In board battery charger

[jiggin9]

I just bought a Minnkota in-board battery charger for my Lund 1700 Pro Sport. I got the two battery charger version to charge my starting and deep cycle. The literature with it doesn't tell you if it will charge both type of batteries. I believe it should charge both. Does anyone have any advice as to where to mount it or if this is even a good unit to put in the boat? Any comments would be appreciated.

[BoxMN]

You can charge both no problem. Mount it so it has air around it and above it. The directions should give you clearances. We put ours (console boat) just to the left of where the drivers feet go, under console. That leaves air all around it.

I recommend also a place where you can see the lights fairly easily either from a dock or from looking at the charger when in your garage, just so you can monitor it fairly easily.

You will love it, best thing a person can to his boat is put in on board charger. Good luck.

[Meat-Run]

BoxMN is right, make sure to mount it so you can see it while in the garage, dock or just plain sight. When I got my boat I had the on board charger for my two batteries and I got seven years out of them because of good charging maintenance, it's a great investment for you and your boat.

One tip though once you get it installed make sure to check and see if it get hot to touch if so it may need more room or better air flow to keep it cool and make sure to check the batterys often for the same reason.

mr

[Esox_Magnum]

Mines laying on the floor in my battery compartment, easy to see if you lift the door, I just leave it propped open when charging. Someday I'll get around to mounting it someplace, maybe when I upgrade to a 3 bank.

[CRFan1]

Mine is mounted vertically in the forward battery compartments between the two trolling motor batteries so I have to open a hatch to see it. I wouldn't go without an on board charger. I have a Guest unit and it is waterproof and this last week I needed it! I was at the Chippewa Flowage for a week and the first night there we had 6.5" of rain in one HECK of a bad storm. That next morning my boat had at least 100 gallons of water in it to the point where the front batteries were an inch from being submerged! The battery charger (which was plugged in and I forgot to unplug it) was halfway submereged and still working like a champ!

Thank god the bilge pump worked too, lol!

[pulleye16]

Is your starting and deep cycle battery the same size? Thought I read that a charger for both banks needs to have the same size battery?????(not sure though, maybe someone can explain this)

I've mounted mine also right in the battery compartment. It's tight and close to the batteries but I keep my hatch open when charging to get good air flow. I have two onbaord chargers and two different sized batteries (bought at different time). LOVE the on board chargers!

[marine_man]

I'm not aware of any requirement for a on board charger to be hooked to the same size batteries..

marine_man

[Ralph Wiggum]

I've got one bank hooked to a 31 series deep cycle and the other to a 24 series cranking battery--no probs.

[PerchJerker]

Thought I read that a charger for both banks needs to have the same size battery?????(not sure though, maybe someone can explain this)

You shouldn't need to have the same size batteries. A good on-board charger will monitor and maintain each battery independently, so even if you have different size batteries, or different condition batteries, a good on-board charger wil keep them charged and ready to go.

[jiggin9]

Thanks for the replies everyone. $100 is well worth it to not have to take out the batteries every time to charge.