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I have an old boat, and i would like to get an on board charger, but i dont want to spend a lot of money. my question is, is there a cheap, or diy way to make/ install something to be able to keep my three batteries fully charged.
currently i dont have very good batteries, and i plan on buying new ones before spring, so i want them to last as long as possible.
what is my cheapest option, to keep my batteries charged correctly?
in the long run it's cheaper to go ahead and get a good multi-bank charger in the first place. if you get a new-er boat then you can take it out of the old one.
Don't ask me how I know!! also check batteries for water every now and then unless they're sealed.
thats the kind of reply i thought i would get.
so what multi bank charger should i get?
id like to stay cheap as possible but i know usually cheaper is worse quality.
i have a 24 volt trolling motor, and one starting battery so i think i should get a 3 bank charger, i know some guys dont use a bank for the starting battery but, sinc ei have an older engine there are some days that it takes a lot of cranking to get started so id like to charge the starting battery just as easily as the two trolling motor batteries.
so in short what on board charger should i get that is on the cheaper side?
These are on sale at Cabela's right now and I've used one for years. Cabela's: Cabela's Advanced Anglers ProSport II On-Board Marine Battery Chargers Products
im currently looking at this battery charger
Products :: Battery Chargers :: ProMite 5/5/3
its states under volts 12/24/24 + eng
my question is 1. what does the eng part mean?
and since it is 12/24/24 does this mean that i could technically hook up 5 batteries? (since a battery is 12 volts)
if that is true couldnt i get away with a 2 bank charger and hook it to 3 batteries.
i dont think this is right but the 12/24/24 part is confusing me
What they mean is that the third bank is low current (3A), which isn't suitable for a TM battery which is typically more deeply discharged. It means it can do a 12 or 24 TM setup plus the cranking battery.Quote:
Originally Posted by Strahm
ok thanks that clears it up for me. sorry for the novice questions, i just havent been around boats very much, and am just getting into it.
i think im set on how to pick out a battery charger, now i just need the money to get one, and money to get three batteries this isnt going to be cheap
Cabela's: Cabela's Advanced Anglers ProSport II On-Board Marine Battery Chargers
i have the three bank and can't complain, it is a lot more convienient to just plug the cord in then get battery charger out and hook up. especially if you travel any with boat.
The Pro Mite is the one I have and it does the job for me, but then I'm not out every day pushing hard on the troller. I like the fact that when any battery comes to full charge it will redirect the current to another one that needs it. When all batteries are full it will maintain the charge at a safe level. With any charger keep an eye on the water level unless they are sealed. If they need water used distilled.
If your charging circuit in the motor is in good shape then the starting battery rarely needs much charging. So I guess they made it that way to keep the price down. No reason why it shouldn't work just fine.
AND ..... put the distilled water in the battery AFTER you charge it up ... (this is to keep the battery electrolytes from boiling out of the pour holes)Quote:
Originally Posted by wannabe fisherman
... cp
and that's what the instructions say put the 3 amp lead on the start battery and the other 2 5 amp ones on the trolling batteries, or in my case 1 trolling battery and one accessory battery for aerators lights depth finder and other misc. items.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barnacle Bill
one more question, if i were to buy a 4 bank charger, could i safely use only 3 of the banks? would the unit work correctly and safely?
specific model would be a minn kota 460
Yes it would but read the instructions that come with it. Most units will have you connect any unused leads to a battery. Another words if you have a 4 bank charger and only 3 batteries, one of them (usually the starting battery) will get 2 leads hooked to it. I think they need this so the internal sensors will work properly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Strahm
ok, im going to meet the guy to buy the charger and battery, and i dont have a way to plug it in to test it, my question is how many watts would it require to turn the charger on?
i have a jump starting box, that has multiple uses one of which is a inverter, which maxs out at 400 watts, would this be enough?
the charger is minn kota mk-460 4 bank
well i figured out my inverted wont power the unit, guess il lhave to try to meet the guy some where that we can plug it in and try it.
the next thing i figured out is the warranty is non transferable. does this mean, i wont be able to take it in to a minn kota dealer and get work done to it under warranty? do they really expect the original owner to keep track of his receipt for any work that needs to be done? is it pretty easy to walk into a dealer and just talk them into working on it under warranty, or is the original owner and receipt actually needed?
For TMs, MK will use the manufacture date if you don't have the receipt. Don't know about chargers.
Not much repair goes on with chargers. They are potted in most cases.
thats what worries me, the guy seems really nice, and says he is a marine technician, but it is craigslist so im hesitant to trust the guy.
he said he bought a boat (and the charger) and took it out one day, hit a stump broke his lower unit off so he just decided to quit being a boater, and is selling everything.
my question is if he is a marine technician why wouldnt he fix his boat for cost of parts and keep boating?
oh well guess ill just have to hope the gas station we are meeting at has an out door outlet so i can plug it in and test it.
his price just seems way too low for everything to be ok.
he is sellling me the mk-460 which sells for around $400
and a diehard battery which is 70 new
both are supposed to be less than a year old, and only used for one outing.
his price is 175 seems awfully low to me, but its good for me if they both work
check bass pro shops i brought the mk 210 and it does a good job
Be careful, that deal sounds too good to be true. But you never know. Meet him and check it all out thoroughly.
Well, i went and bought it. we met at wlamart, and they tested the battery and said it was good, and i had him plug in the charger and show me that it lit up, and showed it could charge the battery. I should have used an amp meter or something to be sure it worked, but i was lucky and got it home and everything seems to work. i hooked it up to4 batteries and checked the voltage before it was on and after it was turned on, and the voltage went up consistantly on each battery.
glad i got a good deal,
1 question, say i have a battery that i think is bad mut im not sure, will it hurt anything to hook it up to the charger? i didnt know if it would make the charger run non stop and fry either the charger or the battery. ideally i would just go buy two new batteries but im a poor college student, so im trying to do with what i have.
also if a battery shows 12 volts, but only like 8-10 under a load, will it still last awhile on a charge or is the battery just trash? could it be used for a trolling motor?
you can test the battery with a volt meter before you charge it, then charge it, let it rest for 8 hrs (i've read this time frame) then test with the volt meter, wait 8 hrs again, and test with volt meter. If you've got a bad battery, it will lose it charge slowly but surely.
I have a MK 345D brand new for sale.
Post it in the Personal Classified Ads forum. It will sell quicker.Quote:
Originally Posted by crappiholic
sorry i got a steal of a deal on the mk-460 thanks for the offer thoughQuote:
Originally Posted by crappiholic