Those of you who use electric downriggers do you use two batteries? If you use only one in your boat how much battery drain do you see with electric DR's and all of your other electronics? My kicker does not charge the battery so if I'm not running the main motor much I wonder if a full day of fishing with electrics will drain the battery. Thanks.

stlhead,
I run two seperate batteries, but really for no particular reason. I think it is just personnal preference. I put a seperate battery in that only runs my downriggers but I don't have it connected through a switch to my other battery so I can charge it with the motor. I just didn't want to take a chance of having a downrigger problem screw up my electrical system on my motor. I just charge the downrigger battery in the garage when it needs it, and I can get three day trips and sometimes four on every charge. Of course that all depends on the battery you use, the downriggers you have (I use Big Jon downriggers) and how heavy your rigger balls are.

I use one deep cycle for all my electronics and my electric downriggers and one combo starting/deep cycle for the main outboard. My kicker is hooked up to the electronics battery and keeps it charged while the main motor charges the other battery. I do not have the 2 batteries connected but I do carry a couple of pieces of battery cable that I can use as a temporary jumper between the two if needed (haven't needed to yet).
By the way UM, don't you think the size of someones rigger balls is something that should be discussed in a less family oriented forum???

I have two batteries in my boat that are wired through a barrel switch. The switch enables me to switch from posit 1,2,both or off.
I run the motor and electronics off the main battery and both downriggers off the deep cycle marine battery.
My reasoning is that if somehow I run down the battery with the downriggers, I am still able to start the boat since it's running on the other battery.
With the barrel switch in posit 2, they both charge up heading out and coming back in.

Scottys take the least amount of amps to operate as far as I know. Most outboards (Even V6) can be pulled started as well. But, I always carry two batteries and make sure they are both fully charged every time I go out. Just to be on the safe side. Remember, if you lose power, you lose radio.

my boat has only one battery and it isn't very big, the motor is a 90 hp so it doesn't need a big battery. I have fished all day with 2 electric downriggers going up and down all day without starting the big motor to charge the battery and have had no problem. my kicker has no charging system. the only time I have had a problem is when I sat with the running lights on for several hours without the big motor on. It isn't the best system, two batterys would be smarter but I didn't want the extra weight and it worked for me.

I have two electric Scotty DR's and run two batteries. I have everything wired in together. My kicker does charge. I set my selector switch so I'm running one battery one day, then the other one the next. I always have one that is fully charge and ready to go that way. Never noticed the Scotty's wearing the charge down at all, even at Sekui where there is a fair amount of up and down. In addition, I run a medium sized sonar, GPS, and VHF along with the running lights.

Thanks for the input guys. So it sounds like I could run my GPS, VHF and depth/finder and go to electrics and probably not have too bad of battery drain but should get a second battery just in case. My main motor (electric) does pull start with a dead battery which will re-charge and with a hand held VHF for just such occasions I might get by with only the one battery if I can't fit a second one in.

Stlhead,
I use one battery to run 2 electric DR's plus everything else and haven't had any trouble. I bought a dual purpose battery and went with the larger size to avoid potential problems. My main has electric startm, but also has pull start in the event that I need it.
JMS

I once managed to drain one of my batteries during a long day of heavy DR use - even w/ the kicker charging the system.