Questions about Onboard Battery Chargers

[gilligan60]

I'm a first time boat owner and have a few questions about onboard battery chargers. How exactly do these things work? From what I gather, you connect your batteries to the onboard charger and then you can charge both batteries from one plug in? (from the onboard charger) Is that correct?

I have a Lund 1700 Pro with a 90hp Mercury. I also have a Minnkota trolling motor. I run two batteries, one for starting, and the other for the trolling motor. What kind of charger would I need? A "2 bank"? Would the onboard charger charge the trolling motor battery when the mercury motor is running?Sorry for my ignorance about these things. Thanks much for any help!!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Questions about Onboard Battery Chargers

You have about 1/2 understanding of an on-board charger. An onboard charger is nothing more than a 1 bank (one battery), 2 bank (two batteries), or 3 bank (three battery) charger. It does not connect to the engine! It is powered by 120 volts AC power from a standard household outlet when at the dock or at home. The engine charges the starting battery when on the water. If you have a dual battery switch, ACR (auto charge relay), or similar device, the engine can charge both batteries but keep in mind you would need to run wide open for hours to charge a deeply discharged battery such as a trolling motor battery.

 

[seabob4]

Re: Questions about Onboard Battery Chargers

Not to usurp Silvertip, as his advice is excellent, but maybe some pictorial help will give you a good idea.

Here's a pic of a ProMariner ProSport 20+, the main one we use at Proline...

This a 3-bank charger, which means it has output leads for 3 batteries. The ProSport 20 is a 2-bank, charger, outputs for 2 batteries. It can be mounted almost anywhere, either vertically or horizontally, and even though it is completely waterproof, it is best to mount any charger in an area that will stay relatively dry.

Now all chargers come with a short short and a standard 3-prong grounded plug that you can plug into an extension cord, as Silvertip pointed out, when at the dock or at home. But to make things neater, they sell these little buggers...

that you can mount up under a gunnel on on the side of a console so that you don't have to coil up that cord and stow it somewhere when you're not using it.

Just thought you'd like to see some options as to what's available to you...

 

[gilligan60]

Re: Questions about Onboard Battery Chargers

Good stuff. Thanks much. Any info on the good models and ones to stay away from? I'd be looking at a 2 bank model. Thanks much.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Questions about Onboard Battery Chargers

Based on what I have been hearing, I would stay away from the ProMariner.

I have a Guest charger. Been very reliable.

 

[capndan]

Re: Questions about Onboard Battery Chargers

So, If I understand all this correctly, a charger doesn't charge off the running motor, but off of an extension cord plugged into a plug from, say, the dock or my house, thus saving me from having to drag the heavy batteries out of my boat into my house, or

uncover the batteries and use the trickle charger I use for my car battery.

the number of "banks" just refers to the number of batteries that can be charged at one time.

anything else I should KNow about these things?

thanks,
DanL

 

[seabob4]

Re: Questions about Onboard Battery Chargers

Based on what I have been hearing, I would stay away from the ProMariner.

I have a Guest charger. Been very reliable.

...And Proline switched over from Guest 3 years ago, and haven't reported any issues...I guess it's the way they're installed, not the charger...

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Questions about Onboard Battery Chargers

...And Proline switched over from Guest 3 years ago, and haven't reported any issues...I guess it's the way they're installed, not the charger...

If the ProMariner fails because how they are installed, even more reason not to buy them! I mean really, how could you possibly mess up installing a battery charger unless its a heat issue and then proMariner does have real problems?

 

[seabob4]

Re: Questions about Onboard Battery Chargers

My opinion, your opinion...deal?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Questions about Onboard Battery Chargers

My opinion, your opinion...deal?

So...your opinion is that the ProMariners fail because they aren't installed correctly. I am just curious. What would you consider not installed properly?

 

[seabob4]

Re: Questions about Onboard Battery Chargers

Based on what I have been hearing, I would stay away from the ProMariner.

I have a Guest charger. Been very reliable.

Based on what I've been hearing, ProMariner chargers work pretty damn good themselves...and they'll put the unused output when one batt gets charged to the other batts...

So do you really want to waste time, yours or mine, googling failure rates of Guests or PMs? If so, have at it...I've got better things to do!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Questions about Onboard Battery Chargers

Hmm...all I said was that I heard ProMariners have had a lot of failures and then I responded with a question of what was considerred an incorrect install.

I was actually just curious about what would be considered an incorrect install from a person who installs these for a living.

 

[seabob4]

Re: Questions about Onboard Battery Chargers

That actually is a good question, as I'm not sure how someone could incorrectly install ANY charger unless they had no electrical knowledge and no business installing one in the first place. Other than improperly securing the charger at its location and having the thing bounce around the boat the first time a good wave is encountered, about the only 2 ways to improperly install the charger would either to mis-wire the A/C input if one installs a charger b/head plug (which would trip a breaker somewhere), or, if the 12V output leads need to be extended (which they often have to be), the leads were reversed, in which case the charger simply wouldn't have any output.