On board charger choice

[Dutch552]

Pro Mariner has added their new digital technologies to the BPS XPS line of onboard chargers for this year. I replaced a heavy Minn Kota with a 3 bank x 10ampBPS unit that is very fast and efficient at charging my boat. The unit stays much cooler than the older MK and my batteries recover faster.

[CatFan]

Aren't they both Marinco's product? I think Ranger uses Dual Pro. I do agree with you completely though.

No. Dual Pro is Charging Systems International. Guest is Marinco.

My opinion is go with 10A per bank and whatever brand gives the best customer service. Right now that seems to be MK and DP, but it may depend on your dealer. Steer clear of the charge-on-the-run products. Most people can't even keep their cranking battery charged with the outboard, much less trolling batteries too.

[Slab Junkie]

I would go with 10 amps per bank if you are like me and might just fish from daylight til dark and get up early the next morning and do it all over again. The 10 amp will fully charge your batteries before you wake up the next morning to go fishing again. I have had two Dual Pros and one Minn Kota. The first was a Dual Pro SE, the second a Minn Kota with 10 amps per bank, and my current one is Dual Pro with 10 amps per bank. The Minn Kota was better than the first Dual Pro I had but the current model Dual Pro is the best of the bunch. It is not the same as the first one I had. It has more charging stages than the first and will add a charge to batteries that other charges indicate are fully charged. It also has indicators that tells you the percentage of the charge as the battery is charging. Another plus with the Dual Pros is that they will repair them in the future if they fail. So you don't have to throw a $200+ charger in the trash just to go spend another $200+ on a new one. Some manufacturers don't offer any repair service on their chargers. You would have to inquire with the individual companies to find out which do and which don't. Just my two cents.

[drummerjames]

I use the Guest charger with 10 amps per bank. To me it is a lot better than my old mk charger, plus it works great on my agm optima batteries

[blueball]

i got a 15amp dual pro,if u ever plan to do alot of trolling i would go with 15amp,if not any will work,started out with a 5amp per bank till i started trolling and it did the job fine till then

[chaunc]

No. Dual Pro is Charging Systems International. Guest is Marinco.

My opinion is go with 10A per bank and whatever brand gives the best customer service. Right now that seems to be MK and DP, but it may depend on your dealer. Steer clear of the charge-on-the-run products. Most people can't even keep their cranking battery charged with the outboard, much less trolling batteries too.

Chances are that you're not hooked up right. I dont use my system to charge my cranking battery. My 90hp honda does an excellent job there. I use my stayncharge to charge my trolling batteries. It runs from my truck to my boat not my motor. I get an excellent charge while driving to and from my local lake. I have optima bluetops and they charge up very well. They also have a system that hooks up to your motor but i dont need it. I'm very satisfied with the one i've been using for over 8 years, with very little maintanence.

[Ron]

Well gonna throw my 2 cents in the pile.... Guest 2 bank, 10 amp per, charger on my TM batts.....MK 5 amp to keep start batt. topped off. No problems with either one for 4-5 yrs now. I did take out the in-line glass fuses and replace them with in-line blade type fuses...just because I didnt want to keep two types of spare fuses on the boat.

[BigRiverMarine]

I use and sell MK. I've tried several other brands, including the BPS models, and frankly, I don't find much difference in the quality of any of them, and they all perform fairly equal. I prefer a 5 amp per bank because they are easier on your batteries. I've pulled cranks until the trollers were completely done, and the 5 amp charged them in plenty of time to go again the next morning. Like was said earlier, the cranking battery doesn't take long to recharge, and with the power on demand feature, that 5 amps for the charging battery lead rolls over to the two trollers for 7.5 per bank. Plenty, and wears less on the batteries for longer battery life!!! My 2 cents worth!!!


BRM

[BigRiverMarine]

PS. Everybody likes the one THEY have. That's why THEY have it. LMBO


BRM

[Corker]

My TM is 24v and I power it with two sets of batteries. Adding a starter battery, I'm charging 5 banks with a set of Dual Pro's (one is 3-bank & the other is 2.) Both work great & require only that I remember to plug them in when I get home.



Almost all of my trips are TMO lakes, so the motor's going constantly. Even after the longest summer days, these 6-amp units will top off my batteries overnight. Remember--6 amps is 20% better than 5 amps.