# HOW TO WIRE FOR 12V AND 24V TROLLING MOTORS



## justin sumner (Feb 6, 2018)

I am going to purchase a male and female trolling motor connector kit for 24v
I have a 24v 65lb thrust Maxxum, it is a 2 wire red/black this is the trolling motor I will mostly be using

If I buy a 3 wire connector kit that can be used for both 24v and 12v and I wire the female as shown to the batteries using all three wires, can I do as follows

Wire my trolling motor 24v Maxxuum on the male end plug using the red and black terminals set up for 24v

Then purchase an additional male plug, terminate it for 12v using the yellow and black wires and connect that to my 12v trolling motor

What I am hoping to accomplish here is to use the same female plug for both trolling motors, sometimes I go on small rivers and it is nice to use my 12v hand steer trolling motor because I can angle it up and run it in really shallow water

Does anyone see any reason why I cannot do this?


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## eshaw (Feb 6, 2018)

The way you have it posted will work but I'd advise against doing it. If you run a 24V system you want the batteries to discharge at as close to the same rate as possible. This wouldn't happen with the setup you're proposing.


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## justin sumner (Feb 6, 2018)

eshaw said:


> The way you have it posted will work but I'd advise against doing it. If you run a 24V system you want the batteries to discharge at as close to the same rate as possible. This wouldn't happen with the setup you're proposing.



yeah, but I would not be using the 12v trolling motor often, just when things get hairy on the shallow rivers
i would not even have the 12v trolling motor on the boat at all except the rivers
I was pretty much just wanting to make sure it is safe to wire it up that way on the female end
As far as I can tell If I wire the female end with 3 wires as shown and use the 2 wire male end matching up red with red female to male the 24v system should operate properly, in essence the yellow wire does not matter or exist until I plug in the yellow 12v plug connecting yellow male and female for 12v

Unless I am wrong


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## GAPROCKer (Apr 24, 2018)

It will work the way you’ve described it. You could also make another plug for 12volts and run the batteries in parallel. This would give you even utilization of the batteries and a longer 12volt run time.


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## richz (Apr 25, 2018)

I am planning to switch to a 24 volt trolling motor. I did not know that the two batteries in series should be discharged at the same rate. Right know I am running one stating battery and one trolling motor battery. The depth finders and stereo are hooked up to the trolling motor battery. When I go to the 24 volt trolling motor how should I hook up 12 volt depth finders and stereo?


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## jethro (Apr 26, 2018)

richz said:


> I am planning to switch to a 24 volt trolling motor. I did not know that the two batteries in series should be discharged at the same rate. Right know I am running one stating battery and one trolling motor battery. The depth finders and stereo are hooked up to the trolling motor battery. When I go to the 24 volt trolling motor how should I hook up 12 volt depth finders and stereo?



I hate to say it but I believe you'll have to use a seperate battery if you want to use them at the same time. Unless you make a resistor circuit for the finders and stereo which might be possible but above my abilities. The way my boat is set up, I have 2 deep cycle batteries for the trolling motor, and then my stereo and finders are wired to the cranking battery.


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## eshaw (Apr 26, 2018)

On my boat I have two deep cycle batteries for the trolling motor and that's all they are used for. I also have a cranking battery for the main motor and that is all that's hooked to it. I also have what's referred to as a house battery that I have all my accessories hooked up to as well as the kicker motor. The kicker also has a pull start just in case the battery gets depleted so I think I'm very well covered. If worse comes to worse I can also give myself a jump. 

I'm of the opinion that tapping the trolling motor circuit for 12v is not a good idea. It's recommended that your batteries on a troller setup be of the same age, type and no "taps" to keep from depleting one. You can suit yourself but batteries aren't cheap and I do what I can to keep them in good shape so I don't have to buy them very often. I'll take the weight penalty that's also associated with multiple batteries. Personally, if I were you I'd just change the the battery wiring at the batteries themselves and keep the plug for both trolling motors as is and not use the 12v wire. Nothing says you have to use it as a three wire system when two will work. I assume that you just want to be able to flip a switch is why you're going this way. You stated that you won't be using one setup very often is why I'm suggesting that you rewire at the batteries.


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