onboard battery chargers

I am looking at getting a 10 to 12 amp dual bank. Looking at Minn Kota, Promariner and Guest. The Promariner seems to have a bad rep for failure. Any input or personal experience on any of these? I like the Distribute on Demand feature of the Promariner but I don't want a piece or crap either?

Thanks

Re: onboard battery chargers

I've been using a 3 bank BPS XPS (made by promariner) for several years and have had no problem with it.

Re: onboard battery chargers

I have a 3 bank 5-5-5 from Bass Pro and love it. It can send more juice to one battery if needed.

Re: onboard battery chargers

Guest has an excellent reputation. I used to think that the "distribution feature" was a great thing but I read an article published on one of the battery sites and again in a boating/fishing magazine that this is not necessarily a desireable feature since the charger may not "fully" charge its primary battery before switching to the shared battery. Wish I had saved jotted down the links and magazines but I didn't. Is it a huge issue? Hard to say. I did buy another Guest for my new boat.

Re: onboard battery chargers

Upon looking at the BPS 5/5 it's a pretty decent deal. The distribution sounds like a good feature. States it charges the batteries faster??? Is the 10 amp 5/5 models enough? I kind of like the Promariner Pro12 (12 amp) I try to get out maybe 5 times a year, I am by no means a professional fisherman. More of a weekend warrior when time allows.

Also, every review I read about chargers, people seem to always have issues with just about every brand but Guest. I found a Guest 5/5 on clearance for like $79. That verse about $115-$125 for other brands. Can anyone offer any more info on something that have heard or had? I would like to order something this weekend.

Re: onboard battery chargers

If you are not on the water on a daily basis, why are you willing to spend extra money for the distribution feature? A dual output charger will charge both batteries just fine without the distribution feature. If this feature was all it's cracked up to be, don't you think all manufacturers would be offering it? I personally feel boats with a single troller battery and a single start battery don't need a high buck dual output charger anyway. The start battery rarely gets deeply discharged so a $25.00 Schumacher battery maintainer is all it needs. You can then pop for a single smart charger for the troller. If one or the other takes a dump you replace the unit. With a dual output charger, if one side takes a dump you replace a more expensive unit that's only half-broke. My last four boats have been set up that way and it has been an excellent and inexpensive configuration.

Re: onboard battery chargers

I still want to be able to charge and condition the batteries safely while the boat is sitting and when I go fishing I go for a week at a time so I need to be able to recharge both batteries in a reasonable amount of time. I don't think $100 is alot for this. Lots of thing on sale right now. Cabela has the guest 5/5 for $79 and the BPS 5/5 is $104. How much does a set up you have cost? I like the distribution feature because I have a 4 amp alternator to work the starting motor while it's running so it's not going to take the beating like the trolling motor will. correct me if I am wrong but is that not a good plan?

Re: onboard battery chargers

I thought I explained my thoughts. I question the distribution effectiveness. I question the use of a dual output charger from a manufacturer with less than a stellar record of durability. I hate throwing things away because they are half-broken and I dislike overkill of any kind. If you follow your logic, a dual 5/5 charger theoretically would provide 10A to the troller battery IF the distribution setup worked as planned. If something in the load sharing circuitry goes south you now have a non-load sharing charger. If one of the outputs goes bad you now have a single bank charger. You can buy a single 12A charger for the troller for well under $100 and a single maintainer for the start battery for as little as $10. But that's my opinion. You need to do what you feel comfortable with.