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Rigging For Recharge On The Run
Refined Recharge
Wentworth has refined the same basic system for larger boats. On bass boats and larger craft powered by 150 hp or more he employs a 70-amp relay. The relay system eliminates the need for plug-ins and jumper cables. To charge on the run, just throw a switch.
“It takes a 70-amp relay to handle the energy from a 25-amp alternator,” Wentworth explains. “The relay allows for a pair of switches to open or cut the power going from the alternator to the deep cycles. With two switches, a master and a slave, you can charge one battery, two batteries, or all three at the same time.”
With both switches on, three batteries charge when the engine is on. With the hard-plug system, only two batteries can be charged at a time. The relay system is keyed to the ignition switch. When the ignition is on, the relay takes over. When the ignition is off, the system closes access to the cranking battery to prevent accidentally leaving the main slave on, drawing down starting power with the trolling motor.
With both switches on, you draw off all three batteries to start the boat. This is great in an emergency, but don't be careless. Keep track of the switches to avoid drawing down the deep cycles before and during ignition.
Situation: You're on the move after running the trolling motor for 4 hours. Push a button, flip a couple toggles, and the monitor shows that your deep cycles are drawn down below 50 percent. Throw the master (run-charge) switch into the charge position, throw the main slave to the charging system into the on position, and you're running energy into all three batteries without leaving your seat or slowing down. Later you can choose to keep charging one or neither of the deep cycles. The cranking battery, of course, continues charging through the alternator when ever the engine's running.
“It's a sweet deal,” Wentworth chuckles. “Doug Stange (In-Fisherman magazine's Editor In Chief) took his rig up to Lac Seul, Ontario, after I installed his recharge system. Other folks unscrewed battery cables and toted batteries from their boats into camp to attach to the main camp generator every night after dark, then spent another hour carrying batteries and hooking them up again each morning. Stange, meanwhile, used his trolling motor 16 hours a day for seven straight days without ever having to touch a battery.”
With a 30-amp alternator, you can push your batteries back up by as much as 30 percent in one hour's running time according to In-Fisherman Editor Steve Quinn, who has the relay system in his bass boat. It's especially helpful on big water, where running time is high.
A tournament fisherman, Quinn considers the recharge system invaluable. “In the past, I had to reroute cables to jump my starting battery during competition, eating precious minutes from fishing time,” Quinn said. “If it fails, you may miss the deadline for weigh-in. The recharge system is vital.”
When running energy into the cranking battery from the deep cycles with either the relay or hard-plug system, Wentworth advises waiting 5 to 10 minutes before starting the engine. “That lets the batteries equalize and gives the cranking battery time to power up,” he says.
Depending on the size of the system, the number of components, and the length and complexity of the wiring, rigging for recharge costs $150 to $250 when installed professionally. Or use the diagrams shown here to do it yourself. Remember to install 40-amp circuit breakers on all leads and to use the proper gauge wire in order to allow the system to carry as much juice as possible.
With a recharge system in place, you can forget breakdowns and concentrate on finding fish. What pleasure after all these years!
*Matt Straw is an In-Fisherman magazine staff editor and feature writer. Jim Wentworth, Nisswa, Minnesota, owns Fish-Lectronics (218-963-4375), a custom boat-rigging and electronics-rigging firm.
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