Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post Reply
TRIXGOTAFISH
Posts: 183
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:04 pm

Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by TRIXGOTAFISH »

Contemplating saving space and weight off the back of the boat and was just wondering how many of you run say a 3 bank charger but wire it with quick disconnects so you can plug in all batteries when at home and then disconnect and leave charger and wires at home.

Also i'd like to upgrade my cranking battery in the future from a group 27 to maybe a group 31 so i could use the extra space as well......and maybe power pole pumps if i could find a good used set for a good price.

If so anyone have a link to good (reasonably priced) quick connectors for the 12g wires that come with the charger?

Any input is greatly appreciated!
monte300
Posts: 953
Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2017 12:18 pm
Location: San Ramon

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by monte300 »

Back in the day I ran a pair of group 31 deep cycles for my trolling motor, I'm trying to figure out why anyone would ever want/need that big of a cranking battery?
Rod Martin
Posts: 2819
Joined: Sat May 07, 2005 6:31 pm
Location: Holiday,Fl.

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by Rod Martin »

With todays electronics , live well pumps, air pump, bilge pumps, Minn Kota talons and other assorted things I have plugged into my starting battery I want the biggest I can get.
Plus I am retired and fishing for fun more so I seem to sit on the trolling motor all day without cranking the big motor till its time to go to weigh in, so more drain on the battery

Plus playing my music while getting ice from the ice maker for my frozen margarita and the blender going and last but not least I have to watch fishing on tv so I know what I'm doing wrong :shock: :roll:

Just kidding on the last ones. But really with the hot weather and live wells going all day plus my TH Marine air pump and the talons I use a lot of juice during a fishing day.

I would think about moving the charger up front and leave it in the boat, but if you want to make it remote any small 7 wire rv plug will do the trick
TR177 Ranger/ Mercury/Lowrance/ Ghost TM
monte300
Posts: 953
Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2017 12:18 pm
Location: San Ramon

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by monte300 »

Thanks for the battery explanation, Rod. My boat is so bare bones I didn't understand the need for a big cranking battery, now I do! When it comes to regular old acid batteries, my favorite has always been American brand. They are made over in Hayward and sold at Boatmasters in Livermore.
Rod Martin
Posts: 2819
Joined: Sat May 07, 2005 6:31 pm
Location: Holiday,Fl.

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by Rod Martin »

monte300 wrote:Thanks for the battery explanation, Rod. My boat is so bare bones I didn't understand the need for a big cranking battery, now I do! When it comes to regular old acid batteries, my favorite has always been American brand. They are made over in Hayward and sold at Boatmasters in Livermore.


I use the old style also , Just had the watering system installed that allows you to fill all of your batteries without having to remove the caps

Flow- rite pro fill, allows me to fill all at the same time and no over filling.
TR177 Ranger/ Mercury/Lowrance/ Ghost TM
mark poulson
Posts: 10370
Joined: Sun May 08, 2005 4:16 am
Location: Antioch, CA

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by mark poulson »

Rod Martin wrote:With todays electronics , live well pumps, air pump, bilge pumps, Minn Kota talons and other assorted things I have plugged into my starting battery I want the biggest I can get.
Plus I am retired and fishing for fun more so I seem to sit on the trolling motor all day without cranking the big motor till its time to go to weigh in, so more drain on the battery

Plus playing my music while getting ice from the ice maker for my frozen margarita and the blender going and last but not least I have to watch fishing on tv so I know what I'm doing wrong :shock: :roll:

Just kidding on the last ones. But really with the hot weather and live wells going all day plus my TH Marine air pump and the talons I use a lot of juice during a fishing day.

I would think about moving the charger up front and leave it in the boat, but if you want to make it remote any small 7 wire rv plug will do the trick
You forgot the massage seat. That takes a lot of juice, too. :lol:
Attitude plus effort equal success
CLEAN AND DRY
Rod Martin
Posts: 2819
Joined: Sat May 07, 2005 6:31 pm
Location: Holiday,Fl.

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by Rod Martin »

mark poulson wrote:
Rod Martin wrote:With todays electronics , live well pumps, air pump, bilge pumps, Minn Kota talons and other assorted things I have plugged into my starting battery I want the biggest I can get.
Plus I am retired and fishing for fun more so I seem to sit on the trolling motor all day without cranking the big motor till its time to go to weigh in, so more drain on the battery

Plus playing my music while getting ice from the ice maker for my frozen margarita and the blender going and last but not least I have to watch fishing on tv so I know what I'm doing wrong :shock: :roll:

Just kidding on the last ones. But really with the hot weather and live wells going all day plus my TH Marine air pump and the talons I use a lot of juice during a fishing day.

