Battery charging

[gjm]

I'm thinking of tying my cranking battery and trolling motor battery together for recharging. I will run the negitive to both batteries uninterupted and have a branch come out a predrilled hole, sleaved and protected. Then on the positive line, I will install two switches, one to the front trolling motor battery and one to the cranking battery. Then again having a branch line come out a predrilled, sleaved and protected hole to a spot that I can easily reach to hook up the battery charger. I can close the switch to charge the trolling motor battery or open that switch and close the cranking battery switch to charge that one. I guess I should say I'm a paraplegic and I am trying to make charging easier, since climbing in and out of the boat is quite a chore. I would have the neg. and pos. come out at a spot yet to be determined. Of course covered and protected. What gauge wire would be the best? Any better ideas or methods will be greatly appreciated. Thanks 1989 Blue Fin Spectrum 17'6" 1989 89hp force

 

[bgbass.1]

Re: Battery charging

If I were you I would buy a on board 2 bank charger and run wires to both batteries and mount plug in convenent location then just plug in when you return each time and leave it till ready to use again. It will charge as will as maintain and condition your batteries and you dont need the extra switches or any of that stuff. I charge my cranking batt. as well as my 3 trolling batts this way works great.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Battery charging

Or an ACR, combiner, isolator, or simple Perko (OFF-BAT 1-BOTH-BAT 2) battery switch. And I would also add the dual output on-board charger. If you are unfamiliar with them, a dual output charger is simply two totally independent chargers in a single housing. Each output connects to a battery. At the dock you simply plug into AC. The chargers are smart in that they can be left on indefinitely without boiling the batteries. They will always be topped off and ready to go. If your boating is such that you rarely draw down the auxiliary battery, I'd forget the switch and just install the on-board charger as you really don't have the need to charge anything other than the start battery under way.

 

[gjm]

Re: Battery charging

I looked at the chargers and they cost alot. What would be the least expensive, work the best and easiest to install?