battery connection for gps

G

gst

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Hi Guys,<br /> I just bought a new Garmin 492 GPS and I was thinking about how to install it. I have a 17' Sea Pro center console with a 24 Volt trolling motor attached to the bow. The trolling motor is powered by 2 12 volt batteries, hooked up in series, located inside the center conole.<br />Instead of routing the power cables all the way through the hull to my cranking battery in the stern I thought may be I would just use the trolling motor batteries. Since they are hooked in series, if I attach directly to one of the batteries I think that would provide the 12 volts required to power the GPS.<br />Does anyone see a problem with hooking the GPS up this way. :confused: <br /><br />All comments appreciated,<br /><br />Gary<br /><br />I think I should have put this in the electronics forum, sorry.
 
tommays

tommays

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Re: battery connection for gps

I would think theres power allready pulled up to the console ?<br /><br /><br />tommays
 
B

Backlash

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Re: battery connection for gps

Hi GST,<br />It seems to me, if I understand your setup correctly, that you'd be giving the new GPS 24 volts.......not something you want to do.<br />Backlash
 
G

gst

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Re: battery connection for gps

tommays, I thought electronics needed to be powered on their own individual circuit to eliminate power variations and noise.<br /><br />Backlash, If I connected to both batteries in series like I do with my trolling motor then I would get 24 volts, if I connect to only 1 of the batteries I think the result would only be 12 volts. If I am wrong, someone straighten me out on using batteries before I screw up.<br /><br />Thanks Guys,<br /> Gary
 
Bondo

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Re: battery connection for gps

if I connect to only 1 of the batteries I think the result would only be 12 volts. If I am wrong, someone straighten me out on using batteries before I screw up.
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Ayuh,....... You ARE Correct......<br /><br />I would think it would be Fine,... Till you used the Trolling Motor.......<br />I wouldn't Count on the GPS during those times....Probably Plenty of Electrical Noise then.......Never tried it....
 
G

gst

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Re: battery connection for gps

Bondo and all you guys,<br /><br />Thanks for the replies. I will sure check the voltage with a meter before I hook up the GPS.<br />As far as noise from the trolling motor, I don't think I'll be using the GPS at the same time.<br /><br />Anyway Thanks for the help,<br /><br /> Gary
 
studlymandingo

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Re: battery connection for gps

You should have a power panel under your center console. I would connect to an empty slot on the fuse panel. Marine GPS units are designed to be run on marine circuitry, the amount of "electronic noise" should not adversly affect the GPS. This way you don't have to connect and disconnect stuff from your trolling batteries whenever you want to use either or the other. Eliminates any possibility of pushing 24v through the GPS, I would think that would adversely affect it more so than noise!!!
 
Silvertip

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Re: battery connection for gps

I agree with "studly". 12V should be available at the console -- no need to run off the troller batteries or back to the start battery.
 
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cuzner

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Re: battery connection for gps

I,d wire it to you fuse panel... to start. I've had problems with a fish finder wired this way and had to wire it direct (with an inline fuse) to a battery, no such problem with my gps though.If you need to hook it to a battery, personaly I'd hook it to your starting battery, the only time you'll have serious power drop is when you start your engine.<br /><br /><br /> Jim
 
JB

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Re: battery connection for gps

Electronics topic.
 
C

captn-tin

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Re: battery connection for gps

I just had the answer to your question answered today(see battery question about 2 or 3 posts before yours).
 
G

gst

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Re: battery connection for gps

Butch,<br /><br />Looked at your thread and you're right, all of these folks have answered everything we asked, with many additional ideas.<br /><br />I'll let you know how it comes out.<br /><br />Thanks to all of you.<br /><br />Gary
 
G

gst

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Re: battery connection for gps

Butch,<br /> Followed the advice of Bondo in this thread,<br /> and Smoke in your thread.<br /> I wired my GPS as follows: <br /> <br /> The GPS is wired only to battery #1 of the 2<br /> batteries in series which provides 12V,<br /> my trolling motor plus wire is connected to<br /> the + of battery number #2 and ground of<br /> battery #1 providing 24V.<br /><br /> Haven't had it out yet so I have seen no<br /> problem with noise as of yet,<br /> hope to get out this weekend.<br /> Even if I have noise from the trolling motor,<br /> the GPS should be ok since I only use it<br /> while I am running the river or bay.<br /><br /> Later,<br /> Gary
 
heycods

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Re: battery connection for gps

Thats the way mine is wired, works fine till troling motor is running then I get a little feedback, I was thinking of installing a noise supressor like you would put on a radio, think that would work?
 
G

gst

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Re: battery connection for gps

Hi Guys,<br /> Took the boat out this past weekend and tried out the new GPS, it worked great. A buddy and his son went with me. Caught some fish and enjoyed the sunshine and 88 degree weather. :D <br /><br />Showed my buddy how I set up the wiring for the GPS and he said why didn't you just wire it to the console? :confused: <br /><br />I said, "I didn't want to mess up any of the existing wiring". He said, "No problem I'll come over some time and we will rewire the whole thing". ;) <br /> <br />He is a quality manager who oversees maintenance on jet airplanes.<br />He said we will replace the main wiring with heavier gauge wiring and rewire all of the electronics.<br /><br />He said he would also try to figure a way to wire the trolling batteries so that they can be charged by the outboard motor.<br />Sounds good to me!!! :D :D :D :D <br /><br />Gary
 
tommays

tommays

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Re: battery connection for gps

He said he would also try to figure a way to wire the trolling batteries so that they can be charged by the outboard motor.
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Just look into that first the outboards chargeing system may not be up to chargeing 3 batterys :) <br /><br /><br />tommays
 
studlymandingo

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Re: battery connection for gps

Yea, I'm with tommays, not too sure about the charging of your trolling batteries. The outboard alternator is low-amperage in the grand scheme of things. It is mostly for maintaining your starting batteries. I think it would be most prudent to leave the deep-cycle charging to a deep-cycle 110v charger. <br /><br />I like the idea of rewiring the console however. I just ran some very heavy gauge wire to a center console I traded in for my most recent boat. In my current boat, I wired my GPS to the fuse panel, no noise whatsoever; works great.
 
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