Onboard charging

[valleywine]

What are you guys using for an onboard charging system? The ones I've seen are rather expensive. I have 3 batteries and would like to hard wire them into a single plug.

[newty]

Prosport 12 or 20 is the best bang for the buck imo.

[mmandley]

Prosport 12 or 20 is the best bang for the buck imo.

Second this, I charge a regular Deep Cell Marine and then 2 6V golf cart batteries and it handles them all great.

[Gettin' It]

Minn Kota MK-440D
Charges 4 Interstate Group 24 Deep Cycles

[MLA]

There is a reason a marine on-board multistage dual bank smart charge is expensive.

How many banks do you have and what the collective Ah of each bank?

[liquid_acid]

Will the pro sport 12 charge a AGM and a deep cycle battery at the same time?

[MLA]

A ProSport 12 dual bank (gen-2 i think they call it) is a dual bank charger and can be set up to charger 2 banks made up of 2 different types of batteries. If you are shopping for a 2 banks, I would consider stepping up to the 20A, depending on the Ah of the batteries.

[mmandley]

A ProSport 12 dual bank (gen-2 i think they call it) is a dual bank charger and can be set up to charger 2 banks made up of 2 different types of batteries. If you are shopping for a 2 banks, I would consider stepping up to the 20A, depending on the Ah of the batteries.

When you say types, do you mean chemical type? Or just size or voltage type?

I have the Pro-Sport 20 and 2 banks, 1 is the group 24 Wet, the other is my 2 6V wet. it does great with them but I do have to shut my ACR off so the banks are actually charged seperatly. If i leave the ACR on it treats them as 1 big bank.

[MLA]

Start off easy, the boat is a 12V, so thats all we will deal in. Even when 6V GC's are used in pairs, we stay at 12V through the wiring configuration. Size just means more CA's for starting or Ah for at rest play time. Type is about its chemical make up. Wet Cell and AGM batteries are clearly different types, when it comes to a multistage smart charger. Each requires a different charge profile and end up at a different static voltage level. So with a mix, you need a charger that will A) handle which ever type and B) handle different types if you have one on each bank.


If i leave the ACR on it treats them as 1 big bank

That would be the case. If the banks are used in different ways, as is one is dedicated for cranking and one for house, then they are not getting conditioned and charged properly, if the ACR is allowed to combine during the on-board charger cycle.


it does great with them but I do have to shut my ACR off so the banks are actually charged seperatly.

Proper switch would make this a non-issue. You would no longer need to manually disable the ACR.

[mmandley]

Start off easy, the boat is a 12V, so thats all we will deal in. Even when 6V GC's are used in pairs, we stay at 12V through the wiring configuration. Size just means more CA's for starting or Ah for at rest play time. Type is about its chemical make up. Wet Cell and AGM batteries are clearly different types, when it comes to a multistage smart charger. Each requires a different charge profile and end up at a different static voltage level. So with a mix, you need a charger that will A) handle which ever type and B) handle different types if you have one on each bank.



That would be the case. If the banks are used in different ways, as is one is dedicated for cranking and one for house, then they are not getting conditioned and charged properly, if the ACR is allowed to combine during the on-board charger cycle.



Proper switch would make this a non-issue. You would no longer need to manually disable the ACR.

Yes I was assuming on the 12V I use 2 6v wired together.

Thanks for the clearfication on Types, I was thinking you meant wet vs gell.

As for the proper Switch what do you mean? I have the On Off Combine switch installed. If I leave it to on then it charges them as one big battery when the boat is at home. If I turn it to off it Disables the ACR and allows the charger to charge seperatly. If I put it to Combine then I am back to charging as one large bank.

I have it hooked up like this from Advise from this forum. Is it wrong? I only ask because I want to make sure I am not stressing the charger or my batteries unknowingly.

[MLA]

but I do have to shut my ACR off so the banks are actually charged seperatly.