I would think about moving the charger up front and leave it in the boat, but if you want to make it remote any small 7 wire rv plug will do the trick
You forgot the massage seat. That takes a lot of juice, too. :lol:

I think Skeet has that on his boat. I saw it on my TV while I was fishing :lol:
TR177 Ranger/ Mercury/Lowrance/ Ghost TM
mark poulson
Posts: 10370
Joined: Sun May 08, 2005 4:16 am
Location: Antioch, CA

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by mark poulson »

Rod Martin wrote:
mark poulson wrote:
Rod Martin wrote:With todays electronics , live well pumps, air pump, bilge pumps, Minn Kota talons and other assorted things I have plugged into my starting battery I want the biggest I can get.
Plus I am retired and fishing for fun more so I seem to sit on the trolling motor all day without cranking the big motor till its time to go to weigh in, so more drain on the battery

Plus playing my music while getting ice from the ice maker for my frozen margarita and the blender going and last but not least I have to watch fishing on tv so I know what I'm doing wrong :shock: :roll:

Just kidding on the last ones. But really with the hot weather and live wells going all day plus my TH Marine air pump and the talons I use a lot of juice during a fishing day.

I would think about moving the charger up front and leave it in the boat, but if you want to make it remote any small 7 wire rv plug will do the trick
You forgot the massage seat. That takes a lot of juice, too. :lol:

I think Skeet has that on his boat. I saw it on my TV while I was fishing :lol:
Is that why he was squirming around? I just thought he was fighting the urge to break dance. :lol:
Attitude plus effort equal success
CLEAN AND DRY
WRB
Posts: 1068
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:47 pm
Location: Simi Valley

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by WRB »

NOCO Genius 3 is a small compact onboard charger that works good and saves space.
The RV plug/receptacle is a good idea.
Why anyone still uses wet cell deep cycle marine batteries today is beyond comprehension.
I used Trojan SCS225 series wet cells with a watering system for 15 years, good batteries with all the corrosion and maintenance that goes with them. 2005 I changed to VMax Tanks MR137-120' AGM's that are now 13 years old, no maintenance issues, clean corrosion free terminal, no charging fumes and will never go back to wet cells.
Tom
TRIXGOTAFISH
Posts: 183
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:04 pm

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by TRIXGOTAFISH »

WRB wrote:NOCO Genius 3 is a small compact onboard charger that works good and saves space.
The RV plug/receptacle is a good idea.
Why anyone still uses wet cell deep cycle marine batteries today is beyond comprehension.
I used Trojan SCS225 series wet cells with a watering system for 15 years, good batteries with all the corrosion and maintenance that goes with them. 2005 I changed to VMax Tanks MR137-120' AGM's that are now 13 years old, no maintenance issues, clean corrosion free terminal, no charging fumes and will never go back to wet cells.
Tom
Thanks for all the replies especially the funny ones guys!

I'm not running mulitple crazy huge graphs and talons etc but i was told by the guys at Boatmasters that especially with the Optimax's that it's best to have plenty of cranking amps to fire them up and as a bonus have enough juice for the accessories and they rec'd a group 31 for my last Optimax 150

I did indeed pic up a NOCO 3 bank from another member here (thanks Rob!)

I can get it to fit right next to my group 27 battery tray but if i go 31 i'm sure it will eat up the space and i don't want to mount it too low in the bilge even though i do believe the NOCO's are waterproof.

For now i'm just manually connecting/disconnecting the leads and keep the charger on a rolling cart until i make a final decision lol
User avatar
Topwater All Day
Posts: 670
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:15 pm
Location: EDH, CA
Contact:

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by Topwater All Day »

Hey Pat,

Not sure what your space looks like, but could you mount the charger to the underside if the rear compartment lid? I just saw a pic of someones rig who did that and it looked interesting - definitely saved space!

In my boat, the previous owner added a plank that covers the bilge area behind the gas tank, then mounted the charger to the plank. Not the cleanest look and makes it a little tough to get to the bilge, but it does work...

Rob
Rob Ridge
Folsom Bass Team
TRIXGOTAFISH
Posts: 183
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:04 pm

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by TRIXGOTAFISH »

Topwater All Day wrote:Hey Pat,

Not sure what your space looks like, but could you mount the charger to the underside if the rear compartment lid? I just saw a pic of someones rig who did that and it looked interesting - definitely saved space!

In my boat, the previous owner added a plank that covers the bilge area behind the gas tank, then mounted the charger to the plank. Not the cleanest look and makes it a little tough to get to the bilge, but it does work...

Rob
Hmmmm interesting never thought nor seen that done before!

There actually is a small plank that the oil tank is mounted to but unfortunately there isn't enough space to mount the charger flat .....i was contemplating adding another 90* piece of wood to allow me to mount it vertically and save as much space as possible while still allowing access to the bilge components down below.

