Can y’all please provide some insight into these devices? Do I need both? If so, which should I purchase first? What brand(s) do y’all recommend? As usual, thanks in advance for your ■■■■■■■■.
“I’m not a hundred percent in love with your tone right now…”
From what I remember about your boat, yes you should get both. There’s a good charger in the swap shop section for sale.
http://old.charlestonfishing.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=147178
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
Every boat with a battery or 2 should have a cut-off switch or selector switch, 1-2-Both-Off. Onboard chargers are optional, switch is not to me. On my boat I have 2 battery switches, and when I seldom need a charger I use a portable one. The boat I’m building now has every option known to man, including 2 - 2 bank on board chargers. I wouldn’t do it myself, they are very heavy and bulky. Convenient, but it takes fuel to carry the extra 40 pounds around every day and waste the space you could carry lunch or bait or tackle, and increase draft when you aren’t even using them until you are back at the dock, or home.
The customer is always right 
I would install a battery selector switch for sure, and skip the on board charger unless it is a large enough boat that 40 pounds and 2 cubic feet of space doesn’t matter.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Bart, one good thing about having a battery switch is you can cut all power to the boat from one spot! I left a switch on once for about 2 weeks and completely drained 2 battery’s! Messed up a fishing trip one day.
quote:
Bart, one good thing about having a battery switch is you can cut all power to the boat from one spot!
There is one exception that I always make to that rule. I want to cut off everything on the boat except for the automatic bilge pump circuit. It is the only thing I don’t wire through the switch. That way you can leave it in the water over night at a dock, power off to everything and the pumps will still run if necessary.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Another thought on that, thinking way back 25 years. I worked at a couple of different large marinas with dry stack inside storage and it was required by our insurance regulations that every boat in the inside storage facility have a battery cut off switch. It was the fork lift operator’s job to make sure it was turned off before it went inside with 300 other boats.
You also asked what brand. I like Blue Sea http://www.bluesea.com/
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
A second on Bluesea systems. The conductors are tin plate copper (not brass like many others) and the price is reasonable. They have a compact size line of switches which would be sufficient for most any outboard boat…
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160 w/ 90 ETEC “JB3”
Native Manta Ray 14
On board chargers are simply waterproofed chargers that reside on the boat and can plugged in back at the dock or garage. They come in with different amperage ratings, multiple banks for multiple batteries, and often have “smart” features that assess the battery condition and supply a trickle charge when needed. I installed a 3-Bank, 2 for my trolling motor batteries and 1 for my house battery. I plug it up when I get home from fishing and can leave it plugged up for days without worry. When I get ready to go again, a quick glance at the glowing green lights lets me know that my batteries are good. Much more convenient that having to remember to charge one battery, then another if you have multiple batteries on the boat. YMMV depending on how many and the use of your batteries on the water.
16’ High Tide Flats (Green) w/Yamaha 90
Wilderness Ride 135
Wilderness Tarpon 120
quote:
On board chargers are simply waterproofed chargers that reside on the boat and can plugged in back at the dock or garage.
Yes, we know that:wink: My point is why carry around the weight and bulk of it in the boat all day, when it could be sitting in the garage or on the dock when you get back home? Either way you still have to hook up a plug or 2 to charge them. A quality 4 bank charger weighs 40 pounds and requires considerable space. Why carry it all day wasting space, adding draft, using more fuel, when it could sit on a shelf in the garage and connect with 2 clips when you get home and do the same thing?
A larger boat that lives in the water 24/7 yes, smaller trailer boat, no IMO.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
quote:Pretty sure that you have never met Bart.
Originally posted by Cracker Larryquote:
On board chargers are simply waterproofed chargers that reside on the boat and can plugged in back at the dock or garage.
Yes, we know that:wink: My point is why carry around the weight and bulk of it in the boat all day, when it could be sitting in the garage or on the dock when you get back home? Either way you still have to hook up a plug or 2 to charge them. A quality 4 bank charger weighs 40 pounds and requires considerable space. Why carry it all day wasting space, adding draft, using more fuel, when it could sit on a shelf in the garage and connect with 2 clips when you get home and do the same thing?
A larger boat that lives in the water 24/7 yes, smaller trailer boat, no IMO.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Having met Bart, I would say, keep a cranking battery in his full control (home/truck) and making sure (by whatever devise) that it is fully charged and installed before all trips, is the starting point. And make sure the a new 2-Battery Switch is maintained clean.
