North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

I recently purchased a Minn Cota for the new second hand boat. Best thing since sliced cheese. Currently I charge it using a charger when I get back home and that seems to be the norm but was wondering if anyone uses their outboard to provide a charge to the battery to keep it topped up and if so how did they do it and was there any fundamental flaws I need to be aware of. Flattening my main start battery comes to mind as a possible pit fall.

Thanks in advance for any info provided.

Gday dick,
I have a VSR (voltage sensitive relay that detects voltage from the batteries and determines where the charge needs to go. I have 3 batteries, 2 gell for my minkota and 1 cranking battery that is soley for starting the boat motor.

I still do need to trickle charge overnight if I have had a big day using the mikota. This is all 12 volt too, not 24.

Im not much of a electrician so i get the advice from my boy who works aquality marine.

regards warren

Much appreciated for that Warren.

Is yours 12volt or 24volt ?

24 volt you are best installing an onboard charger like a prosport 20 amp . You just plug the prosport in when you get home and it will keep the Agm or Gel battery's full until next fishing trip .
Agms and Gels dont like sitting around under 70-80% charge but if you have 12 volt with a standard deep cycle I would run a VSR like wazdog said and top it up when you get home.
But If you have a Agm battery running your 12v minnkota I would not put the VSR to it as they need a certain amount of amps that most motors don't put out to charge them

I only have 2 separate batts (engine and MinnK)
The Minn k gets a charge (14.2 v) from the engine but still isn’t enough to fully charge after a big day of use. I use shore power to charge it fully
These days, I also carry one of those lithium units in a plastic case to start the engine batt if it dies. Cheap insurance. It holds enough charge to start my diesel 6 times in tests I did when I got it..
Lots of electronics can drain the aux batt overnight

Onboard battery chargers are the go, cuts in and out automatically, boost if they are drained right down and trickle once it is fully charged, cant remember the brand but its fully sealed red box with heavy duty cables and fuses and connects in 10 minutes, different variations 12V-12V, 12V-24V etc, never had to charge battery at home and is always charged after a run, few mates run the same and have no issues with them, In and outboard marine sell them at a good price Dick.

These are the ones mate, Sterling brand IP68

I have a bluesea VCR + On-board sterling charger for my MG 36V & it’s been awesome.
To trickle charge at home just set the switch to combine all.

I purchased online & I&O fitted it.

This is my set-up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4830QsybbM

Some really good info there fellas that I need to ponder. Thanks for all your input, good stuff!