How to maintain troll motor battery

bruceb58

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I would not buy a Harbor Freight Battery charger and actually trust it. Stick with a name brand.
 
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PISTONESAL

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It states its a 3 stage charger. It charges, checks voltage and float charger as needed... I thought the slower the amperage the better for a battery.. Thought that would work. What can I get that's not to expensive?
 

ondarvr

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These types of chargers are not what you need for the trolling motor battery, but would work OK for the starting battery, buts that's if they actually do what they say they do. Most chargers that do a good job cost a bit more than these, some a lot more.
 

bruceb58

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Buy a $20 charger and then don't complain when it ruins a couple hundred dollars worth of batteries. Apparently, I don't get it!
 

ondarvr

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They don't allow links to competitors websites, so your link doesn't work.
 

ondarvr

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It will work much better than the others you linked, but at 3.5 amps it's still very low and slow.
 

PISTONESAL

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I have been researching and they say the lower the amperage the slower the charge. Being I go only on weekends, its not a big deal if its slow as it ha all week to charge up:) I actually been looking at this one: http://www.motorguide.com/userfiles/file/Accessories/BatteryChargers/battery-charger-manual.pdf

The one thing I am not sure of is that it states in manual to not cut and shorten the output cables but nothing about extending them:) I want to lengthen them and supposedly there are extension cables but I can just make them. Questions is will the charger work? My 2nd battery (trolling) is in the front of the boat so its a good 12 feet away. Will that hurt the charger ? I am thinking no as I plan to go to a 10 gauge wire. Any thoughts out there? Most chargers come with like 5 foot cables. I have no choice as I cant move my troll battery. There is no where to put it and even if I did, I would have to run cables from troll motor to it. Please chime in with info and suggestions. I really appreciate it..
 

bruceb58

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Mar 5, 2006
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Some chargers sense temperature through the charge cables.

Buy two single bank chargers.

EDIT: I just read the manual...the cables have fuses embedded in the leads. Seams to me you could lengthen if you keep the last foot of the cable and insert length in between the charger and those ends.
 
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