Choosing the right on board marine battery charger....

[bullsnot]

Ok so I get that I am likely way over thinking this, as I usually do, but as I mentioned in another thread I will be adding 120v capability to my boat and as part of that project I will be adding an on board battery charger.

I currently have an 88 Bayliner Ciera 2450 with 2 batteries on board and the Perko battery switch. To me it seems simple enough to get a 2 bank battery charger in any one of the popular brands that all seem to have the same basic funcionality such as a ProMariner or Guest. I'm thinking anything from 5 to 20 amps per bank should work, it's just all about how fast you want to charge right? They all basically are all float chargers right? Any other considerations?

Ideally I'd just like to plug that boat in when I'm not using it at the house for long periods or time, or a day or two before a trip, and then "set it and forget it" over the winter.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Don S]

Re: Choosing the right on board marine battery charger....

You need a 2 bank battery charger. One that is commonly called a smart charger that will not overcharge your batteries, but will idle back to maintain the charge when the batteries are fully charged.

 

[bullsnot]

Re: Choosing the right on board marine battery charger....

Thanks Don. That confirms what I was thinking, I am over thinking it. I think I am a victim of too many options and getting the deer in the headlights look going. I went to buy a charger and there are so many options that it was overwhelming. I do have the smart charging capbility and 2 bank option on the list but where I get stuck is all of the other many options marketed with these chargers.

For example is there any real difference between a ProSport and a ProMite (both made by ProMariner) other than the # of banks and amperages listed for each model?

 

[sccatfish]

Re: Choosing the right on board marine battery charger....

Thanks Don. That confirms what I was thinking, I am over thinking it. I think I am a victim of too many options and getting the deer in the headlights look going. I went to buy a charger and there are so many options that it was overwhelming. I do have the smart charging capbility and 2 bank option on the list but where I get stuck is all of the other many options marketed with these chargers.

For example is there any real difference between a ProSport and a ProMite (both made by ProMariner) other than the # of banks and amperages listed for each model?

Look at the manufacturers' website. They probably have all of the features detailed and may have comparison charts to show difference among their chargers. If nothing else you can download the owner's manuals and read up on each charger.

 

[bullsnot]

Re: Choosing the right on board marine battery charger....

Thanks sccatfish. I have spent hours doing just what you suggested. One charger has higher visibility LED indicators. Another charger is saltwater tested but both claim to be waterproof. There are other things as well but they seem more like marketing ploys than anything.

When you start looking at different brands and models you can go on and on it seems. I think I will simply look at a well priced charger that has all the minimum options I am looking for and pull the trigger.

I was just wondering if there was anything else I should be looking at.

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: Choosing the right on board marine battery charger....

Our past boat was a Chaparral. I was also looking to replace the charger and found it a bit overwhelming with all the choices. When we went to the boat show, I went to the Chaparral display and picked the guy's brain. He was happy to help me out and showed me different ones that were installed in the display boats. Wrote down the one he suggested and picked it up in the spring.

 

[Don S]

Re: Choosing the right on board marine battery charger....

The only reason for the high amp chargers, and all the fancy meters is for fast charging when the batteries are really low. If all you are going to do is plug the charger in to keep things maintained while the boat is at the dock, then even the small ones will do it. (4 to 8A)
Now if you go out and anchor and use a lot of power for whatever reason, and like to run a small generator to operate the charger to build the batteries back up, then that's a different story, but then you have to watch how much input amperage you need to operate the charger. If your little gas generator will only put out enough power to operate a 20A charger, not much sense in getting a 30 or 40 amp charger.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Choosing the right on board marine battery charger....

There is one feature that although controversial, may interest you. On some multi-bank chargers should one battery get topped off before the other(s) then the bank that is sitting idle can switch to the other bank to "help out". I've read a few articles about how this is accomplished and how the charge rates are adjusted from what are essentially paralleled outputs and the articles seem to indicate this a novel idea, but may not be the best for the battery. Just something to consider. I'm not pushing the feature but I also wouldn't spend extra money for it for the simple reason that if a failure occurs in that circuitry you likely trash both banks. If one bank goes down on a multi-bank charger without that feature you can replace that bank with a single bank charger.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Choosing the right on board marine battery charger....

i have a all singing all dancing 3 bank charger which is great as long as your not in to much or a hurry. even when all 3 chargers switch to the same battery its 15amp max output is still low compaired to most chargers. when its working on all 3 batteries the 5 amp per bank is real slow but it suits me as i dont get to fish everyday. the transfer while running might be a good idea but i never could find the max it would transfer and i dont run the main motor all the much inbetween stopping to fish so its real un-used. price seems to be a decieding factor as well as brand name. ive seen alot of my brand/type on ebay as recertified which is a real bad sign so i bought the 3 year warranty and just hope its worth the paper its printed on.

 

[Grandad]

Re: Choosing the right on board marine battery charger....

Ideally I'd just like to plug that boat in when I'm not using it at the house for long periods or time, or a day or two before a trip, and then "set it and forget it" over the winter.

It sounds to me like all you want to do is maintain a charge, the same as I want. I purchased a CTEK MultiUS3300 smart charger for around $50 that I'm very pleased with. It's only 3.3A, but they have larger amperages available for a higher price. They also have marine type units probably for a lot higher price. I mounted mine on board. The manual says not for marine use, but doesn't explain why. I found other discussions by the manufacturer that indicate that the unit is ideal for use on a boat. It's ignition/spark protected, so I'm not too worried. Although the manufacturer recommends use on maximum 90 amp hour batteries, they also state elsewhere that using an undersize charger simply takes longer to charger an oversize battery. I have 2 120 amp hour batteries that I randomly switch between. The charger is hardwired into my distribution panel via a fuse. With all my loads turned off, I can switch between batteries for charging as the spirit moves me. Cheap, compact and easy. - Grandad
FAQ | CTEK Battery Chargers

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: Choosing the right on board marine battery charger....

Got a promariner 8 two years ago and it seems to work just fine. I'm a fisherman and do draw one of my batteries down a lot when trolling with all electronics, downriggers, etc running because my kicker won't keep up when running slow. I like it because you can mix battery types without worry. I just plug it in when I get home and the next time I go fishing everything is all charged up. Does a bunch of stuff i don't understand and don't care as long as it works.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Choosing the right on board marine battery charger....

All the modern 3-stage chargers should do what you want. There's a Guest Charge Pro 2 bank, 10 amps per bank charger on Escapade. I switch it on anytime the boat is docked. I like that it continuously monitors battery charge and only kicks on when needed- there's no constant 'trickle' charge.

My .02

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Choosing the right on board marine battery charger....

All the modern 3-stage chargers should do what you want. There's a Guest Charge Pro 2 bank, 10 amps per bank charger on Escapade. I switch it on anytime the boat is docked. I like that it continuously monitors battery charge and only kicks on when needed- there's no constant 'trickle' charge.

My .02

Your charger has a float charge when the battery becomes fully charged so in a sense you do have a small current going into your battery as the battery self discharges.