Electric Downrigger Amperage

[FishnChef]

so in my research of consideration for upgrading to Electric downriggers I have noticed that a lot of them draw upwards of 25 to 30 amps apiece which especially if you're running them both at the same time sounds like an awful lot to me. the way my boat is set up my Kicker motor has an alternator and both my main and kicker are going to the cranking battery. so my question would be I have a spot for a spare battery and I was thinking of wiring the kicker charger system to that battery as well as both downriggers to keep that load off of the starting battery which also controls sonar Etc. unnecessary? Good idea?

[Fishmaster 196]

I have everything hooked up to a size 27 starting battery and have never had a problem with low voltage (2 riggers, 2 graphs, temp probe etc). I have my 9.9 Yamaha charging the system while trolling.  I don't think you will be pulling up both riggers at the exact same time very often if at all.  I would not worry about it as long as your starting battery is good.

[Brian]

X2....3 downriggers plus electronics.no issue

[FishnChef]

Thats what i was hoping to hear. Thanks for the input, gonna pull the trigger on a set of traxstechs i think

[youp50]

I run a pair of Scotties, I do run them at the same time.  At the end of the outing, if we are deep, they both come up.  If I am in the process of interacting with another piece of structure they both get turned on as fast as I can get there.  In either case I am not watching the voltage.  The battery maintains ample voltage to avoid blowing a fuse.  30 amps in my application.

 

I spent some time and money last year installing a second battery and battery selector switch.  I like the back-up battery.  I do fish remote parts of Lake Superior and help may not be on the horizon.

[pjprod]

I can add a tip. When wiring...10 gauge wire minimum for 30amps and do not skimp on the wire. Have leads as short as possible from rigger to battery as voltage will drop with length. FUSE FUSE FUSE...I have a fuse block on battery with downrigger leads off of fuse block with 30 amp fuses.

[Xxx]

That's why you should run 2 batteries and use breakers not fuzes, your kicker ain't doing shyt as far as keeping your batteries up. At 5000rpm the kicker might be pushing 6-9amps, get a 1-2-all switch and wire it that way. So if you don't have enough juice to start on 1 battery move the switch to both and fire her up leave it there till your volt meter hits 14 volts, now there both charged.

Edited January 27, 2017 by pap

[mmdrevo]

29 minutes ago, pjprod said:

I can add a tip. When wiring...10 gauge wire minimum for 30amps and do not skimp on the wire. Have leads as short as possible from rigger to battery as voltage will drop with length. FUSE FUSE FUSE...I have a fuse block on battery with downrigger leads off of fuse block with 30 amp fuses.

 X2 on the 10 gauge wire. When we upgraded to electric down riggers last year we ran 10 gauge marine grade jacketed duplex. https://www.amazon.com/Ancor-Marine-Grade-Duplex-Cables/dp/B000NUYAIA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1485488203&sr=8-2&keywords=10%2Bgauge%2Bmarine%2Bwire&th=1&psc=1 Amazon had the best price at the time. As far as fuses we opted for breakers: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Surface-Circuit/dp/B0055MV7AA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485488368&sr=8-1&keywords=marine%2Bbreaker&th=1 I agree with keeping the length to a minimum. Measure and cut accordingly with some slack however not to the point that you are rolling the excess up and zip tying. 

[pjprod]

Agree...you can use breakers or fuses..whatever works for you....The riggers have protection on the rigger with a breaker... but what about the circuit from the battery to the rigger...that must be fault protected. Fuses are about 4 bucks for 5 fuses versus the cost of DC breakers. The point i am making is...I have seen to many boat set-ups with no fault protection and now the boat is up in flames.

[Xxx]

Yes I agree with not being protected. If your set up is like mine, I ran all my wires along the transom and to get there is BE Och, so I used breakers no need to carry a hand full of fuzes, although most folks have glovebox full of everything but 30 amp as they are not popular in the automotive industry. My alternater is also say unique. I put a longer  power stud in and ran a wire up to a 3rd battery. I put a clip on clamp like what a battery charger has. I have lights forward and onto the back deck for night eyes or early morning lights. After owning my own starter and alternater shop since 1982 all this is at my finger tips. I built my own alternater, and just shy of a welder it works, and I used a very low rpm excited regulater that is adjustable. So at low rpm she's charging like as if the motor is a 2000 rpm. 

[Bozeman Bob]

12 vdc circuit breakers are available from NAPA/ebay etc for about 6-8.00 bucks per unit. The have them from 5 to 30 amps and that's what I use as well.

[Xxx]

6 hours ago, Bozeman Bob said:

12 vdc circuit breakers are available from NAPA/ebay etc for about 6-8.00 bucks per unit. The have them from 5 to 30 amps and that's what I use as well.

X2