On board charger ?

[Seabass81]

I have a guest 2 bank charger on the Nitro . My current set up has me running 2 battery's . One is for the TM and the other for cranking and accesories .

I have upgraded my TM to a 24v system so I now have 3 battery's to contend with . Should I get a 3 bank charger or rely on my motor to recharge the cranking battery and let the guest charge to 2 deep cycles ?

John

[lifeisfun]

There is not much reason to charge the cranking battery unless you go fishing only couple times a year. ( In winter time you can condition the cranking battery swapping the charger once a month or so)

[Seabass81]

Its more so that my cd player,oxygenator, 2x fishfinders are always on. I really dont want to be stuck on the water.


John

[lifeisfun]

Well, in that case you'll be better get 3 bank charger
If I'm drifting I can switch all my accessories to deep cycle battery
but to do that to existing set up it would be easier to get new charger.
BTW when you get home how long it takes before the on board switches from charging to maintenance on the starting battery ?

[Claudio]

I have a guest 2 bank charger on the Nitro . My current set up has me running 2 battery's . One is for the TM and the other for cranking and accesories .

I have upgraded my TM to a 24v system so I now have 3 battery's to contend with . Should I get a 3 bank charger or rely on my motor to recharge the cranking battery and let the guest charge to 2 deep cycles ?

John

John,

I have the same set up in my Triton with a 2 bank charger connected to the two deep cycles. I was under the impression that the engine's (Mercury Optimax) alternator would sufficiently charge the cranking battery, so I never charged it using a battery charger. The battery didn't last 3 seasons, and almost left me stranded.

The dealer informed me that unless you are regularly make really long runs with the main engine turning mid to high rpm's, the alternator does not provide a sufficient charge compared to a "trickle charge" that a charger would. He suggested to use a battery charger to regularly charge the cranking battery.

I chose to keep my 2 bank charger since it always worked well, and simply use a separate charger I already had. I have never had a problem since, the cranking battery will be heading into it's fifth season.

If you can afford a three bank charger, I would suggest getting it, or simply do what I'm doing.

I'm no expert but, that was my experience.

Claudio

[Wallyboss]

John what I do for my cranking battery is I give it a good charge at the start of the season, and then after every 3 times out I just put a regular charger on it overnight. I don't think that you should buy a new charger use your 2 bank charger for your Deep Cycles.

[Spence Scout]

Claudio nailed it bang on! You've got a bass boat they run fast but no necessarily long! Therefore they wont always get a good enough charge form your alternator! This in some situations could leave u stranded or relying on your trolling motor. Its happened to a few times. Especially when you got many accessories running off the cranking battery. Get a 3 bank Minnkota's version has mail in rebates right now! For a 3 bank its a $30 mail in rebate! I think it retails for just over $200.. It be one of the best thigns you've ever bought!

[toobinator]

With the amount of electronics we now rum off of our cranking battery it is wise to recharge it after each day out on the water. When the bite is on you don't run a lot and the cranking battery never gets the chance to top up from the alternator. I also carry a set of booster cables long enough to reach from my trolling motor batteries to my cranking battery. This has saved my bacon more than once as well as gotten guys on the water going again.

Ed

ps: I agree with Spence and I have those chargers in stock at Paddletales.

ed

[Seabass81]

Well I guess my mind is made up...Now to purchase some new battery's and away we go.

[bardern]

With the amount of electronics we now rum off of our cranking battery it is wise to recharge it after each day out on the water. When the bite is on you don't run a lot and the cranking battery never gets the chance to top up from the alternator. I also carry a set of booster cables long enough to reach from my trolling motor batteries to my cranking battery. This has saved my bacon more than once as well as gotten guys on the water going again.

Ed

ps: I agree with Spence and I have those chargers in stock at Paddletales.

ed

Ed if the cranking battery is continually being run down do you think a deep cycle would be in order for the cranking battery as well? Dumb question about boosting from the troller batteries. If you are running 24 or 36 volts what is the voltage going to the big motor? If all batteries are in series do you get full voltage even if you are boosting from one battery?

[lifeisfun]

No, you shouldn't use deep cycle battery as a starting battery.
They also sell combined batteries that can be used for starting and can handle deeper discharge than regular starting battery. (I don't have experience using those)
If you need boost you have to boost it from 12V supply (1 x 12V battery or several 12V parallel NOT in series)

[toobinator]

I have boosted from a battery that was hooked up in series, but since you are drawing from only 1 battery, you are only getting 12 volts. There are batteries out there that are dual purpose. Go to a place that knows batteries ie Total Battery or Orleans Boat World (ask for Lorne) and get their advice as to what you need. The more eltronics you run, the more important this is. Keep in mind, if you are running a gps unit with a large screen, they draw a lot more power as well.

Ed

[Wallyboss]

Ed is right. if you hook up to Pos. and Neg. from the same battery even if they are hooked up in series you will get 12V. You get 36 volt if you go from pos. of first batt. to neg. of 3rd battery

[lifeisfun]

That's right the only problem is that the battery will be discharged
at different rate than the others and that can cause premature charging problems or even failure.

[bardern]

I see said the blind man. I wasn't sure if you got a "back" fed from the other batteries. would hate to fry a computer.