There’s nothing new about the ideas of charging the troll motor batteries from either the charging system on the outboard or the one from the two vehicle. While the charging systems of either are not correct for deep cycle batteries it is possible to knock down the output of either to an acceptable charge rate for the troll batteries. The drawback has always been the time required for charging. Let’s say that you run your troll motor for four hours while you are fishing at an average discharge rate of ten amps to keep things simple. Now let’s say that the max safe charge rate for the deep cycle battery is ten amps. That means that you would need to run the big engine or the tow vehicle for four hours to put the juice back in the battery that your four hours of fishing took out. Keeping this simple formula in mind will help you determine if such a charging system can work for you, or not.
My average tow is about a half hour and my average run on the big motor between fishing holes is about five minutes. I fish with the troller for hours. I’ll need to plug in a charger when I get to the house.
There’s always the possibility of exceeding the ideal charging rate for the batteries or using batteries that are not ideal for trolling. In these cases more charge rate can be accepted shortening the time required to charge the batteries. This situation may be acceptable under some circumstances, and may even be the better path to take, but it will not give the absolute best case scenario for battery life. Pick your poison.
There’s nothing new about the ideas of charging the troll motor batteries from either the charging system on the outboard or the one from the two vehicle. While the charging systems of either are not correct for deep cycle batteries it is possible to knock down the output of either to an acceptable charge rate for the troll batteries. The drawback has always been the time required for charging. Let’s say that you run your troll motor for four hours while you are fishing at an average discharge rate of ten amps to keep things simple. Now let’s say that the max safe charge rate for the deep cycle battery is ten amps. That means that you would need to run the big engine or the tow vehicle for four hours to put the juice back in the battery that your four hours of fishing took out. Keeping this simple formula in mind will help you determine if such a charging system can work for you, or not.
My average tow is about a half hour and my average run on the big motor between fishing holes is about five minutes. I fish with the troller for hours. I’ll need to plug in a charger when I get to the house.
There’s always the possibility of exceeding the ideal charging rate for the batteries or using batteries that are not ideal for trolling. In these cases more charge rate can be accepted shortening the time required to charge the batteries. This situation may be acceptable under some circumstances, and may even be the better path to take, but it will not give the absolute best case scenario for battery life. Pick your poison.
In the boating industry for over thirty years.
This has nothing to do with the charging system on the outboard or tow vehicle.
UT Vols13, you lost me. Would you take the time to explain why my post has nothing to do with either a tow vehicle or outboard charging system? Or maybe you’re referring to the Stealth system not having anything to do with either? Either way go to the web site you linked and read “Principles”. Everything I said above is there, except the part about it not being a new idea. At any rate, I’m happy it’s working for you.
UT Vols13, you lost me. Would you take the time to explain why my post has nothing to do with either a tow vehicle or outboard charging system? Or maybe you’re referring to the Stealth system not having anything to do with either? Either way go to the web site you linked and read “Principles”. Everything I said above is there, except the part about it not being a new idea. At any rate, I’m happy it’s working for you.
In the boating industry for over thirty years.
I was referring to the Stealth system as the Stealth in not connected to alternator in boat or tow vehicle. Sorry for any confusion.
OK UT, from their web site, and here they are referring to the Pro Max system. You may have the simpler Stealth 1 DC:
The STEALTH1 PRO-MAX consist of three components, the Stealth 1 AC, Stealth 1 DC and the Digital Gauge. In the quest to extend battery life the Stealth 1 Company developed and patented the Stealth 1 DC. It was found that the continuous charging from the alternator of the outboard motor allowed fishermen to stay on the water in definitively.
Note in their statement it says that the DC portion is connected to the alternator of the outboard motor. The AC portion is what can be plugged in at home and is a typical battery charger. These combine to make up the Stealth Pro Max system enabling you to use the charging system of the outboard on the water, and if that’s not enough, to supplement it at home.
Again from their web site:
the new Tow Package giving 40 amps while your pulling to and from your location
This is taken out of context but it shows that they do indeed have a tow package option which taps into the charging system of the tow vehicle. My dad made one of those for our boat when I was a kid.
If you only have the Stealth DC system where you have no cord to plug into AC at the house and nothing to tap into the tow vehicle’s charging system, the following statement from their web site applies:
How much does the STEALTH 1 DC extend one’s stay on the water? With adequate output from the alternator: indefinitely! Hard to believe? You had better believe it! The key is in the word “adequate.” If the energy output from your engine is adequate for its usage in the trolling system, you are covered.
They go on to say that adequate depends on time fishing and time running. Apparently in your case you indeed spend adequate time running and have adequate alternator output to replenish the batteries without the need for an A/C charger or the tow package option. Minn Kota has a similar charger for folks like you.
They’ve put together some good marketing, but it’s really nothin
If you go to the website he gave the link to, it explains the technology very well and it looks awesome and safe and proven. I couldn’t find pricing anywhere though…rough price of a basic system?
tom
I think the biggest difference is that it is connected to your starting battery and only charges when the voltage is above 13, but it does it all the time, everytime you back off the trolling motor, and boosts the “recovery” charge, constantly. plus when the motor is running and the voltage is above 13, it applies a constant charge.
still not sure about the higher amperage exposure durring high rpm runnning.
all those issues go away if you use optima batteries
Chris, I think it’s mostly new marketing for old technology. Even with the cranking battery in the circuit along with the troll motor batteries, unless the engine is running there is no source for current to go back into the troll batteries when you back off the troll motor. Now if their talking about when you shut down the troll motor and crank the big engine and run for a piece, I can see that shooting some juice back into the troll batteries after the cranking engine reaches a determined voltage, which may be the only part that’s special in this system. Electricity has been following the path of least resistance forever, and in a multiple battery circuit that path is the battery with the least charge. If you hook troll motor batteries in a circuit with the cranking battery and the troll batteries are the least charged, then when the big engine is cranked the cranking battery is not topped off before the current goes to the troll batteries. That could be a bad thing.
At any rate, I don’t see anything wrong with it, just nothing really new, and it certainly depends on some source of current to do the charging, as in the outboard alternator, AC current at the house, or the tow vehicle’s alternator.
If you go to the website he gave the link to, it explains the technology very well and it looks awesome and safe and proven. I couldn’t find pricing anywhere though…rough price of a basic system?
I haven’t looked at the site, but it sounds like just a battery combiner, they are amperage and voltage limited(usuaslly adjustable). Like they said, nothing really new