Onboard charger question

[Starcraftobsession]

I plan on putting an onboard charger in my boat. Heres my question. I Will have a battery hooked to my I/O for starting. Then 1 battery for all electronics EXCEPT the trolling motor. I have a 24 volt trolling motor. So 1 bank for electronics. Do I need two more banks for my 24 volt system or just 1 bank? Will not need a bank for starting battery. Also what brand and size onboard charger do you recommend?

 

[poconojoe]

I would like to follow your post. I do believe some multi bank chargers will charge both 12/24 volt setups at the same time. But let's see what the experts say...

 

[Silvertip]

The number of batteries you need to charge determines the number of charger outputs you need. .your 24 volt system uses two batteries si you need 2 outputs just for them.

 

[roscoe]

Size of charger, 1 bank for each battery.
Amps per bank is determined by how soon you need the batteries charged up.

Guys that do multiple day bass tournaments that need the batteries fully charged in 8 hours, will be using chargers with 15 amp output per bank.

If you don't run the batteries down very low, maybe 50%, and you don't need them charged real fast, a cheaper 5 amp per bank charger will suffice.

A 3 bank charger would be great.

But I found that 2 separate chargers were cheaper, and easier to install in my boat.
A 2 bank charger up front by the troller.
A 1 bank charger in my electronics cabinet.
They are smaller than a 3 bank, and cheaper, sometimes you can find great deals on smaller chargers.
Rarely find a deal on larger 3 bank high output chargers.

ProMariner
MinnKota
Cabelas

Also, make sure you charger is compatible with the battery type ( lead acid, agm, etc.)

 

[BowPro]

I just bought a boat with a 36 volt trolling motor (3 batteries) and one start/accessory battery. I just installed a MInn Kota 4 bank charger. Each battery gets its own bank line. The boat I just sold ran a 24 volt trolling motor (2 batteries) and a start/accessory battery. I ran the Minn Kota 315D charger with it for 8 years. Its a 3 bank, 15 amps per bank, charger and maintainer. It has never failed. They are available at Academy. The Minn Kota Precision series is adjustable to battery type for each bank. if you had an AGM for start, and lead acid for trolling, or whatnot, each bank can be set to the particular battery type.