Charging batteries

[snowman160]

I have two new 12 bolts wired in series for my trolling motor in my big boat. To charge the batteries with my 2 amp trickle charger do I connect pos on one battery an neg on the other? Do I need to disconnect anything?

[bezzola]

Correct me if im wrong but doesn’t 2 12 volts batteries connected in series make 24 volts. Is the component on your boat 24 v

[snowman160]

Originally Posted by bezzola

Correct me if im wrong but doesn’t 2 12 volts batteries connected in series make 24 volts. Is the component on your boat 24 v

Yes my trolling motor is 24 volt, hence why I have em hooked in series. I connected my charger lastnight and it says it’s still charging this moring which I thing was odd since they are new and I took the boat to the lake to test the new motor for many an hr if that. I just thought it woulda been charged by now so I’m second guessing myself now.

[penguin]

You would charge on the positive post on one battery and the negative post on the other battery. Use the posts that are your 24V supply, not the posts that connect your two batteries together. You need a 24V charger to do that though.
If you only have a 12V charger, then you need to disconnect the batteries and charge each 12V battery separately.

[snowman160]

Originally Posted by penguin

You would charge on the positive post on one battery and the negative post on the other battery. Use the posts that are your 24V supply, not the posts that connect your two batteries together. You need a 24V charger to do that though.
If you only have a 12V charger, then you need to disconnect the batteries and charge each 12V battery separately.

Ok that answers my questions thank you for the input!

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by penguin

You would charge on the positive post on one battery and the negative post on the other battery. Use the posts that are your 24V supply, not the posts that connect your two batteries together. You need a 24V charger to do that though.
If you only have a 12V charger, then you need to disconnect the batteries and charge each 12V battery separately.

Or, put them in parallel ?

Grizz

[Geraldsh]

You could switch the wiring to parallel for charging so both batteries get the same charge. Your 2-amp charger will take a looonngg time to fully charge them, days.

[The Elkster]

Had the same issue with a 12/24V set up. There is a way to set up a battery bank to switch from 12 to 24 volts with the use of a (6 pole? switch) switch set up. I've done it for a battery set up and it works to this day. Don't ask me the details though as I did the research and finished the project a few years ago and have since forgotten the ins and outs. After a bunch of searching online I found some schematics for how to wire it.

With the flick of a three position toggle switch I can run my motor on 12 or 24 volts or turn it all off. And I set to 12V when using a standard charger. I use 2 8 AH batteries that I have mounted in a box with a stainless + and - pole on the outside of the box along with the toggle switch. Not sure if this is the ideal way to charge batteries (vs each individually) but I've had no problems after three or so years. Nice not to have to remember to switch charge over to the other battery. Set and forget.

[MyAlberta]

You don’t need to disconnect series connected batteries. Charge one, then the other. Assuming your charger is 12 vdc.

[bat119]

Get a 24 volt charger

[Hunter Trav]

Originally Posted by bat119

Get a 24 volt charger

He could also pick up a 2 bank onboard charger...

[JBE]

Originally Posted by Hunter Trav

He could also pick up a 2 bank onboard charger...

x2

[skidderman]

I have a breaker on mine with a two bank charger. Flip the breaker to charge and both batteries are separate. Before I put the breaker in I used to eat up batteries prematurely. Learned it the hard way.

[PH Trekker]

Originally Posted by MyAlberta

You don’t need to disconnect series connected batteries. Charge one, then the other. Assuming your charger is 12 vdc.

X2

[Big Sky]

https://minnkota.johnsonoutdoors.com...-battery-guide

Your basic wiring should be as shown above. You didn't say if you have a circuit breaker wired in. If you don't have one get one. You've spent a lot of money and the circuit breaker is cheap insurance. The store that sold you your trolling motor should have them. The above link give some info.

Your trickle charger isn't going to cut it. It could take a day to charge just one battery.

I would not get a 24 volt charger for your batteries. Most likely the only thing you will be able to charge will be your trolling motor batteries.
I would get a 12 volt charger that has at least 10 amp output. You could use this to charge your trolling motor batteries and the batteries in your car or truck if need be. The 12 volt battery charger would just be more versatile. Just a quick note that most battery chargers have the capability of charging lead acid, AGM, lithium and possibly other types of batteries. You need to make sure that you select the correct mode. Also, check to make sure that it supports LiFePO4 batteries just in case you make the switch.

If you leave the batteries installed in your boat you should unplug your trolling motor while charging. If your trolling motor is wired directly to your batteries you should disconnect the trolling motor leads. The jumper does not have to be disconnected.

You can connect your 12 volt charger to one of your batteries and charge until it is fully charged. A smart charger will have an LED to tell you when it is done.
Then connect your 12 volt charger to the other battery and charge it until it is fully charged.

Someone mentioned a two bank charger. These work really well. The charger will have two sets of leads, one for each of your batteries. Connect one set of leads to each of your 12 volt batteries and then plug in the charger. These are very convenient as both batteries are getting charged at the same time.

I'm using a NOCO GenPro 10x2. It's a two bank charger that puts out 10 amps per bank. It handles lead acid and LiFePO4. It's new for me for this year and so far so good.

There are other good chargers out there. Chargers that only charge one type of battery will be less expensive. Lower amp chargers are also less expensive. In your situation, my minimum would be a single bank 12 volt, 10 amp smart charger that matches the type of batteries you own. eg 12 volt lead acid

[snowman160]

Originally Posted by Big Sky

https://minnkota.johnsonoutdoors.com...-battery-guide

Your basic wiring should be as shown above. You didn't say if you have a circuit breaker wired in. If you don't have one get one. You've spent a lot of money and the circuit breaker is cheap insurance. The store that sold you your trolling motor should have them. The above link give some info.

Your trickle charger isn't going to cut it. It could take a day to charge just one battery.

I would not get a 24 volt charger for your batteries. Most likely the only thing you will be able to charge will be your trolling motor batteries.
I would get a 12 volt charger that has at least 10 amp output. You could use this to charge your trolling motor batteries and the batteries in your car or truck if need be. The 12 volt battery charger would just be more versatile. Just a quick note that most battery chargers have the capability of charging lead acid, AGM, lithium and possibly other types of batteries. You need to make sure that you select the correct mode. Also, check to make sure that it supports LiFePO4 batteries just in case you make the switch.

If you leave the batteries installed in your boat you should unplug your trolling motor while charging. If your trolling motor is wired directly to your batteries you should disconnect the trolling motor leads. The jumper does not have to be disconnected.

You can connect your 12 volt charger to one of your batteries and charge until it is fully charged. A smart charger will have an LED to tell you when it is done.
Then connect your 12 volt charger to the other battery and charge it until it is fully charged.

Someone mentioned a two bank charger. These work really well. The charger will have two sets of leads, one for each of your batteries. Connect one set of leads to each of your 12 volt batteries and then plug in the charger. These are very convenient as both batteries are getting charged at the same time.

I'm using a NOCO GenPro 10x2. It's a two bank charger that puts out 10 amps per bank. It handles lead acid and LiFePO4. It's new for me for this year and so far so good.

There are other good chargers out there. Chargers that only charge one type of battery will be less expensive. Lower amp chargers are also less expensive. In your situation, my minimum would be a single bank 12 volt, 10 amp smart charger that matches the type of batteries you own. eg 12 volt lead acid

Thank you for taking the time to post this I will take it all into consideration, and no the young guy at the Fishin hole did not suggest that I put a curcuit breaker in but I will be doing that for sure. I also will be picking up a much better charger then the one I have that will make my life easier. Thanks again for the input!