I'll think of something but my gut is telling me to go with the quick dis-connectors since i mainly store/charger it up in the garage at home...
WRB
Posts: 1068
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:47 pm
Location: Simi Valley

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by WRB »

NOCO is sealed and waterproof.
Mine is inside the rear compartment on the transum.
Some boats have them inside the rear dry storage compartment running the wire through the side.
Also keep in mind AGM's don't need to be mounted upright, nothing to spill out!
Stay with the group 27 size cranking battery.
Tom
TRIXGOTAFISH
Posts: 183
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:04 pm

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by TRIXGOTAFISH »

WRB wrote:NOCO is sealed and waterproof.
Mine is inside the rear compartment on the transum.
Some boats have them inside the rear dry storage compartment running the wire through the side.
Also keep in mind AGM's don't need to be mounted upright, nothing to spill out!
Stay with the group 27 size cranking battery.
Tom
Thanks Tom since i've already got the "wet" batteries i'll run these (group 27) for now and then will upgrade if/when needed

Curious to see how it's mounted to the transom if you have any pics to share.

My background is from amateur auto racing stuff so i'm mechanically sound but i really enjoy seeing how stuff crosses over into the boat world....i may have some cool little idea for things as well....
WRB
Posts: 1068
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:47 pm
Location: Simi Valley

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by WRB »

It's been years since I mounted the charger and looking at it for a long time. I used 2 each 90 degree angle brackets 8" X 1" X 1/8" thick and 8" wide X 11" long x 3/4" marine plywood board. The brackets screwed to a flat battery mounting surface and the charger bolted to plywood, the plywood screwed to the upright brackets. I had forgotten about the upright brackets. My cranking battery is turned parallel to charger bracket to save more space. It's been mounted so long that I haven't look at it in years.
Tom
TRIXGOTAFISH
Posts: 183
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:04 pm

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by TRIXGOTAFISH »

WRB wrote:It's been years since I mounted the charger and looking at it for a long time. I used 2 each 90 degree angle brackets 8" X 1" X 1/8" thick and 8" wide X 11" long x 3/4" marine plywood board. The brackets screwed to a flat battery mounting surface and the charger bolted to plywood, the plywood screwed to the upright brackets. I had forgotten about the upright brackets. My cranking battery is turned parallel to charger bracket to save more space. It's been mounted so long that I haven't look at it in years.
Tom
Lol no worries Tom i can visualize exactly what you're saying and exactly the same idea to mount it vertically vs. horizontally
User avatar
jeff bradshaw
Posts: 163
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 9:40 am
Location: Oakley, CA

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by jeff bradshaw »

Look at your OptiMax users manual or get one online - Mercury actually recommends to not use a deep cycle battery for the engine, you need a marine starting battery with 1000 MCA and/or 800 CCA rating. If you do choose a deep cycle for the engine make sure it meets these MCA / CCA spec's which most group 31's will. (I have the Optima Blue top deep cycle AGM batteries for the trolling motor and Optima AGM Marine starting battery for the engine that meets the MCA/CCA requirements)

You can get a Noco Genius Gen3 charger which is very compact and install it within the rear storage compartment and cut a hole for the cable access if you don't have room in the rear compartment, it would really be a pain to have to use portable chargers all of the time.

If I were to use the portable charger with wire disconnect type connectors I would use heavy duty fully insulated quick connect type connectors something like the below link.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Wire-Qu ... lsrc=aw.ds
Attachments
Mercury_250_OptiMax_Manual 104.jpg
JeffKelly74
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed May 22, 2019 7:22 am

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by JeffKelly74 »

Good information here...

You guys seem to be knowledgeable on the subject... looking to buy a new battery charger myself, came across these two brands https://citimarinestore.com/en/172-mari ... y-chargers. I'm thinking the mastervolts are way too much (and expensive), but the promariners look decent and well-priced.

Anyone here have a Promariner, or had one in the past? Any experience as to quality of their chargers?

Thanks guys
Dave Brabec
Posts: 241
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2018 10:58 am

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by Dave Brabec »

I used to charge batteries one at a time on an old boat I had . Pain in the arse,I put a noco 4 bank on my current boat 5 years ago , No issues works great.
JeffKelly74
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed May 22, 2019 7:22 am

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by JeffKelly74 »

Shoot... I have to look into that... came across the GEN4 4-Bank 40A On-Board Battery Charger... looks about $499, but will price hunt... thanks for the recommendation, Dave, I appreciate it.
gabuelhaj
Posts: 507
Joined: Sat May 07, 2005 8:21 am
Location: Manteca

Re: Any of you run your battery chargers NOT "on board"

Post by gabuelhaj »

Glenn Abuelhaj
Post Reply