24 volt motorguide question

[wardlaw]

I have a 24 volt motorguide trolling motor on my boat and i believe that i have a couple of questions about to see if any of you guys know the answer.

I recently installed a 3 bank charger on the boat that I bought (1994 Procraft 180). There was one on it when I bought it but it was non operational. I am trying to figure out about the 24 volt system because my trolling motor appears to be a little different than other boats that I have looked in and I don't believe that I am getting a true 24 volts to it. I have 2 sets of wires (2 red/2 black) coming back to my trolling batteries that i have hooked to each battery accordingly. Each wire is the same gauge. There wasn't a jumper wire going from positive of one battery to negative of the other when I took the original charger off. I assumed that the 2 wire system was giving me 24 volts but after doing some research i don't believe it is. I have done some internet searches looking at diagrams but cant find one with the two wires coming from the trolling motor back to the batteries. Everything that i have found shows basically 2 wires with a jumper set up. I didn't want to start trying things off the cuff without asking for some more experienced views.

Any ideas are appreciated.

Brad

 

[Rangerman]

It appears that you are only utilizing 12 volts. My boat has simular wiring and I used both hots wires on one positive post on one battery and both negative wires on the negative post on the other battery, then insttalled a jumper wire from the unused positive to the unused negative of the other battery. Then in the plug at the front hook the 2 (+) wires to the (+) plug and the 2 (-) wired to the negative connector.
By doubling the wires you have somewhat increased the guage of the wiring for better battery utilization. My 2 cents.

 

[wardlaw]

Thanks for the input.

 

[Hook1]

Yes that would be known as a "parallel feed". By running two wires instead of one you can carry more amperage from point a to point b.

 

[bullet bruce]

You need to CK the plug on front of you boat the plug is wired as a 24v plug. They run 2 set of wire so it will carry the needed amperage.

 

[wardlaw]

so the i basically need to go with what ranger was saying then...run two positive wires to battery A and two negatives to B battery with a jumper on the unused posts. thanks for the help guys

 

[Liveliner]

I havedealtwith this several times. I still have not seen where you detailed the connection near the TM. I think you are doing wrong in following a few of the suggestions. Furthermore the jumper MUST be equivalent to the doubled wires if that is the way you chose to go. I would be concerned at the front of the wires under the deck at this point only. Is there an A/B switch? How many wires feed the plug at your TM. Are there any splices where any two wires meet at the front. Mainly what is the gauge size of the wires to your battery? You have not got your answer as of yet from what I see. If you want to chat on the telephone. PM me and I will send my phone number to you.

 

[bluewingjb]

For what its worth here is my suggestion. If you dont have the 24V male and female connectors I would start there.. The male part has a jumper built in which makes it easy. You just connect the wires fromt the battery to the terminals on the female and go! I know they have the parts at Island Cove and bet the could tell you exactly how to do it.. That way you dont worry about which terminals to jump on the batteries. Once you get the female connected you can then take a volt meter and read the appropriate female ends on the jack for 24V.

 

[bluewingjb]

Here is a good link

http://www.bbcboards.net/electrical-wiring-trolling-motors/168437-12-24-36v-wiring.html