Charging deep cycle battery with a 2-bank charger

[Jackie]

I am trying to decide whether I should buy a 2-bank or 1-bank battery charger for my deep cycle. This may be a stupid question. Can I connect both banks of the charger to the battery? So if my charger is 5A/5A, I can effectively charge my single battery at 10A?

 

I'm planning to buy the Minn Kota MK-210 2-bank 5/5 charger. Anyone is using it and any comments? Right now it has $20 rebate so it looks like a pretty good deal.

 

Also, can I use the charger to charge/maintain my startup battery as well? Would it do any harm? Minn Kota's website says the charger is only for batteries with a certain amp-hour (i.e. deep cycle), but I wonder if there is any actual harm in using it on startup batteries.

[archer379]

i just bought a charger also basicly its one bank per battery if you have a 2 batterys for a 24 volt trolling motor then another for the starting you need a 3 bank if you have a 12 volt motor then a 2 bank will do one set of leads for the starting and one for the trolling motor

[Billy Bob]

I have this charger but it's the ProSport II 12 that's a two bank charger but I just got this in the mail and here's the same charger ON SALE from Cabela's for only $69.99........very hard to beat...it's the ProSport II 6 amp.....

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/purchase/products-found.jsp?reposting=true&foundSku=true&_requestid=82461

[Garry2Rs]

I think that you will wind up toasting your Deep Cycle if you hook up both side of the charger to the one battery.

I have three batteries and a three bank charger.

One bank is clearly labeled as being for the cranking battery. Therefore, I can only assume that the charging profile is different.

[Jackie]

I think that you will wind up toasting your Deep Cycle if you hook up both side of the charger to the one battery.

I have three batteries and a three bank charger.

One bank is clearly labeled as being for the cranking battery. Therefore, I can only assume that the charging profile is different.

 

I was thinking if I hook up 2 banks to 1 battery, wouldn't it just deliver 10A (in the case of my charger, assuming current is additive) which is the typical current of some one bank chargers anyway? And when the voltage/current reaches a certain level, both banks should detect the same thing and therefore switch to the next charging stage. So I'm not sure why it can't be done. But then I can be missing something here.

 

For the cranking battery, it is connected to and regularly "charged" by my boat alternator which delivers some 15A when the motor is running. That can really overcharge it if I drive for a prolonged period. And I assume this is the case for all of our boats/cars. If the cranking battery can take that kind of abuse, perhaps using a charger "designed" for deep cycle on it should be ok. Again I'm just guessing here.

[Jer]

My guess is that each bank would read the higher voltage of the other bank rather than of the discharged battery and would assume that the battery is fully charged when in fact it hasn't charged at all.

 

If you only want to charge one battery? Why not just get a single bank charger?

[Tybo]

You will only get 5 amps. The rectifier is set at 5 amp

draw. which is the max the battery will draw.

[Fishn Technishn]

Bought mine at BPS couple years ago. It's a GUEST 2610 and it says in the manual that it is fine to hook both leads up to one battery,and it will simply supply 10 amps.

Has been working GREAT for the past few years. I also can go with one lead to each battery if I choose.

FT

[Billy Bob]

You will only get 5 amps. The rectifier is set at 5 amp

draw. which is the max the battery will draw.

 

The Cabela's one like I linked IF you get a multiple bank charger as I have, it will deliver more amps to the battery(s) that need it...so if my starting battery reaches full charge in let's say 1 hour it will deliver the extra amps (in this case 12 amps) to my trolling motor battery and this gets you back on the water quicker with both batteries fully charged.

 

I have had this charger for over 6 years and it has REALLY extended the life of both my batteries...leaving it on ALL winter and really ANYTIME I'm not fishing with it maintains the batteries. At the price of Marine Batteries this is almost a most have on a boat.