Looking to add Battery Maintainer/Charger

[CheaperThanKids]

Hi Everybody,
I'm looking to add an onboard battery charger or maintainer. Something that will recharge the batter and give us power when we are docked. Our toon is not currently set up for Shore power, so I'd like to install soemthing where we can plug in at night at our dock and make sure we don't kill the batterys.

Last year I added a 2nd battery and switch so we'd have 2 batteries, but at times, we showed up to find one dead or almost out of power. Long story short is I now own 4 batteries, mostly from being pissed and going to buy another so we could get out on the water, rather than taking 2 of them home to charge and wasting a day.

Any suggestions on a good place to find an onboard charger/maintainer? I've looked at OVerton's but want to be sure I get the right thing.

[lakerunner]

I have this one


http://search.overtons.com/?D=battery+m ... aintainers


Be sure and keep an eye on battery fluid. Mine overcharged and all the fluid evaporated

[bruuuuce]

I have a guest charger in the current boat, but used a minn kota from walmart with good results on a previous boat.

[CheaperThanKids]

Thanks Lake,
Do you think that is better than an onboard battery charger?

Did you plug it in all of the time while you were docked? I'd probably keep it on while we were there on the weekend, but not while we are gone during the week.

[lakerunner]

Thanks Lake,
Do you think that is better than an onboard battery charger?

Did you plug it in all of the time while you were docked? I'd probably keep it on while we were there on the weekend, but not while we are gone during the week.

I have the one that doesn't have the clips, I used a flush mounted plug with power wire connected to maintainer. I keep mine plugged in all times the boat was at the house.

I think mine was damages when we got a lightening strike which also killed my charging system on old motor

[bruuuuce]

If you don't leave it plugged in while your gone, your still going to get there and have dead batteries which is why you have 4 now?

The chargers I suggested have the technology to charge and then maintain while your gone, I would leave the batteries so they could vent (not enclosed). I leave my bass boat and pontoon hookedup all the time so I am ready where ever the mood hits.

[jafo9]

there is a difference between a charger and a device designed to give "shore power" as an inverter. most of the cheaper designs, like the bass pro dual bank charger i use, aren't designed to also provide power when docked (like with a cabin cruiser). they (the cheaper ones) will charge the battery and maintain it with a trickle charge. i went a step further and added a second battery, a switch and a charge regulator to automate the process. it was a real hassle, but hopefully we'll really enjoy it this summer.

[jepperson]

I'm thinking about going with this one.....

http://www.islandmarineelectronics.com/ ... _1650.html

Any thoughts?

[Parasympathetic]

That's a combiner and a 2 bank charger combined together.

The combiner part let's your starter battery charge first while the engine is running, then when starter battery if fully charged, it switches and charges the other batteries. And goes back and forth as needed while isolating the starter battery so that if the other batteries were drained from trolling motor or whatever, it won't let the starter get drained also. It isolates the batteries but charges both sides IF your engine runs long enough. Most outboard engines have small output alternators so it takes a while to recharge the starter battery after start up. So, if you run 5 minutes out to your favorite fishing hole and 5 minutes back, it will probably never have time to switch over.

As to the 110v charger part, it doesn't give much info like whether it goes to trickle or maintenance mode after charging ( It probably does). Also, it's max charge is 8 amps split between two banks which is 4 amps for each bank. Not much for a fast recharge but would be fine for overnight charging. And it doesn't say if it comes with a flush mount like LR was talking about. I would go to the manufacturer's web site and download the directions/spec sheet.

[jepperson]

I went ahead and went with the 20 amp version....little more, but I thnk it will be worth it.....

[WaltF]

20 amp's good...
They say, whoever they are, that 20 amp is the most you should try and pump into a single deep cycle battery.
A starting battery you can hammer in much more...
Marine? Prob somewhere in the middle since its design is a little bit of both starting/deep cycle.

One cool thing about the I/O is i have a 65 amp alternator on my toon!

We dont have power at our slip, plus we're on the thing about every weekend, so it hasnt let us down yet. But i do bring one of those 12 volt jump starter boxes along, but thats mostly incase i kill the battery from jamming the tunes all day in the cove...

I maintain the battery during the winter by keeping it in the garage and hooking up a 40/20/10/4 3-stage smart charger to it once a month.

This one, to be exact. Black & Decker VEC1093DBD

Works great... smart enough to figure everything out.. hit GO and it does its thing...
It also has Recondition and DeSalfate features.
It can also do Wet, Gel , or AGM batteries.

Its what i use to take care of my duel 6 volt deep cycle batteries for my camper as well.
Bout $95 at WallyWorld..

[CheaperThanKids]

Thanks Guys. I went with a Speed Charger from Walmart. Only $30 and has clamps so I can switch it to whichever battery needs it. Has a gauge on front to tell you what it is doing and what % the battery is at. Has options for 2amp 4amp and 8amp charging and 12 or 24v. I've been using it the last 2 days in the garage to get the batteries ready, seems to be working well.

I'm in the process now of getting a shorepower to 110v adapter so I can run the rope lights, charger, etc while we are docked.