Two batteries one controller.

[Bigmacsc1]

Hi everyone. I just purchased my first solar kit to install on a 32 foot pontoon. I have a single 50watt panel with a 10 amp controller. My question for everyone is can I run two lines from the battery connections. One set to connect to the trolling motor batter on the front of the boat and one set for the starting battery. Running the batteries in parallel won't work because of the distance between the two batteries. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, do I just leave the lights and radio and depth finder connected to the battery or do I need to hook them up the load connection on the controller. Appreciate any help y'all can offer.

[littleharbor]

Morningstar makes a dual battery charge controller called the SunSaver Duo. It's a 25 amp controller. You will need more panel to do any worthwhile charging as 50 watts isn't going to go to far in charging one battery let alone, two.

[Bigmacsc1]

So then would I benefit more if I moved both batteries to a central location and wire them in parallel?

[Wy_White_Wolf]

So then would I benefit more if I moved both batteries to a central location and wire them in parallel?

Wouldn't make any difference.

Running a wire from the charge controller to both batteries will parallel them and create problems. The only proper way to charge 2 batteries off 1 controller is to get one made to charge 2 batteries like the Morningstar Duo.

One possibly could get a battery isolator like they use in RVs and hook up the charge controller to the alternator input of it. I haven't seen anyone do that so don't know what problems will arise.

But then as Bigmacsc1 started, you don't have enough panel for 1 battery let alone 2.

WWW

[Logan005]

you have 50 watt panel, you likely need 200 watts of panels. "Solar panel Kits" are mostly 12 volt junk. with a PWM controller, your 50 watt panel = 35 to 40 watts. assuming your batteries are around 100 AH size, you have no where near enough panels. does this boat have a generator? Shore power?

[Sunking]

WTF are you expecting to do with a 50 watt panel? You are certainly not going to charge any starting or trolling motor with it. You absolutely DO NOT want to parallel your SLI and Trolling Motor battery. If you do, you will find yourself felling real stupid and scared when you go to crank the engine and nothing happens because you drained both batteries fishing.

A good trolling motor battery is about 80 to 100 amp hours. It would take a 50 watt panel a week or more to recharge a trolling motor battery. All a 50 watt panel is going to do is to keep a charged up battery charged while docked if it can actually have sun from dawn to dusk with no shade. With a Electronic Battery Isolator it could keep both SLI and Trolling motor maintained while docked. So make sure you know WTF you are doing, or else you might find yourself floating helplessly out in the middle of a lake hoping and waiting for a tow before dark or a storm hits.