Another Noob Needs 24 V Help on Batteries

[Opus]

Apolgies folks...I know there are a hundred threads on wiring two batteries. But I promise my low sloping forehead is not allowing me to catch on to some of the text explanations nor the diagrams.

I am helping a friend who picked up a bass boat last season and I had him bring it over to my garage to get it up to snuff for this season. He has forgotten the battery cable hookup and my experience lies in my nice little Jon boat with a transom mounted kicker and a 12v trolling motor up front. 24 volt is foreign to me.

I guess I have to see it in a diagram that makes sense to me...if anyone can make sense of my diagram (haha).

Anyway, the boat is running a 24 v Minn Kota bow mounted troller up front. In my diagram, I have placed the wires as they come to the connection block in the battery compartment, as well as the two batteries. I was hoping someone could say something like:

"Hey, goofy, take Red 1 and hook it to Pos 1,
then take Red 2 and connect to Pos 2 and run the pigtail Black 2 to Neg 2, etc, etc."

I'll modify my drawing, print, seal in plastic and tape it under the deck to the fuel tank beside the batteries for future ref.

Thanks for any help!!!!

 

[Opus]

Re: Another Noob Needs 24 V Help on Batteries

I just wanted to add clarify something in the drawing:

Red 2 has a battery terminal connector AND has Black 2 pigtailed to it, which also ends in a terminal connector.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Another Noob Needs 24 V Help on Batteries

Nice diagram, but I am confused by the "connector block." I need a little more information to be sure of what you need

What are the unlabeled red wires? Are they big fat wires to the trolling motor or is one a charging wire from the alternator?

Maybe someone else is more knowledgeable than I. If I could only put my eyes on it it seems simple enough. At the very least, a 24V configuration would suggest Neg 1 and Pos 2 connected, so unless someone else actually has the setup on their boat and will counter this, it looks like you should have it wired like in my attachment.

Can anyone confirm?

Unless I am being an idiot (that's happened!) that is what you need.

 

[Opus]

Re: Another Noob Needs 24 V Help on Batteries

Mark...thanks much for getting back to me

The connection block is mounted on the forward vertical wall in the battery well...To me, and I know very little about automotive electrical, it almost looks like an older voltage regulator.

Regardless, the two unlabeled red cables and black 1 are coming from the front of the boat through the hull. The reds, of course, are going to the two top lugs in the block while the black continues on to the batteries. Those cables, as well as the red labeled cables coming from the lower lugs are all the same size - about the size of a car battery cable.

I have a multimeter...I could run you configuration (And thank you for adding to my drawing) and then check the plug up front for 24V, right?

cable

Nice diagram, but I am confused by the "connector block." I need a little more information to be sure of what you need

What are the unlabeled red wires? Are they big fat wires to the trolling motor or is one a charging wire from the alternator?

Maybe someone else is more knowledgeable than I. If I could only put my eyes on it it seems simple enough. At the very least, a 24V configuration would suggest Neg 1 and Pos 2 connected, so unless someone else actually has the setup on their boat and will counter this, it looks like you should have it wired like in my attachment.

Can anyone confirm?

Unless I am being an idiot (that's happened!) that is what you need.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Another Noob Needs 24 V Help on Batteries

I have no idea what this connector block is you are talking about. But here is what a 24 volt battery hookup looks like. A 24 volt trolling motor needs only one read and one black wire going to it. Red from the circuit breaker, and black directly from the battery. What the second red wire going forward is for is possible from the Battery #1 positive to provide 12 volts (not 24) to a locator, but that would be a smaller wire, not a car battery cable size. In fact none of the wires for the troller need to be that large. 6AWG is all that's necessary. I don't think that "connection block" is a connection block at all but in fact is some other electrical device unrelated to the troller. Are you sure it is not a circuit breaker. Sorry but I can't make it any simpler than this. You need to post a picture of this mysterious connection block.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Another Noob Needs 24 V Help on Batteries

I have no idea what this connector block is you are talking about......

Thank you. I feel better now; it's not just me

......What the second red wire going forward is for is possible from the Battery #1 positive to provide 12 volts (not 24) to a locator, but that would be a smaller wire, not a car battery cable size......I don't think that "connection block" is a connection block at all but in fact is some other electrical device unrelated to the troller.........You need to post a picture of this mysterious connection block.

If I were to guess it is a charge controller or battery isolator. I'm missing something here myself. Since 24V was involved, I provided the only scenario I could imagine that would make a 24V battery with the information provided.

I have to say half the reason I answered was the curiosity of it all

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Another Noob Needs 24 V Help on Batteries

Some confusion perhaps? Mark -- my comments were directed to Opus, not you. For all we know this might even be an on-board charger of some kind.

 

[Opus]

Re: Another Noob Needs 24 V Help on Batteries

Morning guys - more to add....Sorry no camera available. I went and took a closer look at what I called a connector block...To me, it seems to actually be two fuse blocks mounted inside a plastic cover (Sorry, no writing on the blocks).

I'll look around for an on board charger but have not seen one...maybe tucked away somewhere. Of note, as you probably guessed, there is a separate, 3rd "starter" battery in another hold on the other side of the stern.

I did another quick drawing showing what I think are the fuses...thanks again for looking.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Another Noob Needs 24 V Help on Batteries

OK -- that's better. See how easy this gets when proper terminology comes into play. Those are not fuses. They are circuit breakers. The connection scheme you have is for a 12 OR 24 volt trolling motor. Be very careful and follow these instructions to the letter.

1) All four the red wires connect exactly to the points on the circuit breakers you show them adjacent to. When making the connections below, make darned sure the red wire you are connecting is actually the red wire you THINK you are connecting. These two are not interchangable.
2) Connect the black cable (the one on the left) to the NEG terminal on the LOWER battery (Neg 2 in your diagram).
3) Connect the red/black cable as follows: Connect the black wire to POS 2 (positive terminal on the lower battery in your diagram). Connect the end of the red wire to the NEG 1 terminal (negative terminal on the upper battery in your diagram.
4) Connect the red wire on the left to POS 1 (positive terminal on the upper battery in your diagram).

WARNING: Before you connect anything to the plug at the front of the boat, use a voltmeter to measure from the BLACK wire to the LOWER RED wire in your diagram. This should measure 24 volts. Make the same measurement between the BLACK wire and the UPPER RED wire. This should measure 12 volts. Whoever wired the boat should have used an ORANGE wire for the 12 volt connection (upper red wire).. DO NOT allow the two red wires to touch as you will create a direct short across the upper battery.

When all is done, the upper red wire is 12V and the lower red wire is 24V.

 

[Opus]

Re: Another Noob Needs 24 V Help on Batteries

Alright, sir...like this???? (And bless you)...

Forgot to change Fuse to Circuit Breaker...darn it