Yes there is a wire connecting the 2 negative terminals.
The gps and radio worked when we switched to the other battery. We didn't try any other elctronics.
The batteries we took out last fall tested bad. We replaced one with a new one to enable us to do testing and set-up new electronics over the winter. That battery died within one month. We replaced this battery with another. Same brand and same model. This replacement is the one giving us an issue.
My Dad was out with me when we had the issue described at the beginning of this thread. He said the good battery (the one not showing low voltage) would go up to 14 volts when RPM's increased. We are wondering if the manufacturer had a bad run of batteries and we just happen to get 2 duds. If so, great quality control!
I hope this makes sense. Tough to type when a 4 and 2 year old won't let you think clearly for 30 seconds! :bang