scugpg Posted May 31, 2009 Report Share Posted May 31, 2009 Hi all, I have a pair of Optima batteries I use for my minnkota and had a couple questions about how to maintain them. 1. What kind of charger do you guys use and what settings (reg/deepcycle/gel)/(amps) do you charge them with. 2. What brand/model of charger do you use? I'm thinking of upgrading to a CTEK charger as I hear they are the best. 3. At what voltage do you put them back on the charger? I've heard you shouldn't let them go below 12.5v an leave them longer than 24h, and I've also heard you should drain them down further before charging all the times. Let me know what you guys do to keep your optimas going strong. cheers, scugog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big guy Posted May 31, 2009 Report Share Posted May 31, 2009 I have the intelligent charger from Canadian Tire and it seems to work fine. I like the fact that it shuts off by itself at full charge and won't overcharge the battery. During the fishing season I commonly recharge on the 10V cycle and on the deep cycle setting. During winter I keep it topped up using the 2V setting from time to time. The charger also has a fast 15V setting which is handy if you're in a hurry and it knows when it's getting close to charge so it adjusts the charge setting, slowing it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scugpg Posted May 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2009 I have the intelligent charger from Canadian Tire and it seems to work fine. I like the fact that it shuts off by itself at full charge and won't overcharge the battery. During the fishing season I commonly recharge on the 10V cycle and on the deep cycle setting. During winter I keep it topped up using the 2V setting from time to time. The charger also has a fast 15V setting which is handy if you're in a hurry and it knows when it's getting close to charge so it adjusts the charge setting, slowing it down. Do you recharge them right after using them, or head out a couple times? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Hmmm battery newbies, batteries are not recharged by volt level but rather amps. ie, either 2/10/15 amps. To maintain a long usefull life no battery should ever be discharged beyond 80%, 50% is recommended. When done playing with your toys at the end of the day, recharge it, don't wait until tomorrow or next week, you know why, human short term memory can be a real problem. Recharge your batteries after use, just like you, you play, you eat, you don't wait until the next day or next week before you fill your face, right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohhenrygsr Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 (edited) Hi all, I have a pair of Optima batteries I use for my minnkota and had a couple questions about how to maintain them. 1. What kind of charger do you guys use and what settings (reg/deepcycle/gel)/(amps) do you charge them with. 2. What brand/model of charger do you use? I'm thinking of upgrading to a CTEK charger as I hear they are the best. 3. At what voltage do you put them back on the charger? I've heard you shouldn't let them go below 12.5v an leave them longer than 24h, and I've also heard you should drain them down further before charging all the times. Let me know what you guys do to keep your optimas going strong. cheers, scugog your best bet is to get a 3 bank onboard charger that way all you gotta do is plug it in when your not using it. They will charge your trolling and starting batteries to the correct levels and keep them maintained. I heard good things about the ProMariner Prosport 20 Series or i think even the bass pro series is great. Dunno much about the Canadian Tire Brand Nautilus charger yet but i think some members have it. Edited June 1, 2009 by Henry Nguyen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scugpg Posted June 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 your best bet is to get a 3 bank onboard charger that way all you gotta do is plug it in when your not using it. They will charge your trolling and starting batteries to the correct levels and keep them maintained. I heard good things about the ProMariner Prosport 20 Series or i think even the bass pro series is great. Dunno much about the Canadian Tire Brand Nautilus charger yet but i think some members have it. I just have a little aluminum with 2 batteries at the moment, but maybe a dual-bank would be the way to go. Do you guys even notice your optimas vent or hiss a little while charging? I noticed mine did that the other day. I was using 2A charge for about 10hrs. Battery was not warm at all just wondering if you've noticed this as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big guy Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 Hmmm battery newbies, batteries are not recharged by volt level but rather amps. ie, either 2/10/15 amps. To maintain a long usefull life no battery should ever be discharged beyond 80%, 50% is recommended. When done playing with your toys at the end of the day, recharge it, don't wait until tomorrow or next week, you know why, human short term memory can be a real problem. Recharge your batteries after use, just like you, you play, you eat, you don't wait until the next day or next week before you fill your face, right! Hmmm, nice comment. Yes, amps, not volts. Not newbie, just a simple case of cranial vapour lock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
River Rat Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 I run two Optima DM31's for the troller with a thee bank (5amp per bank) MinnKota AC charger and a two bank (10amp per bank) MK DC charger for charging on the fly. I never run my batteries dead. Not sure if the AGM optima's are effected by this but lead acid batteries don't like to be killed so I try not to do it ever. I haven't noticed a his but I can tell you, there is no maintanence required....just use em. 5amp is good for overnight charging when I plug in. I plug in every time I take it out. Each bank shuts off when fully charged. The DC charger packs power in twice as fast for for topping up on the fly. On a 4 day weekend camping. I still have tons of juice at the end and I fish hard, all day. Gas is my only limiting factor on the long weekends so I carry two 20gal gerry cans and leave em in the truck just in case. RR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scugpg Posted June 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2009 I ended up buying a CTEK US3300 charger for my Optimas. Even Optima recommends them! http://www.ctek.com/PDF/MUS3300_flyer_US_low.pdf Charges the batteries fast and they don't hiss or anything. I think the charger I had even though on deep cycle/2A it was too high of voltage for the Optimas. Definitely recommend the CTEK's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marine5068 Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 I know I'm a few years late replying to this toipic....lol When recharging batteries, different batteries qnd chargers are not all created equal. Best site to understand these nuances is to go to the Optima battery site. There they tell how to properly charge AGM batteries and better yet, how to maintain them for a long, damage-free lifespan. Also some tricks for bringing batteries back to life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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