Charging batteries?

[slick2526]

I have no experience with onboard/bank battery chargers. I have found about 6 different ones in the price range I am looking at. I would like a dual bank charger in the $150.00 range.

The way I understand is once your starter battery for your boat is fully charged then it will switch over and charge your trolling motor battery/batteries? Also you can plug the charger into a outside battery power source when the boat is landed correct? How hard is it to switch out batteries when using this type of charging system? If you have a three battery system one for your starter of your boat, and a 24v bow mount trolling motor. will a dual bank charger still work? You could just connect the two trolling motor batteries together in the front correct?

Would I be better off just buying a portable battery charger? For the price range I am looking in what brand is the best? Looking for any information. This will be the first actual fishing boat I have owned and I just want to to set it up right the first time.

thanks

[Craigums]

Im still new at this too, but I think you might want a 3-bank charger. That way when you plug the charger in it will charge your 2 Trolling motor batteries and your cranking battery.

Otherwise if you go with the 2-bank charger for just your TM batteries you'll probably need a portable charger to top off your cranking battery from time to time

[EBass]

I have a dual bank for my 2 trolling motor batteries and napa charger for my electionics/lights battery. (I have a pull start tiller - no starter battery, unless my arm counts?)

[Chris Barlage]

I have no experience with onboard/bank battery chargers. I have found about 6 different ones in the price range I am looking at. I would like a dual bank charger in the $150.00 range.

The way I understand is once your starter battery for your boat is fully charged then it will switch over and charge your trolling motor battery/batteries? Also you can plug the charger into a outside battery power source when the boat is landed correct? How hard is it to switch out batteries when using this type of charging system? If you have a three battery system one for your starter of your boat, and a 24v bow mount trolling motor. will a dual bank charger still work? You could just connect the two trolling motor batteries together in the front correct?

Would I be better off just buying a portable battery charger? For the price range I am looking in what brand is the best? Looking for any information. This will be the first actual fishing boat I have owned and I just want to to set it up right the first time.

thanks

I remember that when I bought mine that it did say something about moving more amps to charge one battery then even out after 80% charged. I know that it does say that if I am connecting to one battery or a starting battery and a trolling battery that bank one should be the single/cranking battery.

As far as a dual bank in a 24v trolling situation yes you can just plug it in when landed and let it go until you go out fishing next time as the charger will condition the batteries and keep them fresh. It is not hard to change batteries at all with an on board, it has terminals similar to your trolling motor so you would just have to take them off just like your trolling motor to swap batteries. Just don't wire it in 24v. Wire it in 2 12v. I have the cabelas brand onboard. I like it. I got the 12 amp model. For my starting battery I just use a portable charger to top it off. If I were you I would at least get an onboard for the trolling motor batteries, less hassle when you are done for the day, just plug and forget it.

[delcecchi]

A typical multibank charger is connected with a bank to each battery you want to charge (with the exception if you have two in parallel for more capacity). The batteries are charged independently. Some chargers have a total current that is routed to whichever battery needs it, while others have more independent banks.

For years I only had the charger connected to the trolling motor batteries. The alternator in the outboard kept the starting battery charged. Finally I got around to hooking up the third bank to the starting battery. Doesn't seem to change much but it is more convenient if the boat has been sitting too long.

[slick2526]

thanks for the info guys. I talked to a guy at batteries plus a little bit a he explained it pretty well to me. better off having a charger for each battery. I decided to go with a one portable charger instead of on board for now.

[delcecchi]

I went with three bank onboard when I bought my boat and never once regretted it. Sure is nice to just plug the boat in at night and no fooling around.

The Batteries plus guy was blowing smoke up (someplace). Probably they don't sell onboard chargers....

[Kyhl]

Either smoke or they don't understand multibank chargers. A multibank charger is multiple battery chargers in one box.

A few are complete multiple chargers in one but most are a charger that directs the available charging power to multiple batteries at the same time.

[Esox_Magnum]

I would never go back to a portable charger, I have a 2 bank on my trolling batteries and a single on my cranking battery, just pull in the yard, plug it in and forget it untill tomarrow when I go again and all my batteries are charged without having to go out and check on the charger and swap it around during the night when I fish almost daily....

[Kyhl]

I agree. It is super convenient. Back it into the garage and plug it in. Forget about it until it is time to unplug it before you roll out of the garage.

Also great when you are parked at the dock. One extention cord into one socket charges all the batteries at once. You aren't fumbling with multiple cords or swapping the charger over multiple batteries.

[leechlake]

looks like he found a solution but for anyone else just reading this I would suggest that in the Fall when you put your boat to bed the following:

When I take the terminals off of both of my trolling motor batteries I carefully duct tape and then label the terminals as they come off each post. There is at least three from each post. One year I didn't and I'm not handy in this department and ended up with a cluster when I re-wired and had to bring it in for them to sort it out. It made it harder for me because there were also wires available for a third battery and the way it was sitting under the rod lockers it was hard to get in there. Just my tip from my bad experience. Tape and Label.

[Kyhl]

What he said. Tape, label, and I'll add photograph. I take a snapshot on my camera before disassembling. Very helpful in the spring to have both taped instructions and a picture to view.

[ClownColor]

diddo on the labeling. I actually labeled all the wires in my boat one day with a label maker I "borrowed" from work.

[Esox_Magnum]

Mines also labled from the factory but mine stays plugged in all winter....

[slick2526]

for right now the portable battery charger will do me fine. I will only be running two batteries at the moment and plus I dont have a good portable charger. I don't believe they guy fully understood how a multi-bank battery charger worked also. When I upgrade to a 24 volt bow mount trolling motor and have a transom mount trolling motor I will buy a good multi-bank.