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The Best Way to Provide 24-volt for a 24-volt Trolling Motor?

I am thinking of adding a 24-volt trolling motor in the future. This means I need to change the current batteries settings.

Currently, I have these two batteries: (1) A 12-volt dual-purposes flood battery (group-24). (2) A 12-volt deep-cycle flood battery (group-24) (the manufacturer spec also says that it can also provide service for starting; sound like its main purpose is to serve as a deep cycle battery; but I can also use it for starting motor). And I also have a battery switch that has 4 positions (1, 2, BOTH, OFF).

Seem like one way is to add a third 12-volt deep cycle battery and run this battery with the existing deep cycle battery in serie. This should give me 24-volt -- just for the trolling motor. And I "probably" doesn't need to change the existing battery switch. But I am wondering if this will force me to put all the other electronic equipments plus the motor-starting task to the one dual purpose battery. This doesn't sound right. Am I missing something. Moreover, does this also mean that I need to replace

The other way that may seem to work is to leave the existing batteries and battery-switch alone and add a 24-volt battery (is there such a thing?) just for the 24-volt trolling motor, and then use a 12/12/24-volt battery recharger. I guess this means I need to replace the existing battery switch, right? Or should I leave the existing battery switch alone and add a new ON/OFF switch just for the 24-volt battery? The problem is: How does the alternator charge the 24-volt battery anyway? Does this mean that I am better off replacing the battery switch?

Is there any other better way? What's the best way?

Thanks in advance for any info.

Jay Chan

 jaykchan
Nov 13
2005
This means this is not a good ideas to adding a new 12-volt deep cycle jaykchan
Nov 14
When you hook up 2 12-volt batteries to create a 24-volt battery, it is best if the two batteries are the same brand, size, and age. Get two new 12-volt deep cycle batteries for the job, or even consider 4 6-volt golf cart batteries if you have the room. The golf cart batteries are designed for the same type of service to which you will be subjecting the batteries with a trolling motor- repeated deep disharges and recharges. Otherwise, lean toward actual "deep cycle" rather than combo duty batteries. You can always use a deep cycle to start an engine (if it is rated for enough CCA), but you can't rely on a starting battery to repeatedly discharge deeply and then recharge without rapidly losing efficiency or suffering an internal short.

If you leave the dock with a fully charged trolling motor battery, it's unlikely that you will need to recharge it during a few hours of fishing. Unless you're going to be away from shorepower for days at a time, why even worry about recharging the trolling battery from the alternator? Get a decent marine batter charger dedicated to the trolling battery and recharge at the dock or back home in the garage.

Trying to charge 12-volt and 24-volt batteries at the same time from a single alternator would be pretty tricky. I always overdo everything, but if that were my problem I'd add a second, 24-volt alternator and keep the two systems separate.

 chuckgould.chu...
Nov 13
   
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