Just bought a used 2023 Tracker Pro Guide V175 with a 115HP Mercury. The old trolling motor battery was dead so I changed it out to a lithium 140Ah. The NOCO genius GEN 5X2 will charge the lithium battery with AC, but I am wondering if the outboard charges the trolling motor.
Charging the trolling motor on a Tracker Pro Guide V175
- Thread starter GFTX23175
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Generally not. Usually charge TM batteries with a charger. Be sure you have the correct charger for Lithium batteries. Normal chargers are not recommeded to be used on them.
Technically you could hook everything up to charge the trolling motor battery off the main motor but in simple terms the trolling motor sucks more "juice" than the main motor can supply. And with lithium batteries you can make 3 or 4 trips before they need recharging and actually they recommend running the lithium batteries down before you recharge them. Added to which you can get an app for your phone that will tell you how much juice you have left in your lithium batteries. I made the switch from lead-acid to lithium a year ago and am delighted. I did a trip 2 days ago where I started with fully charged batteries. I trolled for 8 hours between 2 and 5 setting on the Terrova and still have 75% charge left.
Thanks for the response! That's what I suspected, but the Tracker literature leaves a bit to be desired in terms of detail.
Thanks for the input - those are excellent points. To your point, the 140Ah lithium battery I have ordered has bluetooth so I should have ready access to the battery charge level. The stock NOCO genius GEN 5X2 charger has individual cables and controls for the starting and trolling motor batteries and has lithium charging capabilities.
Id be leary about hooking an alternater off motor to a lithium battery. Unless there is something im missing.
The right charger and keeping TM batteries separated is always best.
I agree, lithium is the way to go, i take 3 day trips, do not charge them the whole time and im pretty hard on the TM.
(Dakota batteries /Garmin Force)
The right charger and keeping TM batteries separated is always best.
I agree, lithium is the way to go, i take 3 day trips, do not charge them the whole time and im pretty hard on the TM.
(Dakota batteries /Garmin Force)
As far as I can determine, no outboard charging systems are equipped to deal with the demands of lithium battery charging. In fact, your alternator components can be destroyed by directly charging a lithium battery with your engines charging system. A 140AH lithium battery will place a very high demand on the engine charging system not designed for lithium charge capability.
Also, your lithium battery should not be maintained at a 100% charge in regular use. With a 140ah you won't have to charge it often. It is generally recommended that you keep a charge of between 80 and 20 percent. You will have to adjust your habit of charging to 100% after each outing. You can probably make 3 or 4 trips and charge maybe one time to maintain- use a lithium rated charger only.
There are a lot of good, informative videos on you tube to guide you. I was not aware of all the differences with the use of lithium batteries. I recently converted my troll motor to lithium- 24V Ultrex. Best improvement I've made in a long time. Price has dropped significantly this past year.. No reason to stay with the heavy weight batteries...
Very informative! Thanks for sharing....
I have gone with Lithium batteries for my trolling motor and was considering going Lithium for my main starting and house batteries when the current lead/acid batteries die. Lithium starting batteries are readily available so I am therefore curious about your comment: "As far as I can determine, no outboard charging systems are equipped to deal with the demands of lithium battery charging." I don't want to find out after the fact that the charging system on my Optimax is not compatible with a Lithium starting battery.
This statement comes from a reliable manufacturer on their consumer website-
On the other hand I am seeing where Mercury does give specifications for using lithium for starting.
I'm no expert on this topic so I'll stand corrected easily-
"Although Battle Born Batteries thrive in deep cycle house applications, they are not equipped to handle the cold cranking amps that starting an engine requires. It is best to use a lead-acid battery for starting your engine. The lead-acid chemistry can provide the large rush current and quick recharging needed for starting. A quality lead-acid battery will last many years in this application. When it comes to the house banks, lead acid batteries really struggle with longevity when they can’t be fully recharged.
On the other hand, lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, like Battle Born, thrive at a partial state of charge and can operate without worry of diminished capacity in house electrical systems. While multiple Battle Born Batteries, connected in parallel, can be used to start an engine in an emergency, we don’t recommend it. Prolonged use in starting applications can result in diminished capacity or damage to the battery management system."
I don't know if I trust Mercury enough to follow their guidance on this...
The only issue I've every had with my 2017, 150 four, purchased new, is having two alternators replaced under warranty..
The only issue I've every had with my 2017, 150 four, purchased new, is having two alternators replaced under warranty..
How could you need to replace two alternators in 7 years whe I'm running a 2001 75 hp merc and never replaced an alternator,you must be doing something wrong. Even driving a car in 50 years I only replaced 1 alternator. At least 15,000 miles a year. Boat every weekend 6 months a year. Lead acid starting battery only.
Well Robert, not sure what I could have done wrong but- if i knew, i could add that to the list...
Thanks for the information Larry! Very informative.
This video points to why using LifePo4 batteries for starting engines can be messy business..
There is no reason to use a lithuim battery for starting. Just saying. Also, they are not designed to be charged by a motors alternator.
Keep starting seperate from TM and electronics. Keep it simple.
Keep starting seperate from TM and electronics. Keep it simple.
Mercury has approved a few lithium starting batteries to date for use with certain motors. As long as the battery meets specs it is fine to use as a cranker. You have to be careful with which battery you use with alternators though. Lithium's can have a very high internal resistance that will wreak havoc on an alternator by overheating it. Also lithium's without a BMS are probably not a good idea. Stick with Mercury's approved list and you are golden. I use a lithium Relion battery on thier list for a house/crank solution on my 2024 proxs 115 and have been absolutely satisfied with it. I ALWAYS have the TM on its own battery's though.
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