Battery Charger/Maintainer suggestions

[ScowardNJ]

Could anyone suggest a good "bang for your buck" battery maintainer/charger- do it all gizmo? I have duel deep cycles on my CC, but would like the versatility to handle car batteries and even smaller PWC type batteries also. I'm looking for a portable, dummy proof, set it and forget it model for indoor/garage use.
Thanks!

[NJ Dave]

The brand Battery Tender I have and its great.
I have one on my motorcycle and has kept the stock battery going for 4+ years.
On my old classic car I use one as well going on 6 years.
They make multiple sizes with multiple charging ports.
It maintains the charge as it is needed. Small and compact.
My fiend has a Harbor Freight unit he bought this fall which works but tje question is for how long.

[Capt. Debbie]

Get a good Marine Environment charger. I would avoid Harbor Frieght since you get what you pay for with them.

A two battery Stainless Steel Newmar charger will run about $350. I was very happy with that for years on my Grady

With shorepower AC coming on board make sure you have that 3 AC leg ground WELL connected to the boat's dynaplate grounding it to the water. CRITICAL. You can do phenominal damage from strong electrolysis currents.

What happens electrically is when the AC Ground(shorepower) and the boat ground are not well bonded- meaning same voltage. A voltage difference creates currents in the water running through anything metal.

Your sacrificial zincs cathodic protection will disintegrate VERY quickly. After they are eatten up, so will your O/B and anything metal in the water touching the boat- including thru hull metal fittings going to the grounded inboard engine block(s).

So buy a good marine charger and make sure your wiring is SOLIDLY grounded.

PM me if you need any additional help?



Buy

[ScowardNJ]

Thanks for the responses guys. I'm not looking for a tender for when the boat is in the water. I have that covered. I'm looking for something to maintain my marine batteries indoors over the winter and to maintain a boat battery while on a trailer in the driveway. I also have some smaller 12v 7amp batteries i use kayak fishing and a lawn tractor. The Battery Maintainer is probably the way to go. I think i had one a few years back, are they the ones with that signature hum?

[Mikey topaz]

Along with shore power on my power boat in the water, this is what it sounds like ur looking for ?! I use the exact one for my batteries during the winter in the garage made by black and decker works great! U can set it for trickle charge or charge. So in ur case id set it for trickle charge in the winter and either one as u you think u need for the summer, and just incase ur wondering i have two 4dlt batteries there big son of a guns and havent had a prob good luck manhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0051D3MP6

[Mikey topaz]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0051D3MP6

[ScowardNJ]

17 bux with no one saying they ever cooked a battery....sold!

Thanks Mikey!

[bottomline]

I have been using Battery Tender Jr's for mu batteries for years.

The batteries are kept in the garage on a piece of 2x10 to keep them off the cement floor.

Each on has its own tender and stay perfect until I put them in the boat in the spring.

Simple, cheap & effective.

[Capt. Debbie]

I use a standard 5/20amp charger with a 24 wall timer. And turn it on 5amp setting one hour of day.

Serves me great for years

[Gerry Zagorski]

Hmmm now that's using your nogin Frank. With a charger of this size I would think you could also charge 2 batteries at once by wiring them together, positive to positive and negative to negative. Hook the charger up to one and they both charge??

The way I understand it, in this configuration both batteries are going to level out to a common state of charge. In other words if one is 100% of charge and you connect it to another at 50% of charge, the 50% one will draw the 100% one down to 75% and both batteries will be charged at 75%.

I think what you'd want to do first is make sure each battery is fully charged independantly. Once you do that hook them up together and charge.

Does this make sense??

[Capt. Debbie]

Gerry,

That's risky if one battery is bad will ruin good one.

I did multi battery. You needed a high amp diode ( about $10 or less) put in to block a reverse current flow from battery to battery. Current goes in RED side, but not back out.

Can you tell I was an electrical engineer in prior lives?



Hmmm now that's using your nogin Frank. With a charger of this size I would think you could also charge 2 batteries at once by wiring them together, positive to positive and negative to negative. Hook the charger up to one and they both charge??

The way I understand it, in this configuration both batteries are going to level out to a common state of charge. In other words if one is 100% of charge and you connect it to another at 50% of charge, the 50% one will draw the 100% one down to 75% and both batteries will be charged at 75%.

I think what you'd want to do first is make sure each battery is fully charged independantly. Once you do that hook them up together and charge.

Does this make sense??

[Gerry Zagorski]

Makes sense Frank.