Galstron IO
Recruit
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2006
- Messages
- 1
I need some advice. I store my boat in a barn without utilities and I need to figure out how to recharge trolling batteries. I have a Honda 2000 watt generator so I could install an onboard charger or buy a good smart charger and use the genset/charger to recharge the trolling batteries between trips. I was hoping to charge the deep cycle trolling batteries using the built-in alternator on the main engine - the boat's a Glastron ski/fish with a 135 hp Volvo penta, so I do a combination of skiing/cruising and fishing.
I've read through a bunch of posts and I think this is what I've learned about my situation: I could use an isolator or a combiner and a switch so the alternator charges the cranking battery and one or more deep cycle trolling batteries. However, that might be hard on the alternator, the setup might charge the deep cycle batteries before the cranking battery since they'd usually be more depleted (I think this is the case even if I use an isolator or combiner - please help me out on this issue). Also, I'd have to do a lot of skiing after, say, a 2 hour trolling trip at 40 amps (it's a 55ft-lb motor that will draw roughly 55 amp-hrs at full thrust) to recharge the deep cycle batteries fully, and so they might never fully recharge.
I have a solar array on my trailer 500 ft from the barn - it puts out max. 8 amps. I use it to keep the trailer's deep cycle batt.s charged. I could install knife switches in that setup and recharge the trolling batteries, but I'd have to remove them from the boat or leave it out each time, and it would take days to recover from each fishing trip.
I suppose I could haul the trolling batteries home after each trip and put them on a smart charger at home, where I do have AC. It's a 45 mile trip and the batteries are heavy.
So...is my best bet to:
A) run a smart charger off the genset at the barn, hooked directly to the trolling batteries
B) install an onboard charger in the boat and plug that into the genset after every trip
C) install a switch and an isolator
D) install a switch and a combiner
E) use the solar panel at the trailer
F) haul the trolling batteries home and smart charge them there after every trip
Finally, any advice on a good AC smart charger? How about a good onboard charger?
Thanks very much!
I've read through a bunch of posts and I think this is what I've learned about my situation: I could use an isolator or a combiner and a switch so the alternator charges the cranking battery and one or more deep cycle trolling batteries. However, that might be hard on the alternator, the setup might charge the deep cycle batteries before the cranking battery since they'd usually be more depleted (I think this is the case even if I use an isolator or combiner - please help me out on this issue). Also, I'd have to do a lot of skiing after, say, a 2 hour trolling trip at 40 amps (it's a 55ft-lb motor that will draw roughly 55 amp-hrs at full thrust) to recharge the deep cycle batteries fully, and so they might never fully recharge.
I have a solar array on my trailer 500 ft from the barn - it puts out max. 8 amps. I use it to keep the trailer's deep cycle batt.s charged. I could install knife switches in that setup and recharge the trolling batteries, but I'd have to remove them from the boat or leave it out each time, and it would take days to recover from each fishing trip.
I suppose I could haul the trolling batteries home after each trip and put them on a smart charger at home, where I do have AC. It's a 45 mile trip and the batteries are heavy.
So...is my best bet to:
A) run a smart charger off the genset at the barn, hooked directly to the trolling batteries
B) install an onboard charger in the boat and plug that into the genset after every trip
C) install a switch and an isolator
D) install a switch and a combiner
E) use the solar panel at the trailer
F) haul the trolling batteries home and smart charge them there after every trip
Finally, any advice on a good AC smart charger? How about a good onboard charger?
Thanks very much!
