Charge your BATTERY from O/B Motor?

[Craig Weis]

With the addition of two electronic items O'skippy here has run the 1000 cca battery flat twice. Even with solor a charge.

SO....I turn to my 5 hp Mercury outboard motor as a possible solution.
First some basics on my motor: Info is under the kill switch area. Say it is...

...2001-Mercury ME5M-5 hp-47.5 lb-5000 rpm-7x3 prop-fwd, n, rev.

1~Find the 8 digit number for O/B.  Mine is 0G973803
2~Mercury on line will list optional kits. Or call them in Wisconsin.
3~Find Battery Charge kit: 6 amp # 16838A4 for my engine.
4~Look at the picture of this kit and decide if your can install same.
5~$73.71 plus tax and ship or pick-up at dealer.
6~There you have it. Juice for your battery.
skip.

[john walker]

Honda offers charging kit for their 5 hp model.   Johnny Walker

[hazelscamp]

I bought a new 6hp Tohatsu with 25" shaft this summer.   It did not come with a charging connection but when the manufacturer advertised that it was available for this model, I requested the kit to allow charging.    The "kit" received is made up of  two wires with a socket connection, no instructions.   This weekend I plan to read my manual again,  pull the cover and possibly the flywheel and see where they connect to.   

Future 6 hp long shaft models will have this installed at the factory.

[gradycampbell]

My Tohatsu 6 hp with 25" shaft came with alternator and wiring standard, no ordering of options or extra parts. Mine did, and your's ought to have, come with a yellow and a red wire with bullet connectors you could see when you pull the cover or hood off the motor. Below in that area there is a little plastic plug to pull out to feed the wires through so they'd reach outside the motor to hook up to. For my Eclipse, I ran about 11 feet of 14 ga two-conductor marine wire to the motor using crimp-on bullet connectors from Boater's World, through the hole along with the fuel line, through a hole I cut in the side of the fuel storage locker (used 5200 to glue in a short section of PVC pipe for a clean feedthrough to seal up the wall the hole is in) and over to the battery where I put some crimp-on battery connectors. I think it was 14 ga, may have been 12 ga. For the 5 A alternator output and such a short run (22 ft total) either ought to be fine. When I had a 9.8 hp electric start which was soon stolen! it came with a cable that ran to the battery. It certainly was smoother running than the 6.
                                                        Grady

[hazelscamp]

Thanks Grady.   I was successful in getting my cable connected to the battery with a pigtale extension similar to what you described.   I seems to charge the battery fine and I connect it whenever the winds are light and I use the motor for a period of time.   I didn't run the extension cable thru a hole but under the compartment lid.   I placed a gasket on the lid and left a small opening there for the wire.   When able I leave my solar collector plugged in so I switch back and forth as the need requires.  I installed a second battery so I haven't run low on power yet.  I have the standard lights, to which I have added three cabin fans, a depth finder and a compass light.

Good Sailing!    Norm