battery charger?

[LoudDog]

I've got a 14ft alum fishing boat. I've aquired a 44lb minn kota to use as a back up and aux motor and I'm trying to figure out what I need. I know I need a deep cycle battery, but is there any special battery charger I need?

I plan to pull the battery out of the boat and charge it in my garage. Will a standard automotive charger do the job or does a deep cycle battery need a different charger?

Thanks!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: battery charger?

most newer chargers have several setting for the different batterys. after use recharge the battery, within a day, then top it off again before use. it will last a lot longer doing this. also do not leave it sitting on concrete.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: battery charger?

The concrete thing is a old wives tale. Even the guys on " Car Talk" have covered this one.

 

[azlakes]

Re: battery charger?

... the concrete around here gets to about 135+, I place mine on a fat mat. I've had pretty good luck with the DieHard 10/2/50 battery charger.

 

[buhuskies]

Re: battery charger?

I went with this set up on my boat. I have one battery in the bow and one in the stern and got tired of charging one at a time and hooking up the charger etc.

I got a two bank Battery Tender that slow charges and will not ever cook a battery. It comes with quick disconnect leads you wire to your battery and that allows a quick plug and play. Best of all, you can leave this type of charger on all winter long (as I am) and not worry about battery damage. The 1.25 amp battery chargers designed to fully charge a battery and maintain it at proper storage voltage without the damaging effects caused by trickle chargers.

2 independent charging stations.
12 volts @ 1.25 amps per station.
Extremely lightweight! Less than 3 lbs!
Operates anywhere in the world! 100-240 VAC 50/60 Hz.
25 ft leads available (NOT INCLUDED).
Microprocessor controlled constant current charging!
Reverse Polarity Protected.
Spark Proof.
Perfect for all AGM (absorbed glass mat), sealed maintenance free and flooded batteries
Complies with US and international safety standards (UL/CE).
2 year warranty!

 

[buhuskies]

Re: battery charger?

most newer chargers have several setting for the different batterys. after use recharge the battery, within a day, then top it off again before use. it will last a lot longer doing this.

This is also excellent accurate advice. You will prolong your batterys life by immedietely rechargng it after use and keeping it charged by checking it or topping it off before you use it again. I myself prefer a very slow charge and that too is better then a fast "higher rate" charge. Even when I use a conventional charger with multiple settings, I use the lowest 2 amp setting and my newest charger will charge at 1.25 amps only. Sure that takes longer but within a day or overnight even, the batteries are good to go. Think about it, you discharge them slowly and you should recharge them slowly too.

Also another benfit is you can purchase a slow charging low amperage charger very inexpensively too. Be careful to look for one designed to fully charge a battery and maintain it at proper storage voltage without the damaging effects caused by trickle chargers. This type has more electronic control then just a cheapo trickle charger that doesn't know when to say "when".

 

[Boatist]

Re: battery charger?

Recharge your battery as soon as you can. Do not leave it discharged even over night if you want it to last a long time. When you buy a charger get a Automatic Smart Charger. I suggest for a trolling motor battery at least 10 amps. Even then if you fish all day and charge all night it will not be fully charged for the next day. Automatic or Smart chargers will not over charge like a trickle charger will.

Even a 20 amp Automatic or Smart charger will not hurt your battery. The longer you leave it discharged the more damage is done. Even with a 20 amp automatic charger in short time the charge will begin to taper down. When fully charged it will taper to zero amps and just mainain your battery.

I never remove my batteries form the boat for charging. On the water they are both charged with a 65 amp alternator thru a battery isolator. When I get home I hook up my 15 amp automatic battery charger and again charge both batteries thru the same battery isolator.

To make it simple I installed a plug on the bow of the boat right below the bow light to plug the battery charger into. I removed the normal battery leads from the battery charger and ran them to a plug. Then I made a plug to go from the battery charger plug to the boat plug. Took the normal battery charger wires and put a plug on them so can use to charge Car and Truck.

When I get home from a trip the first thing I do is Plug in the Battery charger then unload the gear an electronics from the boat. After that clean the fish, then cover the boat. Last step is check the battery charger and if it is less than one half amp unplug and put away unless do not expect to use the boat for a long time like at the end of the season.

Another thing I did was run a 12 Volt Power wire back to the trailer thru my 7 wire trailer plug. The trailer also has plug so I can hook up my charger cable to from the trailer to the boat and charge while going down the road.

I went to all the trouble to make it ease to charge the batteries at home or on the road or camping.

Now in the middle of winter when should charge the batteries I do not have to take the cover off or clime in the boat at all. Just plug in the battery charger and turn it on until battery fully charged.

I never had a battery that did not last 6 years and my current deep cycle I got back when Cosco was called Price Club and they sold Delco Voyager Deep Cyle Batteries.