Running mine currently on the TM batteries. Since the starting battery gets recharged while running, wondering if it would be better on the starting battery to dedicate 100% of TM batteries to TM.

Depends. What graphs are you running? How are they wired? Assuming directly to the tm batteries.

My electronics run off my start battery. I thought all boats were wired that way. T/M batteries only run the T/M.

Like ez said cranking battery for electronics. Recharges when running. I have always used interstate. No issues. 1199 and 998 with live wells going all day still cranks great.

yep. Mines this way... Sort of. I have my cranking battery, and electronics battery, and then my TM batteries. I use a four bank "Dual Pro" charger. I also have a Painless Wiring dual battery isolator charging router. So after the starting battery cranks the motor, a minute or so later the starting battery and electronics battery link to refresh the electronics battery as well. The TM batteries are huge, and even on a very windy day, I can run the TM all day on a high setting. At night, all batteries are recharged. M

I have heard that running the electronics on the TM batteries can cause interference. So I've never tried it.

Ever since I can remember I have ran TM's on their batteries and electronic ran on the starting battery, that's just the way it was/is. FYI, if your worried about having the juice to crank your big motor, check into Deka Batteries, they make a special battery for electronics and cranking, I believe it's a 24m7,I have used deka's for close to 18 years and never had a problem, if you take care of them, and do what your supposed to do ,no telling how long they will last, I abuse mine to the ninth degree and still get 6-7 years out of them

Where do you get your Deka batteries? I did a lot of research on batteries before purchasing my last set (cranking and trolling) and the Deka's were very highly rated.

You should be able to get Dekas at Metroplex Battery on Electronic Lane in Dallas. They may not stock them but I think they can get them for you.

Thank you boys. Turns out that both bow and console FF/GPS were running off one of the TM batteries, the one that was wearing down by the end of a long day. Did not realize electronics pulled that much.

I run mine on the cranking bat. I upgraded that one to a 31 series AGM for extreme long life and durability.

This^^^^
Went to the Optima D31M

I went with the Sears Diehard Platinum PM1 for my cranking battery because of the Optimax cranking requirements and to run the electronics.


For T/M batteries I went with the Super Start Marine 31DCM from Oreilly's auto parts. After a lot of research on batteries I read that these were actually Deka batteries rebranded for Oreillys. So far they are doing good.

Same cranking battery..which has recently been discontinued by Sears.

Delco Voyagers for trolling motor batteries.

I run 4 fish finders plus other things. This proved to be too much for the cranking battery.
I use two batteries in series for my 24volt TM. Since deep cycle batteries are designed to run loads over longer periods I wanted to use them to power my electronics.
You don't want to connect to just one battery as this creates an imbalance and will reduce the life of the battery. Also, there can be too much noise from the TM.
My solution was to use a 24 to 12 volt converter. It also isolates and conditions the power for a clean 12.3 volts. Even at the end of a long day of trolling I still have 12.3 volts to the fish finders.
I have a 4 amp total load but this is only 2 amps to each battery.
I'm not sure why this hasn't made it to bass boats. Blue water and RVs use this method to get 12v.

where do you get a 24 to 12 v converter, what is this? and you don't get any interference when you put a load on the batteries by turning your trolling motor way up?