Why a second trolling motor battery breaker on the jumper in my 24V?

This topic has 9 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 8 months ago by Bass Cat Boats.

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September 24, 2017 at 12:23 am #461496

Eli
Participant

Just put new trolling motor batteries in my 08 PIV (Love it) with 24V MotorGuide Tour 82. (6 gauge wire). There is a 50A breaker on the red lead to battery one. This is correct. There is an additional 50A breaker on the Jumper from battery one to battery two. It is not per MotorGuide instructions. It seems redundant, but that is not a bad thing. I see a debate on BBC but no conclusion. I am putting in a new breaker and want to know should I replace the second breaker on the jumper or just eliminate it.http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php … or+breaker

September 24, 2017 at 1:58 am #461497

oldtimer57
Participant

What you really want is a breaker on the + cable near the battery. This will protect you from any reasonable short-circuit you can cause, whether at the plug up front or whatever. The only advantage for a breaker in the jumper is if you somehow manage to short the jumper to the other post on the same battery. Otherwise, it is pretty much pointless.

September 25, 2017 at 4:22 pm #461498

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

I see it quite a bit, but its not needed if its a short run from the positive of battery A to negative of battery B, however, if the wires are going across the boat, or to the front of the boat, then I would keep the breaker (more of a chance for that wire to short). I also see it on different brands boats. This would make me “wonder” if its a USCG spec for new boats.John

September 25, 2017 at 4:42 pm #461499

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

It is not a USCG requirement we are aware of on outboards, though we have always added a breaker for increased safety. BCB

September 25, 2017 at 5:04 pm #461500

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

Do you mean the usual ONE breaker, or are you talking about the SECOND breaker mentioned above, which is a bit odd.

September 25, 2017 at 10:16 pm #461501

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

The second breaker, and even a third in some situations. BCB

September 26, 2017 at 10:16 pm #461502

BIGCATTER
Participant

Circuit breakers are an ELECTRICAL SAFETY VALVE — More is better in my opinion . — Hoss

September 26, 2017 at 11:05 pm #461503

Jones TrollingMotor
Participant

BIGCATTER wrote:Circuit breakers are an ELECTRICAL SAFETY VALVE — More is better in my opinion . — HossWhy would more be better. The circuit is only as strong as the weakest breaker, meaning only one breaker is going to trip if there is a problem — and that breaker is going to be the weakest one.John

September 26, 2017 at 11:44 pm #461504

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

The only thing I can think of is the example I gave, where the jumpers between batteries can, with sloppy handling, cause a direct short. A breaker in the middle of each jumper prevents welding the short to the battery followed by bad things inside the battery.

September 27, 2017 at 1:01 am #461505

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

In the early 1990s, when 36 volts were young, there were several Pro anglers who were first timers, that burned their products by using jumper cables without breakers on the jumper wires. BCB has always added breakers to ththe jumper wires and only those using trolling motor jumpers without breakers have presented problems on Bass Cat models. Yes, weve seen it before. At least three of todays common television personalities had issues in those early days.
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