compartment in the boat, and have no doubt it will start the out board if needed, since it cranked a Chevy 350 one time... It's a little heavy, probably weighs 30 pounds or so, but it's good insurance to me..

I take it out of the boat about once every two months or so, and charge it, or "top it off", and so far, it has worked when I needed it..

Buttblast

I'll sacrifice the 1/2 m ile per hour in top end to be able to get beack after a dead cranking battery!

   Boat Batteries from BenThereToo #10492  11/5/2009 9:41:35 PM
 I keep a pair of good jumper cables in my boat all of the time. Most all boats have at least two trolling motor batteries so even after a day of fishing, there is usually enough power left in the batteries to get a jump off on the engine.

   Ditto what Paul says, have the same one... from old2/75thRanger #14608  11/5/2009 11:37:24 PM
  When I had my boat, I saved myself once or twice, even jump a few others on the water with dead cranking batteries. When I sold my boat the guy asked me if it was in the deal as well, it's in my garage this day.

Rex

Edited 11/5/2009 11:40:03 PM

   battery tips from bassin@therock #13801  11/6/2009 4:30:24 AM
 http://www.captainponytail.com/

This web site has a video on battery tips. Check it out

   my setup from Randy B  11/6/2009 7:51:49 AM
 I had a dying cranking battery for a while and rigged up a built-in jumping system as follows.

I got a "Blue Sea 6007 Dual Battery Switch Selector" which is a big switch allowing you to power something from battery 1, battery 2 or both. For the purpose of jumping, you use "both". It cost about $40

So I have a permanent wire between cranking battery ground and a TM battery ground. Then the switch interconnects the positives.

When I need to jump, I can flip the switch to "both", turn the key and go.

In hindsight, I could have used a cheaper single battery switch since the cranking battery can be left connected all the time and the simpler switch can add the TM voltage in parallel when need. Those are about $15-$20.

Obviously, an even cheaper/lighter method would be a permanent wire for negative and a wire with a clamp permanently wired to the TM positive. Then, you could just attach it to the cranking battery positive to jump. Just secure it well so you don't have a loose voltage flopping around in the trunk.

One caution... with that permanent negative wire, you can't jump from any other TM battery else you'd have a short.

   Thanks Guys from T-Boy  11/6/2009 8:29:50 AM
 Think I'll buy one of those jump boxes just in case.

I'm going to buy a new battery today but in the back of my mind I keep thinking it could be the motor alternator or some other problem causing the battery to go down.

I do not want to be stranded again and at least I will have another way to crank the motor.

All good ideas.

   one or the other from MikeF  11/6/2009 8:56:52 AM
 You should either do the switch or keep jumpers on board. For the last bassboat I had I made a set of jumpers from 6 gauge wire and ring terminals. I kept them in a ziplock bag in the battery compartment. They were out of the way and handy if I ever needed them.

The jumpboxes are good but you have to remember to take them off the boat and recharge them once a month. BlueSea makes a switch/ACR system that's great but it's really designed for boats with a cranking battery and a house battery instead of being tied to a TM battery but it would work as well.

The ring terminal jumpers are the least expensive option and take up no room and add no weight.

   Jumper box from Jeff Hahn  11/6/2009 10:02:12 AM
 A few years back I made the co-angler cut at a Lake Erie Everstart event and fished with Charlie Hartley. He ran down his cranking battery by running the livewells all day. He flagged down Steve Clapper and Steve gave us his jumper cables. No dice...the battery wouldn't crank...maybe it was too dead to jump through. So, Steve handed us his jumper box...VROOOOM...she cranked right away.

I always carry a set of jumper cables. But, if I was fishing at a higher level than local T's, I'd buy one of the jumper boxes and carry it all the time.

Jeff Hahn

   Jumper Cables from T-Boy  11/6/2009 10:53:02 AM
 That's the main reason I would want both jumper cables and a jump box as well.

Worked in fleet sales and we had many dead batteries in new cars. Jumper cables would not always work. Of course the jumper cables might have been rusted out.

   i have the same set up as randyb from Snakehead #15537  11/6/2009 4:42:52 PM
 works with the flick of the switch.

   TBOY--Upsize your cranking battery--30-31 series from Mike Whitten  11/7/2009 7:41:01 AM
 TBoy,
I run a 3 battery, 36 volt set up in my boats. I've NEVER had a cranking issue, but I've always used the biggest strongest 31 series battery I can buy--currently Trojan.

Don't know your setup, but in similar cases, the culprit is usually a 24 series battery, which just is not enough battery for the needs we have today.

Mike Whitten/Germantown, TN

   Battery hook up from Ranger Dale #10836  11/18/2009 11:04:40 AM
  On my 3 batterys i have installed 3- sb 50 connectors with # 6 red & black wires long enough to reach the starting battery.that way all i do is plug into the other battery with no risk of arching the battery as can jumper cables short out. my 2 cents

Edited 11/18/2009 11:08:40 AM