Belgian wrote:

Hi , i was wondering if there is any danger to fry the magneto of an
outboard 40hp Suzuki engine if install 2 12 volts battery in parallel .
I do use lots of 12 volt equipments on the pontoon, so i figured that 2
batteries would be better and last longer .Last year a battery died on me in
the midle
of the lake. I just bought 2 brand new marine ones .
would that be too much strain on the magneto ?
thanks for your help !

Typically, outboard alternators are pretty weak. Yours probably isn't
giving much of a boost while running. Our 55 amp alternator can hardly
give us a night's usage in an hour because of it's (basically)
automotive regulator.

You (and we) might do better by mounting a small solar panel to charge
the batteries during the week. A half-amp for 70 hours or so a week will
probably be more than you get from the engine.

You *probably* won't cook the alternator with the extra battery.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/