Use of trolling motor battery to power bow sonar?

  • z-man
    Dousman, WI
    Posts: 1418
    #2302468

    So my 7 inch Helix at the bow has randomly been shutting down but only when starting the 115 VMax to make a move.The Helix and the Garmin 106sv at the helm are both connected to a fuse panel,as rigged by the Lund dealer 6 years ago, but the Garmin does not shut down when starting the engine. The Helix will eventually power back up, sometimes quickly, sometimes not so quickly.Because my AGMs were 6 seasons old, which is what I have historically gotten out of the same brand over the years, I installed new starting and 24-volt system batteries in September, but the same thing continues to happen. When I think back, it seems this started to happen when I replaced the 93SV at the helm with the 106SV late in 2023. NEVER had that issue before then, maybe coincidentally. So, with all that said, I plan to check the wiring, connections, and fuses, and if all that is good, then run power wires for the Helix directly to a battery with in-line fuse.
    It’s a much shorter and easier run to one of the trolling motor batteries than the starting battery at the back of the 1775 Impact. Has anybody tried this, and how did it work out?

    10klakes
    Posts: 532
    #2302483

    Do not connect your helix to your 24v trolling motor system.

    Upgrading to a 106 wasn’t coincidentally, it draws more power. I’m guessing the fuse panel at the helm has proper size wire running to it vs the helix at the bow is undersized. You mentioned running the bow helix directly to the starting battery with a inline fuse; how is it connected to the starting battery now? This could be the issue.

    You want your graphs to have clean power. A good situation if it works would be to run all 3 graphs to a dedicated fuse panel nothing else connected to it, maybe the one at your helm? 10 or 12 gauge marine duplex from the panel to each graph. Fuse panel to the starting battery with 6 or so gauge marine duplex? I like having a master shut off switch for my graphs next to the battery, and the fuse box in my rear battery compartment. Running graphs to the rear with inline fuses works well also.

    CaptainMusky
    Posts: 22932
    #2302486

    Yeah do not hook up to your trolling motor batteries even if just one of them you are asking for trouble with interference etc. Depending how your boat is wired even if you just connect to one battery it could be 24 volts and that is obviously a problem. Mine converts to 24 volts within the outlet in the front via a Marinco plug its two separate 12 volts and the plug turns it into 24 volts. IDK what happened with mine but ever since I had my boat re-rigged because I couldnt run 20 units at the console but now I cannot use the trolling motor transducer as the source at the bow because its full of interference. I told the guy who rigged it that it started after I gave him an arm and a leg but he said it wasnt related. I said well I never had that problem before. Now since they are networked I just switch the source, but that is obviously not ideal.

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