charging deep cycle battery?

[slipbobber]

Just wondering if anyone uses a on board battery charger. I have been useing a portable charger which works fine but I have to unload my rod locker to get to the batteries. For those that use a on board charger what would you recommend?

[Jawjacker]

Just wondering if anyone uses a on board battery charger. I have been useing a portable charger which works fine but I have to unload my rod locker to get to the batteries. For those that use a on board charger what would you recommend?
I love my minn kota onboard Digital dual bank charger. It sure beats emptying my rod locker. It's also three stage. Charges my battery like a champ.

[dodger]

This ^^^^^

Dodger

[AlbertanGP]

Minn Kota Digital chargers are the best for conventional non-lithium batteries IMO (that's what I run), but there are many other quality less expensive alternatives also. Just stay away from Canadian Tire junk.

[dodgeboy1979]

I run a pro mariner charger to keep my batteries topped up when at home and have a minnkota alternator to charge my trolling motor battery when the main motor is running

[dutchman]

Great question, I'll be watching. This is my first year with a real fishing boat and running the extra battery for the trolling motor. I too have been using a regular charger just to get a feel and see how everything works. Mine is not as tough to get at like yours, but would be nice just to reach under the tarp and plug in a power cord.

[EZM]

I have a 3 bank and 2 bank MinnKota on board charger (one for the trolling batteries and one for the cranking and electronics batteries) and they have allowed me to get outstanding life out of my battery banks ......I am very happy with them. They were worth every penny. Super convenient too. Just plug your boat in the same way you would your car. On the dock, in the driveway or garage, doesn't matter, the good chargers are safe to use on the water or out in the rain.

You want to buy a on board charger that is "smart". They cost more, but pay for themselves within your FIRST set of batteries (despite coming in at twice the cost of a "regular" charger).

The technology of this reads your batteries, and if they are low, stirs up the batteries and outputs a high amp charge to quickly charge up and and condition (compress) your batteries for the first 80%-90% then drop down to a trickle to finish off with a very full, well compressed charge on all your batteries evenly. Some of the better ones also watch the heat, and health of the batteries which is a great added feature.

These chargers also can be left plugged in all the time and over the winter and will stir up and warm your batteries occasionally and maintain the charge (and the life of the battery) over the winter and over the years.

My boat (and batteries) are 2013, and the trolling batteries have NEVER been out of the boat, and have never failed me. Many people who fish far less compared to me, who don't use a charger like this have already replaced their batteries. I haven't had to do that yet.

A little research is good to do - there are other pro and smart chargers out there that work the same way as the MinnKota for a little les money (as MinnKota and the name tends to demand more $) - but the technology isn't that uncommon now and there are options out there for you.

Good Luck - and good question ...... let us know what you decide

[cube]

Just wondering if anyone uses a on board battery charger. I have been useing a portable charger which works fine but I have to unload my rod locker to get to the batteries. For those that use a on board charger what would you recommend?

I run 2 Pro Charging Systems Pro chargers on my boat. One for each battery bank. https://www.dualpro.com/professional-series.

They are truely great chargers. The first one came with my Lund Grand Tyee. When I decided to put in another charger I did a bunch of research at that time and there was no better charger back then.

Some of the attributes.

Fully automatic / multi stage charging

Zero spark technology

Battery maintenance mode

On-board diagnostic codes

Temperature compensated

Advanced microprocessor controlled.

The new ones can even do Lithium batteries which I think is a must in any new charger a person might buy.

[PlayDoh]

I’ve had Costco batteries last me over a decade just using a portable charger. For the price of a bank charger you could buy a portable smart charger and a spare battery.

I’m sure it’s worth it, but I’m too cheap. I can go like 3 days on my batteries. I have a cranking and 3 big deep cycles up front.