Battery Charging Question...

[BassmanIU]

I'm trying to figure out the best charger to buy for my situation. My boat will NOT be stored at my house. Therefore, which battery system (portable vs. onboard) would you recommend and why? I have 2 TM batteries and a deep cranking battery installed. Thanks for the input!

Corey

 

[jims3000]

i would get a battery tender one that cuts on and off automaticly and get a good name brand, beings it wont be at your house you dont want a cheap charger shorting out and burning your boat up.

 

[cutthroat]

Thats a tough one since your boat will not be stored at your house.Where ever you store it you will have to plug it in after use so when will you be able to unplug it after its charged?They say that on most onboard chargers that after its charged it will shut off but I dont trust that!I would suggest a STEALTH charger even though I have never owned one it seems that it charges on the go so you dont have to plug it in after you store it.I think they are on the expensive side but I am sure someone else will chime in.Make sure you constantly check your water in your cells.

 

[BassmanIU]

Do most of you charge your batteries the day you get back from fishing or the night before you go fishing?

 

[cutthroat]

YOU MUST CHARGE THEM IMMEDIATLY WHEN YOU GET BACK FROM YOUR TRIP.THATS A MUST!

 

[Rivermont Jeff]

I have an onboard minn kota charger and plug it up when I get home and leave it until I go back out.

 

[BassmanIU]

cutthroat - 2/15/2007 7:57 PM

YOU MUST CHARGE THEM IMMEDIATLY WHEN YOU GET BACK FROM YOUR TRIP.THATS A MUST!

And then the night before the trip to make sure they're charged?

Also, having 2 trolling motor batteries, would it be wise to get a 2-bank instead of 1 portable unit?

 

[BassmanIU]

Rivermont Jeff - 2/15/2007 7:57 PM

I have an onboard minn kota charger and plug it up when I get home and leave it until I go back out.

That would be great...but I can't leave anything plugged up because I'm storing my boat away from my house.

 

[Rivermont Jeff]

I was at the interstate battery store monday, they told me the more you use and charge your batteries the longer they will last. but to let one sit over 90 days is the worst thing you can do for one. takem home with you and keep them charged.JTODD

 

[BassmanIU]

Rivermont Jeff - 2/15/2007 8:05 PM

I was at the interstate battery store monday, they told me the more you use and charge your batteries the longer they will last. but to let one sit over 90 days is the worst thing you can do for one. takem home with you and keep them charged.JTODD

That's what I may have to do...take them home. Should I only worry about taking the trolling batteries? I read somewhere that the cranking battery only needs charged once a month?

 

[jims3000]

if you cant leave nothing plug up then get a solar powerd charger.

 

[Rivermont Jeff]

My old merc 150 seemed to drain a battery while off but the E-tec I have now does'nt seem to do that. Try it and if you go to fish and it's dead you'll know to charge it as well.emoThumbsup

 

[BassmanIU]

Rivermont Jeff - 2/15/2007 8:16 PM

My old merc 150 seemed to drain a battery while off but the E-tec I have now does'nt seem to do that. Try it and if you go to fish and it's dead you'll know to charge it as well.emoThumbsup

Haha...hopefully I won't have to deal with that

 

[Triton4Bass]

I run a Stealth and i love it. When i get back from fishing i always plug it up, the Stealth charges the batteries while running but when you get home and park the boat for a week or 2 the batteries are naturally going to slowly go down. With the Stealth i just plug it up when i get home and dont worry about unplugging it until i leave to go again, it has and automatic shutoff type deal built in so when it tops the batteries out it will shut off. And definately check your water in those batteries atleast every few months. If you have any more questions just hollar at me, and I may can get you a deal on a Stealth 1 Charger (my dad owns Stealth1).

 

[Guest]

Seems to me if you can't leave anything plugged up then the only choice you have is to bring your batteries home. If you could leave them plugged up the onboard is by far the best way to go. I leave mine plugged up for extended periods of time. That is what the instructions said to do that came with my charger. When the battery gets charged mine will not shut off but it wll go into a maintenance mode that just gives the battery what it needs when it needs it.
Most onboards are this way.

Cheez

 

[BassmanIU]

Thanks for all of the replies and help. My best bet is probably going to be to just bring the batteries home with me. We are planning on buying a house this summer and then I will be able to purchase an onboard charger. Until then, I'll just have to deal with lugging the batteries around.

 

[shocker]

Hey BIU make sure not to leave them setting on concrete, place a wood board under them, I've heard that the concrete is bad for battery storage even for a short while. Just an extra tid-bit of information.

 

[SNUFFY]

I`ve heard that about concrete being hard on batteries.....not sure why......I do know it can leave a mark on your concrete that won`t come upemoBang

 

[Davo]

I have used several, Pro Mariner Plus is a good one too. The trickle charge is the way to go, just plug it when you get home and unplug it when you are ready to hit the lake. I never take it off when the boat is at home.

 

[SNUFFY]

I have the DualPro 2 bank and it is 13 years old and has never given a bit of trouble...and it has the maintenance technology to leave it plugged in all the time...........but I just can`t leave it plugged in and it in the garage and leave home .
I can just imagine coming home to my house reduced to ashes....cause I didn`t want to fool with unhooking the plug. Even though it`s been trouble free...just knowing that it`s sitting less than 1 foot from 34 gallons of gas and has a pretty good volume of electricity in the charger... I just can`t do it. Good insurance, electric breakers and all that just ain`t that much comfort to me.
So I plug it in when I get home from fishin` and plug it in the night before the next trip or every couple of weeks if not used.
I just feel better knowing the most likely thing to cause a fire in my home when no is there, is unplugged...but that`s just me.