On board chargers

[Matt C]

Im set on picking one up this week, any yays or nays? I will need a 3 bank...24v for trolling motor and then the cranking battery.

Id like to keep it under $250 or so. Overnight charge time is fine for me, I dont need to fire them up in 2 hours...

I have my eyes on a promite 5/5/3..on sale at cab...

Will I be disappointed to go with that little of amp/bank charging?

Thanks!

[bassNspear]

get one, there worth it. When you going to get it

[Schloogs]

I run the same setup and have had no complaints yet. Works great. Plug it in and forget about it.

[Musky_Madness]

You'll never regret it! Plus it is better in the long run for your batteries

[Minnesota Fats]

I love mine, never think about my batteries anymore

[bassNspear]

thats correct, fact is you get so confortable with it, that if you didnt have it, you wouldnt know what to do. Good Luck

[steffanf]

I don't think I understand their great usefullness yet. Maybe I'm not sure what they do yet. The alternator keeps the starting battery charged. The trolling motor battery can be charged with a typical plug-in charger at home. Doesn't an on-board charger still have to be plugged in to charge the batteries later on? The only real convienience I see is that the charger is always with the boat and connected to the battery. Just plug it in when you get home. Am I missing something?

-Gregg B.

[davesfriend]

Nope, that's it. Just plug it in. I love mine, I don't need to drag out my charge, try to set it up right connect it and hope it doesn't rain. I just run my all weather cord out grab the plug, hook it up and that's it!!

[marine_man]

 Originally Posted By: steffanf

The only real convienience I see is that the charger is always with the boat and connected to the battery.

That is the convenience - you don't have to crawl in the boat and connect the clamps like a regular battery charger, and they typically come in multiple bank setups, so if you have 2 trolling motor batteries, and they're not connected in parallel you're able to charge both batteries at the same time. And, if you spring for the extra bank, you can have peace of mind knowing your starting battery is also fully charged.

marine_man

[EricD]

The shop rigging my boat tells me that I only need a two bank charger because there's no need to charge the starting battery. The alternator takes care of that. Is it a good idea to get a three bank charger instead?

[marine_man]

Depends on how many accessories you run and what your typical fishing style is - a lot of run and gun, or do you tend to sit quite a bit, run the locators the whole time and listen to the radio?

I would prefer to have the extra bank if I could afford it - it's mostly for peace of mind, but for the limited number of times a guy gets out on the water it would sure stink to have a dead battery when you could have avoided it with an extra bank.

Is it a requirement? No. Would it be nice? yes.

marine_man

[Matt C]

Thanks for the incite guys. I will be getting the 3 bank for sure. I don't always run and gun, and running all the accessories, GPS, 2 graphs, radio, etc, it will be nice to have that piece of mind knowing my starting battery is up to par as well. Even though my motor puts out at least 30amps I believe.

Of course more power is always better......but do you think a 5/5/3 will be good enough?

[Sandmannd]

Mine came with the boat and I love it. No more taking the batteries out or carrying the charger out to the boat. Plug it in when I get home and it's charged and ready to go the next time out.

[PerchJerker]

The first on-board charger I had was a 2-bank and it didn't take long to replace it with a 3-bank so I could get the starting battery too. With modern DFI motors and 4-strokes and their computerized systems, you want a fully charged battery for them. Accessories like radios, lights, pumps, and electronics at night with the screen lights on can draw down a battery quicker than you think, especially once that battery starts to get weak. With the pricey and sensitive electronics (depthfinders and the outboard computers) that run off the starting battery, I don't like worrying about having an under-charged battery there.

The convenience factor is huge, tuck you batteries away and connect the charger and you're set, all you need to do is plug in an electrical cord. No need to have easy access to the batteries. Plug them in and forget them, the chargers are automatic and keep the batteries topped of nicely. When I'm in my boat in my garage I might turn on the radio or the CD player, and know that the charger will top off the battery as needed.

I think a 5/5/3 is small if you're going to use your boat on back-to-back days. For example, use it all day one day, plug it in over night, and you might not be fully charged the next morning. It depends on how much you run your batteries down of course, if you aren't running them close to empty, or aren't using your boat on back-to-back days, you would be fine.

My first 3 bank charger was a 5/5/3 and it worked great, but now I have a 10/10/10.

[NELS-BELLS]

 Originally Posted By: marine_man

so if you have 2 trolling motor batteries, and they're not connected in parallel you're able to charge both batteries at the same time.

marine_man

I bought my boat used and it came with a single bank charger for the bow mount battery (12 volt trolling motor). I want to get another battery and run it parallel for those all day trips. Do I need a double bank for each battery or will my single bank charge both?

Nels

[RiverBassGuy]

EricD,

I let the alternator do the work for the starter and I've never had any problems. I have 2 trolling motor batteries up front with a Promariner 12 2 bank charger. It works fantastic. It can be left on for LONG periods of time without any worry of overcharging or damaging my batteries. It easily charges both my batteries overnight. I hope this helps!

[marine_man]

Well, I should have probably clairified my post. It depends on where the parallel connection is.

If your parallel connection is made at the trolling motor plug (like it is on some pre-wired systems) then you'll need two banks.

If the connection is made at the trolling motor batteries, then one bank will be sufficient, but will take a little longer to charge both batteries.

marine_man

[EricD]

Thanks. I'll compare costs too. It all comes down to that anyway.

[Matt C]

Thanks for the responses. Picked up and installed a Guest today

Boats plugged in and will be ready for the lake tomorrow!

[davesfriend]

I have only a 2 bank charger, but it charges my 24v system plus my 12v starting batt. I am not sure if it is a special charger but it really seams to charge all three batts. very nicely!

[Spazzums08]

Where do you guys install your chargers? Do you just run the wires to the batteries, then add the trolling motor wires/motor wires over them, then put the wing nuts on? What about the stray wires all over the boat while you're fishing?

[Sandmannd]

Actually, all my batteries (one starting; two trolling) are in the back of my boat. Charger is in there with them.

[marine_man]

 Originally Posted By: Spazzums08

Where do you guys install your chargers?

Wherever you have space for the charger. Preferably where the majority of your batteries are, or nearest to your batteries to make connecting it and your cables as short as possible. Then, run your wires to the remaining battery.

 Originally Posted By: Spazzums08

Do you just run the wires to the batteries, then add the trolling motor wires/motor wires over them, then put the wing nuts on?

Yes, add the charging wires in any order you like on the battery post.

 Originally Posted By: Spazzums08

What about the stray wires all over the boat while you're fishing?

I would run the wires through compartments, etc instead of stray wires laying in the boat.

marine_man