Is there a limit on how long you can string them? I am looking at renting a lake house and many do not have power at the dock. If I need to run cords from the house to charge the batteries will I have a problem putting several together to get to 200 or 400 feet?
2006 Triton TR196 w/ 200 Optimax \ 2021 AlumaRyder 1860 w/ 200 Rotax
That is a pretty long run. How much current does your charger pull? If you know the current draw and the distance you can figure out what size (gauge) wire you will need.
If running that far I would go with 12/3 wire.
Charger is a Minn Kota MK 315 D. Three banks output @ 5 amps each. Is that the same as the draw?
Edit: I went to the Minn Kota website and found a table that shows the wire needed for various runs. At 150' it is 12 AWG so I guess 400' is out of the question.
2006 Triton TR196 w/ 200 Optimax \ 2021 AlumaRyder 1860 w/ 200 Rotax
May want to look at using a portable generator if possible.
Wes
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That is a long run even though your charger does not draw that much current. If I were in your position I would remove the regular nut and washed off the batteries and use wingnuts while you are in that situation and just charge them at the house with a stand alone charger. It only takes a few seconds to undo wingnuts unbuckle the strap and snatch them out.
Knowing actual footage of run would be helpful.
But I don't see why a good quality 12/3 cord would not work. Not any different than circuits run in conduits within buildings.
Could also build a custom cord with 10/3 cord with cap and plug.
Mike
2019 Ranger 520L w/ 250HO ETEC G2
2011 Tracker 175TXW w/ 75HO ETEC
Originally Posted by Transom
12 AWG wire seems unsuitable at the mentioned lengths has more wire resistance than allowed by MinnKota.If running that far I would go with 12/3 wire.
400' (or 200' any other similar distance) is not out of the question but may difficult and expensive to fabricate and impractical to transport.
EDIT Op needs to determine the actual total distance of extension cord that is needed and select an extension cord of that length that has no more than the resistive (ohms) and power phase losses than the acceptable 150' 12AWG extension cord.
We could calculate and recommend a suitable extension cord AWG size and type of wire construction knowing specifically how long the extension cord is going to be.
Last edited by Lou r Pitcher; 12-03-2017 at 09:53 AM.
You can definitely build a cord that will work. However a rugged cable with large conductors is not inexpensive.
Your charger should state the minimum required and maximum allowable voltage. If you put a three way splitter plug on the end of your extension core, and check the voltage at one of the female receptacles with the charger unplugged and plugged in, you can see if you meet the specifications.
First off I would not run a 400' extension cord to charge a boat troll motor battery or any battery. Too far a run with too much voltage drop.
Second did you know that if you charge a boat that is on the water it is possible to get electrocuted by doing this. Lots of people do it, but there is a potential for this to happen. You may not be aware of it, but there is a potential that can build up and all it takes is someone to stick there hand in the water to complete the circuit.
Specs show 270W and 2.7A @ 120V. Likely a 10% variance allowed, so 108V minimum at charger plug.
Input cable is 18AWG with molded plug.
For the approximate 200' a quality 12/3 cord should suffice.
But if it is really 400' 10/3 could pull the duty. 10/3 SJO cord is not going to be cheap at that length. About $1 a ft, give or take.
You need to get a precise measurement, with a 100% difference in what you're asking, it's like night and day.
Mike
2019 Ranger 520L w/ 250HO ETEC G2
2011 Tracker 175TXW w/ 75HO ETEC
Thanks for the input. I don't have a precise measurement yet because I haven't picked the place I am going to rent. At this point I'm just trying to figure out if this is feasible.
Pulling the batteries every day to charge is not something I am willing to do. Most of the properties on the lake have steep hills from the house down to the water. I am physically not able to carry them up those hills.
2006 Triton TR196 w/ 200 Optimax \ 2021 AlumaRyder 1860 w/ 200 Rotax
Buy a 10ga cord. If this is something you're going to do every year, then the cost is spread out.
If it's a one time thing, then you could resell the cords to a contractor; they typically use 10ga to run air nailer compressors.
Excellent idea.
Remember, these chargers can generally handle some voltage drop.
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity,
nothing else matters.
I really don't think a 400' extension cord is a good idea or that the voltage drop wouldn't exceed the limits of the charger using a 10 Gauge cord over 100 yards long.
Talking about less than 3A here.
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity,
nothing else matters.
Other than someone stealing your cord it IS doable, but leaving a small gas generator on the boat may be a better/easier idea if you have the room. I built my own extension cord as I ended up with a long piece of 10/3 and have used it quite a bit over the years. Heavy duty for sure. It is not, however, 400' long.
Simply measuring the voltage loss at the suggested 3 way outlet splitter at the end of the very long extension cord end to see if meets the listed minimum required supplied AC voltage does not guarantee the power is sufficient. The power demands of the charger at that moment may not be maximum. Even if so, a simple voltmeter can not tell us that the power provided is sufficient especially for devices using an input AC transformer in their power supply.
Zelmo, when you do have a length measurement, post (or message) the length needed. Can then make sure the cord to be recommended will prove satisfactory after making needed considerations. Will calculate the cord wire's effective resistance by considering added losses including the increased AC power's phase shift over such a long wire run.
Last edited by Lou r Pitcher; 12-03-2017 at 10:56 AM.
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