# On board battery charger



## jonmac3569 (Aug 19, 2011)

I am working on upgrading my boat and I am thinking about battery chargers now. In the past my setup has been simple (a trolling motor with alligator clips and a single battery) so it was very easy to take the battery out and put it on a charger.

For my new setup I will have 2 batteries and several things wired in to them. So I am trying to decide what I can do to keep from having to take both batteries out of the boat (unhooking all wiring, etc) each time I get back. I am totally ignorant on the onboard chargers (2 bank, 3 bank, etc) I have used the search function but I still really don't understand how they wire in or what power source they use. 

Can I buy a 2 bank charger, wire it in to my batteries and just plug it in when I get home? Or do they all work like an alternator and charge the batteries through an outboard that is compatible?

I plan on having 2 batteries, a fish finder, trolling motor, lights and possibly a bilge pump.

Any advice would be very welcome.


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## bcbouy (Aug 19, 2011)

battery charger ,extension cord.


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## TNtroller (Aug 19, 2011)

for your new set up, you will want a 2 bank charger, this would charge both batts, the crankin' batt and the TM batt at the same time. The onboard charger will have leads (2 sets for a 2 bank charger) that will connect to the + & - posts on each battery, and then you plug the power cord on the charger unit itself into a 110v household outlet, this cord/plug is usually a 3 prong plug that looks like most power tool cords. BPS has some "intelligent" OB chargers that will charge the batt that needs charging the most and then when the batt(s) are charged up, they move over to "maintain" mode so the batts are ready to go to the lake anytime. Most OB chargers are waterproof/resistant but you need a place to protect from the school of hard knocks imo. Mine is mounted in the gas tank compartment, out of the weather, etc., but my 110v power cord is exposed thru one of the outlets on the transom. It gets wet at times while at the lake, but not enough to apparently hurt anything as the plug itself looks brand new. My boat is stored in a enclosed garage. Your big motor will re-charge th cranking batt while running, but not the TM batt.. Hook all of your various electronics up to the cranking batt as the TM will mess with th FF(interference) when both are hooked to the same batt and both are on. You should also run the power cord for the FF AWAY from the main power wires for the TM to avoid interference as well. Opposite sides of the boat if possible.


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## jonmac3569 (Aug 19, 2011)

Thanks, that helps a lot. So all of these 2 bank onboard chargers that I see in bass pro and cabelas will have a 110v plug? From the description they post they expect you to know and I don't.


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## jonmac3569 (Aug 19, 2011)

Oh, and by the way. My outboard is a pull start 1975 Johnson that I can't use to recharge my batteries. (that I know of) so the plan was to just run the trolling motor off of one battery and everything else off of the other.


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## LOWEBIGJON (Aug 19, 2011)

I am looking at a extra charger for my boat, I am thinking solar, but don't know how well they work..


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## KRS62 (Aug 19, 2011)

I have been very happy with my Guest dual bank charger. Either way, an on board charger is the only way to go for me. 

KRS


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## redbug (Aug 19, 2011)

LOWEBIGJON said:


> I am looking at a extra charger for my boat, I am thinking solar, but don't know how well they work..


the short answer is no the solar will not work ... it will maintain a charged battery but will take day to reach a full charge.
the best way to go is an on board charger
1 its waterproof so it can be out in the weather
2 it comes in several sizes 5 ,10 and 15 amps per bank a 2 bank is like having 2 chargers
3 just plug it in when you get home instead of having to remove the battery or hook up the charger


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## jonmac3569 (Aug 19, 2011)

Ok, that sounds like what I need. I was just trying to decide by reading the ads and it never mentions a 110 plug. But that is easy enough.


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## LOWEBIGJON (Aug 19, 2011)

redbug said:


> LOWEBIGJON said:
> 
> 
> > I am looking at a extra charger for my boat, I am thinking solar, but don't know how well they work..
> ...




yes I have been reading up on them, I came to the same conclusion..


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## BassBlaster (Aug 19, 2011)

As to the BPS "smart chargers", my understanding is that they are made by Pro Mariner. I purchased the actual Pro Mariner brand for 10 bucks less than the BPS model at Gander Mountain and it even had free shipping.


