TOPIC: Newbie Golden Meteor electrical question

My Johnson Golden Meteor stranded me for the first time this past weekend but it wasn't a mechanical problem. The battery, bought new in July, didn't have enough juice to turn the engine over. Another boater gave me a jump it it started right up. I noticed once it was running that the amp meter was in the negative, even when I was running full throttle. Later in the day, it started perfectly once, then failed to turn the engine over the next time. My question is, should a Golden Meteor be able to charge my battery when running, or should I be manually charging my battery every time I bring the boat home from the lake? I have run it most weekends since I bought it in late July and never had this problem. Did it only last this long because the battery was new or do I have an electrical problem that is keeping the engine from charging the battery?

Thanks,
Newbie Vintage Boater

if you have a meter you can check the voltage while it is running. Check the voltage before you start it. if it is charging the meter should read more than that when it is running. check at greater than idle speed. if it is less then it is not charging. could be rectifier died on you recently to explain recent change.

I think he answered the question regarding if it's charging or not; Dead battery & ammeter showing a discharge.

Does your motor have a belt driving a generator or not? No generator & you will need to charge the battery periodically. Electric shift engines came with a generator standard, but truthfully, I don't know which model yours is.

It is not charging. But. still in question is if it is because of charging system or bad connections or bad battery. bad battery is not as likely since he replaced it. still could be bad battery.

Rectifier sounds like a strong suspect. I will test that tonight. Thanks!