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Trickle charger for your 'Bu


sunvalleylaw

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Just now, BusterSaunders said:

Something copied wrong  I meant to post this. Battery Tender brand

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000CITK8S/ref=psdcmw_15707061_t1_B0009IBJAS

Oh, I looked at that one, but thought I wanted a 6v option for more deep cycle use.  But now that my boat battery is basically a car battery, and not a marine or RV battery, maybe it does not matter.

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I have a Guest dual bank smart charger. Another popular one is made by ProMariner.  These are a lot more than a trickle charger.  My batteries are like 6 or 7 yrs old now. I rarely ever open my battery boxes. I store the boat in the winter with the batteries in the boat. Just run an extension cord to the boat & plug it in.

Looks like the new & improved version is out now.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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I ordered the "factory" charger in mine, don't have it yet.  Does anyone have experience with the Malibu option?  Hoping it's decent :-)

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26 minutes ago, Steve B. said:

I use this one too. It's very slow, but in the end I think it's good for the battery.  It's worked well for at least 2 years for me.

Steve B.

Which one??  The one just before your post?

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4 minutes ago, sunvalleylaw said:

So, looking at the ProMariner vs. the Schumacher I found.  Wondering what the real effective difference is.  

One is a basic charger. The other is a smart charger that will put your battery thru charge & discharge routines to exercise it & supposedly prolong/lengthen it's life. Plus the fact that an on-board charger is hard wired to the batteries & keeps you from having to get under the seat & open the boxes to hook up he leads.

Winters are a b**** on batteries without a smart charger.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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11 hours ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

I have a Guest dual bank smart charger. Another popular one is made by ProMariner.  These are a lot more than a trickle charger.  My batteries are like 6 or 7 yrs old now. I rarely ever open my battery boxes. I store the boat in the winter with the batteries in the boat. Just run an extension cord to the boat & plug it in.

Looks like the new & improved version is out now.

This is exactly how i do it.. I also use a Guest marine charger. They are specifically built for the marine environment and hold up for years. Dual pro is another great onboard charger. 

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Couldn't  a guy just use one of those smart chargers in the garage but not install it, so it could be used for other batteries in the household?

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3 minutes ago, sunvalleylaw said:

Couldn't  a guy just use one of those smart chargers in the garage but not install it, so it could be used for other batteries in the household?

Probably, although you don't get any of the benefits of it being hard wired.

Get a Batterytender & install the leads on all your toys. I haven't seen these prolong any batteries life, but it does make it easier to hook/unhook things up, especially on toys where the batteries are hidden or tough to get to, ie; motorcycles, boats, etc.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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2 hours ago, sunvalleylaw said:

Couldn't  a guy just use one of those smart chargers in the garage but not install it, so it could be used for other batteries in the household?

yes. I just like having it installed on boat. Then whenever I like I can just plug it in and top the batteries off. Not sure if it actually prolongs the battery life but its nice to know the batteries are all set for the next time out on the water.

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I love the Noco chargers.  I have 3-4 different ones I use for different purposes...    I installed a Genius Gen2 marine 2-bank in the Malibu.  I don't need to use very frequently, but its nice to have for keeping the boat batteries topped off in storage and to make sure we don't kill the batteries if we hang out jamming the stereo at the dock in our Marina.  Mine is all hardwired in except the AC pigtail is loose so I just pull it out from under the seat and plug it into an extension cord. 

20160521_161339.jpg

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4 hours ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

One is a basic charger. The other is a smart charger that will put your battery thru charge & discharge routines to exercise it & supposedly prolong/lengthen it's life. Plus the fact that an on-board charger is hard wired to the batteries & keeps you from having to get under the seat & open the boxes to hook up he leads.

Winters are a b**** on batteries without a smart charger.

This.  I have a Cabela's branded ProMarine dual bank 20amp on-board charger.  Gets plugged in as soon as we get home and doesn't get unplugged until she is pulled out of the garage.  I'm pretty abusive to batteries so anything that can prolong the life by even a year is a big deal.

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The NOCO chargers are great, I have the Battery Tender.  I honestly think people "over think" battery chargers.  Take your battery out of the boat in the winter, check voltage with a mulitmeter if it's below 12.5 throw it on the charger overnight, take the charger off.  A healthy battery doesn't need to be trickle charged all winter.  I've been on the same battery for 7 years no issues.

Edited by solorex
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My boat sits on a large boathouse lift in the winter.  I've always taken my batteries inside during the winter and put them on a tender.  I like the idea of just plugging the boat in when not in use so will probably look into installing one.  I originally thought bringing them in out of the cold was a good thing but then I realized my cars sit in the cold all winter and I get at least 5 years out of a battery so I guess that logic doesn't hold water.

Its the "take your battery out of the boat" part that I don't like.  If I want to go out on a nice 70 degree January day (which we had several this year), its not as big of a deal if they are still in the boat. 

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The ProMariner ProSports charger is probably the best use of money you will spend on a boat accessory.  Toss an extension cord in your boat and have the ability to plug your boat in wherever you are. I will never own a boat without one.  

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