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## jonmac3569 (Aug 19, 2011)

Just looked at the Guest charger mentioned above on Cabelas online. It is 10 amp and marked down from $128 to $90 (on sale). It also has 4.6 out of 5 stars with 45 reviews, sounds like worth trying. They also have the pro mariner on sale but only $10 off, might be same as free shipping.


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## TNtroller (Aug 21, 2011)

jonmac3569 said:


> Thanks, that helps a lot. So all of these 2 bank onboard chargers that I see in bass pro and cabelas will have a 110v plug? From the description they post they expect you to know and I don't.




yes, all will have a 110v plug, a 2 bank charger will cover your situation well, with two TM batts, you might consider a small lawnmower batt for your accessories if you don't have too many (just a ff and nav lights)


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## jonmac3569 (Aug 21, 2011)

Thanks, I was thinking about one large battery for the TM. and then a second smaller deep cycle for the accessories. It would also be a backup if my 25 hp quit on me, then I might need 2 batteries to get back to the ramp, ha ha.


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## FuzzyGrub (Aug 22, 2011)

jonmac3569 said:


> Just looked at the Guest charger mentioned above on Cabelas online. It is 10 amp and marked down from $128 to $90 (on sale). It also has 4.6 out of 5 stars with 45 reviews, sounds like worth trying. .



My brother use to work for Guest, and have a number of their chargers. I have two of the earlier versions of the 2611. They are nice and compact and easy to find a mounting spot for. You can wire the outputs in parrellel to get one 10amp charger. It does only have one set of indicators, so you don't know which one or both need charging. Also, solid green doesn't mean fully charged. It means within a certain percentage. I always leave it on for a day.


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## jonmac3569 (Aug 23, 2011)

FuzzyGrub said:


> jonmac3569 said:
> 
> 
> > Just looked at the Guest charger mentioned above on Cabelas online. It is 10 amp and marked down from $128 to $90 (on sale). It also has 4.6 out of 5 stars with 45 reviews, sounds like worth trying. .
> ...



Will it hurt to just leave it plugged in if I don't fish for a few days? Does it have any type of overcharge protection?


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## FuzzyGrub (Aug 23, 2011)

> Will it hurt to just leave it plugged in if I don't fish for a few days? Does it have any type of overcharge protection?



It is a fully automatic charger and will not be an issue for a few days. I do not leave mine plugged in for long term. I have had issues with other chargers when brown outs occur. I also don't want line spikes from lightening or other sources to have a direct path to my boating electronics.


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## 3dees (Aug 23, 2011)

I plug my charger in when I get home and don't unplug it until I go out again. never had a problem.


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## jonmac3569 (Aug 26, 2011)

Thanks for the replies. I went with the Guest, seemed to be a good buy for the money.


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## PATRIOT2 (Aug 28, 2011)

This may be after the fact, but I was considering the same thing as far as a battery charger until I found I already have the lighting coil under my flywheel so all I really need is the rectifier assembly ($97 new, looking for used) to be able to charge batteries or operate running lights. You may have the lighting coil already as well.


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## FuzzyGrub (Aug 29, 2011)

PATRIOT2 said:


> This may be after the fact, but I was considering the same thing as far as a battery charger until I found I already have the lighting coil under my flywheel so all I really need is the rectifier assembly ($97 new, looking for used) to be able to charge batteries or operate running lights. You may have the lighting coil already as well.




Coil will not put out enough amps to keep up with a trolling motor, and unregulated can cause problems for some electronics if the voltage climbs too high.


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## tinboat newbie (Sep 5, 2011)

Ive been trying to decide between onboard or portable charger. I found a new portable Minn Kota MK110P for $65. I like the idea of an onboard, but if I can save about $30, it may be worth it to go portable. Can these portable chargers be used while everything is still connected to the battery? Chargers like these seem just as convienent to plug in while the boat is parked in the garage as long as you don't have to disconnect everything from the battery. I'm a newbie and just looking for some general advice, so it's all appreciated. I'm taking the boat for a test run tomorrow and if everything is good I'm going to start on my modification and start my own project thread. I love this site!!  :lol:

Project:
1974 14' Starcraft semi-V
1973 Evinrude 9.5 Sportwin
Minn Kota TM
Hummingbird FF
Bilge pump


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## FuzzyGrub (Sep 10, 2011)

It depends on your electronics. Most are fine. I have a MG Wireless trolling motor which doesn't have a on/off switch, which is recommended to have disconnected while charging.


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