Electric downrigger advice needed

After years of drooling over electric downriggers, I've finally decided that I can afford to spend the money to upgrade. I plan on getting a new four stroke kicker (6 hp or 8 hp) with alternator and two Scotty electrics.

I'm wondering if anyone runs two separate electrical circuits on their boat-- one for the starting battery and accessories and one for their kicker and electric downriggers? That's what I was thinking of doing, so that the kicker would charge the downrigger battery while trolling.

Or, does everyone run one circuit with a Perko switch to their two separate batteries? I don't want to run my starting battery down while trolling... that's why I'm thinking about two separate batteries.

Also, does anyone have issues with their 6 hp or 8 hp motor not providing enough amperage to keep their battery charged?

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Dave

I run two gel cells with a switch in my boat. I have the Scotty electrics and a Yamaha t8 kicker thats hooked up to the batteries. I always run both batteries and have never had a problem.

thats putting a big load on your alternator, i`d only run 1 at a time

I have an F-8 Yamaha (rope start) with an alternator charging its own battery. I have a tie switch to tie the two batteries together manually, and an automatic battery combiner (yandina), it combines to charge the batteries from either side, so both batteries charge if either outboard is running and charge voltage is high enough. It also splits the batteries to prevent discharging both batteries. I have the important stuff on the main battery, (VHF/bilge/GPS/lights) and the pot puller, 'riggers, washdown, trollmaster, etc. on the aux battery with its own fuse center. Both batteries can be isolated from their engines with switches as well. The kicker can't keep up with the pot puller on shrimping, but tied together, the big engine does fine (DF-70 Suzuki). Use tinned marine wire, self sealing shrink tube and good quality terminals, anti-corrosion lube, kept in a dry location and you should enjoy reliability, mine has been good for 5 years now, with just a couple battery replacements. I get a lot of stuff from best boat wire on the internet.

Two batteries with a Perko switch. T8 kicker. Run battery 1 one day and battery 2 the next and keep switching back and forth. Haven't had any problems with 2 Scottys, radar, GPS, and FF going. Change out the batteries every couple of years. No problems for the past 6 years.

For many years now I've always had two seperate battery systems. I have one battery bank to start the motor's (big and small) and a house bank to run all other DC circuits. I don't use the Perko type switches but use a BEP panel of switches. This way I can charge each bank seperately. By keeping all loads but starting off you start batteries you will have a more reliable system (ie: always have the juice to start the big motors).

Boat manufactures don't wire boats this way because it's more money and they are in business to make money. However, any good electronics person or installer will tell you to keep the start and house banks seperated both for charging and discharging.

I run two batteries through a Perko switch, main starting battery (a lot of cold cranking amps), and a "House Battery" for electronics and downrigger ports. The House Battery is a deep cycle RV battery that is designed to discharge down to nothing and then recharge. I have 2 Cannon Mini Mags that I have converted over to old Style Scotty plugs. That way, I can also run/power a Brutus electric pot puller that came with the old style scotty plug. Then for Butt Fishing, I have Elec-Tra-Mate electric reels that I also converted over to the Old Style Scotty plugs. Never had a problem with either battery. Make darn sure you use the correct sized wire and Connectors when putting in a Perko Switch system.