Got your point Larry and wouldn’t argue with a man of your experience, but my 3 bank charger weighs 11.5lbs. http://www.geniuschargers.com/GEN3/specs and even on my little Flat’s boat is the least of my concerns. I don’t know if they make portable models with multi-banks, but this seems to be working for me and alleviating a lot of aggravation with going forgetting to go out in the middle of the night to move the charger from one battery to the next.
16’ High Tide Flats (Green) w/Yamaha 90
Wilderness Ride 135
Wilderness Tarpon 120
Thanks for all the ■■■■■■■■, y’all. Cracker and HB, another guy whose opinion I regard as the Gospel recommended Blue Seas, so I’ll definitely be picking up one of their battery switches.
BiggerthanYours, where did we meet?
“I’m not a hundred percent in love with your tone right now…”
I was thinking about getting a 2 bank charger for my 16’ Lund, but really have no place/room to mount one. Then I thought I would get one and just put it in the boat after I get home & plug it in. Would I be better off just to get a Battery Tender for 2 batteries?
Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069
Bob, I think that would depend on how fast you want to charge your batteries. The Battery Tender 2 Bank units are 1.25 Amp per hour per battery… The Noco Genius I use provide 10 Amp per hour per bank and you could always use alligator clips instead of the rings that come on the units. Here’s a review that convinced me to get one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFSogZOBi38
This one’s 6lbs and 4Amps Per Bank: http://www.geniuschargers.com/GENMini2/specs
I’ve been happy with my Noco Genius but as long as you’ve got the time between trips for a full recharge, I’ve heard good reviews of the Battery Tender units as well.
16’ High Tide Flats (Green) w/Yamaha 90
Wilderness Ride 135
Wilderness Tarpon 120
Bart, yes on the battery switch and yes, wire the bilge pump directly to the battery, not to the switch. Here are a few more points on the charger:
I have the Stealth 1 charger which is light weight and will charge the trolling batteries off the outboard once the starting battery is charged. It is expensive but works very well and quickly. There are several scenarios where the onboard charger is handy so depends on your type of fishing trips. If you fish locally and the boat is back in your garage every night then a portable charger makes a lot of sense. If you have to park it outside then I would opt for the onboard charger. For me, if I am in the Keys for a week with a dock behind the house, I can plug in the cord and not worry about where to put the charger so it doesn’t get rained on. If I am in a motel somewhere and can park close enough to an outlet I can plug it in and keep all my lockers locked. That would deter most thieves from stealing the charger. For instance, when we fish the Roanoke during the striper run we stay in a motel that supplies outdoor electrical outlets all down the parking area. The area we fish is close to the ramp so the outboard doesn’t run long enough to charge the trolling batteries. Bottom line is that batteries last longer if not repeatedly deeply discharged so if you do more than one day trips, charge them up whether you use an onboard or portable.
I plan on living forever, so far so good
Egret 167, Etec 130
Wooden Driftboat
Jon Boat & 2 Canoes
Who would you recommend on installing one of these. I am taking my boat to a drydock facility and they are requiring it to have one in place. Presently keep the boat at a lock up on Daniel Island. The boat storage place wants 150.00 labor to install one.
Thanks, Jim
SEAPRO 220 W/ 150 YAMMIE
quote:Happy to tell you. First, where did you meet the other guys?
Originally posted by Black BartThanks for all the ■■■■■■■■, y’all. Cracker and HB, another guy whose opinion I regard as the Gospel recommended Blue Seas, so I’ll definitely be picking up one of their battery switches.
BiggerthanYours, where did we meet?
“I’m not a hundred percent in love with your tone right now…”
My Sea Hunt has a bilge that comes on and checks for water in the bilge.hate that thing it killed my battery.
Stonoman
Joe, I hope you mean that it turns on when the float goes up high enough to need the water pumped out? I’ve never, ever, heard of one that turns on and checks for water. The water level in the bilge, makes the float turn it on. Your getting water in the bilge from somewhere!
quote:
Originally posted by BiggerthanYoursquote:Happy to tell you. First, where did you meet the other guys?
Originally posted by Black BartThanks for all the ■■■■■■■■, y’all. Cracker and HB, another guy whose opinion I regard as the Gospel recommended Blue Seas, so I’ll definitely be picking up one of their battery switches.
BiggerthanYours, where did we meet?
“I’m not a hundred percent in love with your tone right now…”
Which guys? I’m getting confused?..
“I’m not a hundred percent in love with your tone right now…”