You have that backwards:
Parallel batteries (pos to pos, neg to neg) = same voltage double the amp hours.
Series batteries (neg1 to ground, pos1 to neg2, pos2 to unit) =double the voltage, same amp hours.
DC battery questions
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Parallel batteries (pos to pos, neg to neg) = same voltage double the amp hours.
Series batteries (neg1 to ground, pos1 to neg2, pos2 to unit) =double the voltage, same amp hours.
FLTENNHUNTER1
Well-Known Member
My bad. I stand corrected. Been a few years since trade school.
That's what I was asking. If you take two 12v batteries and put them in a series...you make 24v but the Amp Hours stay the same. I was asking if you could add a 3rd battery BUT connect it in parallel, just to add to the Amp Hours.
I'm thinking my best option now is to just buy a single 24v battery in the 200 AH configuration.
I'm thinking my best option now is to just buy a single 24v battery in the 200 AH configuration.
I have two 12v 54ah Dakotas wired in series to make 24v in my X19 and I've spider rigged minners from daylight to dark without running out of battery. Oviously I wasn't on my trolling motor all day and I try to keep my speed around .5mph. I realize you are much, much more demanding on your batteries pulling cranks, but 200ah is a lot. I'd be surprised if that didn't meet your needs.
That's the kicker to it. From the time I get started fishing, my trolling motor is constantly on iTrack auto pilot "cruise control" mode, pulling crankbaits 1.5 to 2 mph. Which on my boat, usually starts with a power setting of 5 with no wind or current. If I'm going against wind or current...obviously it has to adjust for that. I'm pulling a continuous 12 to 15 amps at a setting of 5. As the batteries get weaker, I'm having to bump that up to maintain the same speed. I've got both my graphs on a 12v 50 Ah lithium now. That at least got those to their own power source, straight wired. And I could not believe the difference it made in image clarity. No interference. Perfect. I'll be adding a 3rd graph to it though...hopefully it can handle them all.
To answer your original question...
You cannot wire the same batteries in both series and parallel.
You would have to wire them in parallel in to "groups", then wire the "groups" in to series.
You've got Battery #1 and Battery #2. They're identical.
You want to add battery #3.
You would have to wire this in parallel to #1 (or #2). This gives you a "group" that is still 12v. However, the capacity is now higher than battery #2. Herein lies your problem. The capacity of all batteries (or groups) in a parallel configuration should be identical.
You'd need to add a 4th battery to keep your "groups" identical.
I'm not saying it won't work with just 3 batteries, but it will likely cause issues if if they aren't immediately recognizable.
You cannot wire the same batteries in both series and parallel.
You would have to wire them in parallel in to "groups", then wire the "groups" in to series.
You've got Battery #1 and Battery #2. They're identical.
You want to add battery #3.
You would have to wire this in parallel to #1 (or #2). This gives you a "group" that is still 12v. However, the capacity is now higher than battery #2. Herein lies your problem. The capacity of all batteries (or groups) in a parallel configuration should be identical.
You'd need to add a 4th battery to keep your "groups" identical.
I'm not saying it won't work with just 3 batteries, but it will likely cause issues if if they aren't immediately recognizable.
Hmm what about adding kicker motor instead?
His trolling motor follows tracks on his graph and has "cruise control" for maintaining the speed he wants. It makes trolling so much easier. No way you could be as precise on speed and track with a kicker and it would require constant attention.
Use the kicker at idle and the trolling motor might still track somewhat.I use to run my big motor with a trolling plate and use cruise control on my ipilot pulling cranks .
I get it. I'm just not as sophisticated a fisherman. I use a jon boat w/ 9.9hp and simple Lowarance Hook2.
Nothing wrong with that. Im usually in a jon boat with just a 30 pound thrust trolling motor and thats where i will be saturday
agelessssone
Well-Known Member
Surely he jests....
MidTennFisher
Well-Known Member
If you had your two 12 VDC batteries in series to make 24 VDC, then added a 12 VDC battery in parallel with that group of two, you would no longer have 24 VDC. The larger voltage batteries would discharge onto the lower voltage battery until they had equal voltage. This is not recommended to do at all.
Your options are to either get 2 more of the 12 VDC batteries, wire them in series to get 24 VDC and wire that group in parallel with the existing group. This still gives you 24 VDC but increases your amp hours, or just use 2 24 VDC batteries wired in parallel. That would also increase your amp hours.
Your options are to either get 2 more of the 12 VDC batteries, wire them in series to get 24 VDC and wire that group in parallel with the existing group. This still gives you 24 VDC but increases your amp hours, or just use 2 24 VDC batteries wired in parallel. That would also increase your amp hours.
Well I bit the bullet and bought the 24v 200 Ah battery. If that doesn't get me where I want to be...there's always the option of adding another 24v in parallel. I was saving to get a bigger graph but...graphs don't do much good if you can't stay out long enough to fish after you find stuff on them.
I say you have all the juice you'll need now with that
Update. I made my first run with the 24v battery. I trolled continuously for 6 hours straight. Keeping the boat between 1.5 and 2 mph the entire time. It never even showed signs of getting weak. In fact...with my previous setup, to achieve that mph range, I had to keep the TM dial on 5 and then gradually increase it as the batteries faded. With the new battery, I had to keep it on 3.5 to keep it from going over 2 mph. Looks like the wiring job and new battery have definitely fixed the issue. On another note...my crappie have transitioned and vanished. I covered a lot of area looking for them and never found them. White bass and yellow bellies were plentiful though. Just for fun...at 10 speed, it hauls my boat at 3.8 to 4 mph.