Shutting off the ACR to me, is way different them turning the battery switch off as it should be. The Dual Circuit Plus switch is designed the way it is, for that reason. If you have the dual circuit plus switch, and its off and the ACR combines when the charger is in use, its wired incorrectly. If you have the dual circuit plus switch and its wired correctly, then turning it off will prevent the ACR from combining when the charger is in use. To me, this is not shutting the ACR off, just using the switch as it should.

[liquid_acid]

After reading the manual on the prosport 20, it says do not mix battery types. Guess that answers that. Anyone installed one with different types of batteries? Anyone suggest just connecting it to the one AGM battery I already have? Or should I consider replacing the deep cycle with an AGM battery to crank the engine? I am currently running an xs power xp 3000 for the stereo when the boat is off and a quicksilver deep cycle for cranking the boat and running.

[mmandley]

Shutting off the ACR to me, is way different them turning the battery switch off as it should be. The Dual Circuit Plus switch is designed the way it is, for that reason. If you have the dual circuit plus switch, and its off and the ACR combines when the charger is in use, its wired incorrectly. If you have the dual circuit plus switch and its wired correctly, then turning it off will prevent the ACR from combining when the charger is in use. To me, this is not shutting the ACR off, just using the switch as it should.

Fair enough. i guess I call it shutting the ACR Off because other then charging at home I never have to use that switch.

Thanks for the info MLA appreciate it man.

[valleywine]

There is a reason a marine on-board multistage dual bank smart charge is expensive.

How many banks do you have and what the collective Ah of each bank?


1 starter battery and 2 house batteries. The 2 house batteries are Walmart brand and are the group 24 & 29 deep cycle units. I think they ea have a little over 100 ah.

[MLA]

An average Ah for a group-24 DC may be about 65 Ah and for a group-29 DC, about 105. Typically, i like to have 2 like type and size batteries when they are wired together as a single bank. So lets use the combined Ah of a pair of group-29. A 20A dual bank that distributes on demand would be the minimum and a 30A would give you a little more cushion so the charger doesnt work as hard. there are some 3 banks chargers that will work in your application. 2 banks would be connected to the 2 batteries in the house bank. The output of the charger is distributed through the two bank leads as opposed to a single lead if you used a 2-bank charger.

[valleywine]

An average Ah for a group-24 DC may be about 65 Ah and for a group-29 DC, about 105. Typically, i like to have 2 like type and size batteries when they are wired together as a single bank. So lets use the combined Ah of a pair of group-29. A 20A dual bank that distributes on demand would be the minimum and a 30A would give you a little more cushion so the charger doesnt work as hard. there are some 3 banks chargers that will work in your application. 2 banks would be connected to the 2 batteries in the house bank. The output of the charger is distributed through the two bank leads as opposed to a single lead if you used a 2-bank charger.

Could you hook up the two house batts on one side of a 2 bank charger by connecting one lead to the pos on one batt and to neg on the other? The 2 house batts are approx 6-7' apart.

[MLA]

Could you hook up the two house batts on one side of a 2 bank charger by connecting one lead to the pos on one batt and to neg on the other? The 2 house batts are approx 6-7' apart.

Yes. When two or more batteries are wired together, they become one battery. The charger will see them as one large battery and charge them as such. Just note, adding that 2nd battery is like loading that 2nd pallet of bricks in the truck bed. It adds to the load.

[valleywine]

Yes. When two or more batteries are wired together, they become one battery. The charger will see them as one large battery and charge them as such. Just note, adding that 2nd battery is like loading that 2nd pallet of bricks in the truck bed. It adds to the load.


Fair enough. Thanks again for your expertise.

[MoombaPat]

Sorry for a dumb question. I have no experience with the on board battery chargers. How do they work? Where is the battery charger itself getting the charge to pass along to the batteries? I obviously have assumptions but wanted to know the facts.

[mmandley]

They have a AC plug, and you attach an extension cord and plug it into the house.

The point of the onboard is to make charging easier then hooking terminal clips to the batteries each time.