Charging Batteries

[Lunker777]

I have group 27 batteries for my 24V system.

 

Specs:

 

850 MCA

676CCA

105 RC Minutes.

 

What type of charger should I be using ? I have a chargers from Crappy tire, and it charges my starting motor fine. But it seems to take quite a while to charge the big deep cycles. 7-8 hours

 

It has will go up to 12 amps. What should you charge these batteries at ?

 

thanks

[Luke V.]

to charge my deep cycle for my trolling motor, i use a regular charger from crappy tire. Set it on trickle charge (2 amps). I usually charge up my battery for 3-4 hrs before heading out with the boat. In the spring i charge it for 7-10 hrs then maintain it all summer. Mine will hold a charge of 12.5 volts and run the trolling motor for 5-6 hrs. I have a single battery set up, and have been using this battery for 5 years now.

 

hope this helps

Luke

[Roy]

Get your self a two bank onboard charger and when you get home from fishing, plug the boat in and forget about it. That really is the best and easiest way.

[Raf]

I use a 2/10 amp CT charger

 

deep cycles take a while on the 10 amp setting 8+ plus hrs. on the 2 amp it would take forever.

 

2 amp is meant for maintenance and/or the last bit of "top-up" after you've been charging at 10+ amps for hours. (most auto chargers these days will cycle between 2/10 amp when they are nearly done charging).

 

my deep cycle will last me a long wknd on a 55# bowmount used heavily. though if its been real windy, i sometimes have to break out a 2nd deep cycle on day 3.

Edited July 6, 2012 by Raf

[Terry]

yeah 10 amp smart charger

 

to save batteries you must charge them the right way..bulk charge them to 85% full charge at 10 amps or more could be 40 amps this heats up the battery and removes crap off the plates , then it should drop down to lower amps to top it up

this is the right way to do it

[Billy Bob]

Get your self a two bank onboard charger and when you get home from fishing, plug the boat in and forget about it. That really is the best and easiest way.

 

 

X2

 

And keep that boat plugged in ANY TIME you are not fishing.....my boat is hooked to my truck right now and it's still plugged in.....I have a permanent extension cord hanging straight down from my garage ceiling...that is plugged into my boat....if I forget to unplug it tomorrow as I do MANY times it just disconnects as I drive away....

[esoxansteel]

Get your self a two bank onboard charger and when you get home from fishing, plug the boat in and forget about it. That really is the best and easiest way.

 

 

X2 on that one, much easier, and charge is distributed evenly to both batteries, until you do that I was told to charge each battery by the number of fishing hours, ie out for 6 hours charge for 6 hours on trickle, but trickle will not fully charge to 100%, you usually have to place on 10 or 12 amps to get the appro remaining 10%. charging each battery separately is a pain in the bass

[Tybo]

In the temperatures we are having right now.You should be charging about 2.45 volts per cell for max speed of recharge.

[whiskywizard]

As mentioned already, a 2-bank charger is almost a necessity. But you still have to size it appropriately. You need a charger that puts out, in Amps, approximately 10% of the battery's capacity in Amp-hours. In other words, if your group 27 battery has a capacity of 100A-h, you need a 20A 2-bank charger (10A per bank).

[registerfly]

I too have a CT one, it's always on sale for $50 and does an auto charge where it selects a varying amperage til full, and yes it will take a while but in the long run will protect your battery longevity.

In odd instances if you are in a hurry, select your amp rate but don't do it too often.

 

battery has been fine for 1.5 yrs now. can usually fish close to entire day on a full charge. size 27 battery and 230 min rate

[Dabluz]

Canadain Tire does not sell battery chargers for real deep cycle batteries. Just ask at the desk and they will tell you this. Yes, their chargers will recharge car batteries and even nautical batteries. However, the nautical batteries that Canadian Tire sells are a hybrid type batterie that is a cross between a starting battery and a deep cycle battery.

 

For many years, I used an electric motor exclusively. I also went fishing very often. I also thought that I was doing a good job on recharging my batteries because when in the Air Force, I spent a while at the battery shop and recharged aircraft batteries.

 

Real deep cycle batteries are usually not sealed. You can normally check the acid levels and specific gravity. You also have to use chargers that recharge deep cycle batteries.

 

You can find battery chargers for deep cycle batteries at Walmart. They are made by a company called Schumacher. They are surprisingly inexpensive and work marvelouosly. They also give you the voltage of the battery very accurately and also the percentage of the charge. You can also leave the charger running because they will go into a trickle charge mode that keeps the battery topped up without damaging it.

 

I bought the 15 amp one that recharges small, medium and large deep cycle batteries without overcharging them.

[Sinker]

Mine get charged at 10A most of the time.....when they're really low. When they're not so beat, I charge them on 2A.

 

Get a decent charger, its worth it.

 

Best way is the onboard 2 bank. Just plug it in and your done.

 

S.

[DRIFTER_016]

Get your self a two bank onboard charger and when you get home from fishing, plug the boat in and forget about it. That really is the best and easiest way.

 

I run one of These on my boat for my 2 deep cycles for the TM and also my starting battery. I leave it plugged in year round when I'm not out in the boat. People say you don't need one for the starting battery but this way it stays topped up and when fully charged is ignored by the charger. I leave my batteries in the boat all winter and with them being plugged into the charger they never discharge and freeze. It gets pretty cool up here too.

[DRIFTER_016]

Canadain Tire does not sell battery chargers for real deep cycle batteries.

 

You can find battery chargers for deep cycle batteries at Walmart. They are made by a company called Schumacher.

 

 

The onboard charger I posted above that is sold at Canadian Tire is made by Schumacher and sold with the Nautilus brand name on it.

 

This Schumacher charger is also This Canadian Tire charger. And yes it does charge seep cycle, AGM and regular lead acid batteries.

[Sinker]

My CT charger is also specifically made for charging deep cycles. Works great. I also have two true deep cycle nautilus batteries that have been going good for 4 seasons now. I need to replace them soon, but I think I can get the rest of this season out of them. I use mine primarily for slow trolling walleyes, so they get used a lot, and are usually drained when I'm done a day of trolling. I can get about 6-8hrs on them though, depending on wind/conditions.

 

S.

[nancur373]

I leave a solar panel with a voltage charger on the boat at all times.