# Going electric



## tincansailor (Nov 26, 2013)

I have a 15' Alumacraft jon boat that I have had a B&S 5 hp motor on and have used it for about 6 yrs. The motor has frustrated me lately by not starting so I have given up on it and decided to go electric. Speed is not an issue with me, I just want to be on the water, so I am going with a Minn Kota 40# thrust, 36" shaft trolling motor. I have a group 24 deep cycle battery that I plan to use to power the motor. I have not had a trolling motor on the boat so I am unfamiliar with their power consumption, i.e. how long can I be on the water before battery needs charging. What I am thinking of is placing the battery in the center of the boat behind or in front of the middle bench. I assume that time on the water will depend on what speeds are used on the motor and for how long. What can I expect? I normally fish a small lake that is about 1/2 mile across and 1 mile long. I am only really interested in being on the water, speed is not a concern for me.

Also, can you all recommend a good charger.

Thanks


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## lefty (Nov 26, 2013)

Get an extra battery and you should be fine for that size lake.


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## Kismet (Nov 26, 2013)

Schumacher charger has been fool-proof for me, from trickle charging with shut-off to regular use.

Can't help on the speeds, but figure trolling motor was meant to troll, and jon hull design pushes more water. Longevity...? age of battery, constant or infrequent use, other drains on energy...dunno. Bring oars and try it. 

Ought to be fine.


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## FishingBuds (Nov 26, 2013)

all electric here on 1436, and I had same concerns as you do in the beginning.

For one, to keep a healthy battery it must be charged, so get a trickle charger ( I prefer a on board ) either a 1 bank for 1 battery or 2 banks if you want 2 batteries and so on.

back in 2008 I bought these

1	Wal-Mart deep cell battery $75.00
1	Sea Sense power station Battery box $45.00
1	HummingBird525 fish finder $129.00
1	BP XPS 1 bank on board Charger $89.00
1	MK Endura TM 55# $165.00(got a rebate on it)
1 30# foot control on bow

I have ran it 6 hours on the water at times, windy conditions, both motors at the same time to get down the lake, purposely ran it wide open on both motors back to the loading dock to see if it weakened any, but always at the end I go home and plug it up to charge.

Its been 5 yrs and still runs as strong as the day I used it.

Now I personally wouldn't run across Kentucky lake with it on a windy day!

Honestly as long as you start off with a new battery with keeping it charged when not in use, it should be fine.

edit: also had several times 3 adults in the boat with 4 to 6 hours on the water.


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## tincansailor (Nov 27, 2013)

Thanks for the info. Think I will be going with the 40# thrust motor and charging the battery as soon as I get back home. Have been able to find some info. on how to tell how much power remains in the battery by using a voltmeter so will have some numbers in mind to be aware of. I have 2 paddles that remain in the boat, have had to use them a couple of times when the gas motor would not start, so I will definately have those if needed. I figure the best thing is to get out on the water and find out for myself.


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## krawler (Dec 10, 2013)

If you want to stay "all electric" a good upgrade would be to add a second group 31 battery (Walmart), a battery switch to turn on/off and change between batteries, and an on-board charger. 

At first it seems expensive to add an on-board charger but the benefits outweigh the cost. You just plug in the boat when you get home, the charger will automatically charge both batteries with the correct voltage/amps which keeps them in a full charge state, making your batteries last much longer.


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## redbug (Dec 10, 2013)

a few things to remember with the battery
1) place it on a charger as soon as you get home this will help with the life expectancy
2) if you decide to add a second battery and hook them in together you want them to be the same size and age it makes a huge difference 
3) on board chargers are not trickle chargers they will charge the battery until full then keep a float charge on it as needed 
good luck if you are looking to but a trolling motor you might think about going with the larger size, say a 55lb thrust. then you can run the motor at a lower setting and get longer life out of the battery


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## nlester (Dec 10, 2013)

A lot of experience in the suggestions above.

One thing I did learn when I was shopping is that with a speed coil motor, you use about the same amperage at the lowest speed as you do at the highest speed because part of the energy is burned off as heat to allow the motor to run at lower speed. I use to worry a lot about speed until I found out it did not matter with a classic trolling motor.

A digital motor uses an electronic switch to vary the energy on and off at different rates to get different speeds, so you can troll for a longer time at a slow speed than you can at high speeds because the motor is electronically turned on for shorter bursts of time at slow speeds than high speeds. 

I went with the speed coil motor because it is cheaper, less complex and I seldom go out without my gas engine. If I were going all electric and I could afford it, I would probably go with a digital trolling motor.


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## BrazosDon (Dec 11, 2013)

To save a lot of money, I buy the returned batteries that are tested and are still good but cannot be sold for new. Sometimes you get a 90 day warranty. I have had good luck doing this. There is no problem going to the battery warehouse and buying a battery if it is close enough. I live close to Fort Worth, Texas and there are 3 or 4 different battery companies that warehouse down there.


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## JT12 (Jan 17, 2014)

Definitely spend money on a good charger and follow the battery mfg recommendations for charging. I use a Shumacher Ship 'n Shore charger which is simply awesome - auto shut-off when the battery reaches 100%. With my old charger i forgot about it and burnt out two batteries!! 

I have a B&S 5HP motor for my 12' jon and after about a dozen times out I don't even bother anymore with it and just use my electric. I've got a BPS 55lb. thrust which moves it along fine. I live in SE Massachusetts so all the ponds are no larger than the 1mi x 1/2 mi. you mention. I can go 7-8hrs on the water and have no problem with battery life. Now I'm not running it solid, but i'm not babying it either.

Like you, just happy to be on the water.


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## Boat2fast (Mar 3, 2014)

I always can't help thinking that the best accessory for an electric powered boat is a small gas powered generator....


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