Minn Kota Alternator Charger – do I need one?

  • Oscar Eklund
    Participant
    Posts: 8
    July 16, 2022 at 6:25 pm #2135745

    Hi! Just got myself a new boat and a 12v Minn Kota Terrova. I would like to hook up the battery for the trolling motor to the starting battery since the starting battery is charged by a solar panel along with the alternator of the main engine and as such would also charge the battery for the trolling motor.

    So my question is this: does the Minn Kota Alternator Charger do something other than simply keeping the connection of the positive wire between the batteries open (not connected) while voltage is low in the starting battery and then close (connect) the wires when the starting battery is fully charged?

    The reason I’m asking is I cannot seem to get a hold of the Minn Kota Alternator Charger but what I can get is a ”skiljerelä” which is ”separator relay” in Swedish. Is this the same thing?
    See the picture in this manual, this basically cuts connection of positive wire if voltage of starting battery is less than 12.8v
    Separator Relay Manual

    Is there any other problems I’m not thinking of that could occur if I do this? I’ve had problems with running my sonar on the same battery as a trolling motor, would this be a problem if I hook the batteries together with a separator relay?

    Ripjiggen
    Participant
    Posts: 10483
    July 16, 2022 at 6:32 pm #2135746

    So you want to run the trolling motor. Main motor and electronics off 1 battery?

    Oscar Eklund
    Participant
    Posts: 8
    July 16, 2022 at 6:41 pm #2135747
    Ripjiggen wrote:

    So you want to run the trolling motor. Main motor and electronics off 1 battery?

    Sorry I probably wasn’t completely clear on that. No, I want to run the trolling motor on a separate battery. I then want to hook this secondary battery up to the starting battery so that this secondary battery can be charged by the solar panel/alternator through the starting battery.

    Ron
    Participant
    Victoria, mn
    Posts: 802
    July 16, 2022 at 10:17 pm #2135778

    The MinnKota alternator charger has a wire you connect to the ignition circuit and the ignition circuit needs to be “on” for it to work. I don’t think you’d want your ignition on while the solar charger is hooked up.

    Oscar Eklund
    Participant
    Posts: 8
    July 17, 2022 at 3:11 am #2135785
    Ron wrote:

    The MinnKota alternator charger has a wire you connect to the ignition circuit and the ignition circuit needs to be “on” for it to work. I don’t think you’d want your ignition on while the solar charger is hooked up.

    Why would I not want the ignition on with the solar charger connected?

    Ron
    Participant
    Victoria, mn
    Posts: 802
    July 17, 2022 at 6:59 am #2135789

    Why would I not want the ignition on with the solar charger connected?
    [/quote]
    Why would you leave a boat unattended for hours or days with the ignition on?

    Attachments:

    1. Capture-1.jpg

    R Petersen
    Participant
    Posts: 133
    July 17, 2022 at 8:30 am #2135795

    I always keep the trolling motor & the battery that operates it ISOLATED from the boat motor circuit if at all possible.
    More than 1 person / marina mechanic has connected a battery backwards. POOFF goes the smoke sometimes.
    With 2 batteries There is NO NEED to have any connections….EVER… between the batteries. When the ISOLATED trolling motor battery slows down ? DO NOT connect the MAIN MOTOR BATTERY !!!!!!!!!!!! Have your main motor battery …ALWAYS…. Ready to get started & go home if a wind starts blowing you to a rocky shore.

    Keep your boat in the most reliable ….FAIL SAFE….condition.

    Oscar Eklund
    Participant
    Posts: 8
    July 17, 2022 at 9:23 am #2135805

    I don’t think that either of you understand the purpose of a separator relay, the batteries are separated until the starting battery is fully charged, only then will the secondary battery be charged. This is regardless of the ignition being on etc. What I am wondering is if the Minn Kota Alternator Charger does anything else?

    robby
    Participant
    Quad Cities
    Posts: 2703
    July 17, 2022 at 9:58 am #2135813
    R Petersen wrote:

    I always keep the trolling motor & the battery that operates it ISOLATED from the boat motor circuit if at all possible.
    More than 1 person / marina mechanic has connected a battery backwards. POOFF goes the smoke sometimes.
    With 2 batteries There is NO NEED to have any connections….EVER… between the batteries. When the ISOLATED trolling motor battery slows down ? DO NOT connect the MAIN MOTOR BATTERY !!!!!!!!!!!! Have your main motor battery …ALWAYS…. Ready to get started & go home if a wind starts blowing you to a rocky shore.

    Keep your boat in the most reliable ….FAIL SAFE….condition.

    This is solid advise! I run outboard, electronics, lights, pumps from starting battery. Trolling motor is on a completely different circuit and different batteries.

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