I just bough a 24v Ipilot to replace my 12v V2. With 3 batteries to charge after each trip I decided it’s time for an onboard charger. Are there any brands to stay away from? I’ve been looking at ProMariner, Guest, and Minn Kota. Also would 5 amps per bank be enough to charge the batteries over night?
Thanks
Tom
Check this one out. It works great! http://www.stealth1charging.com. Great investment.
On the other hand, I have this one sitting in my garage, I will sell it for $175 OBO. Regular price in amazon $220.Excellent condition.
NOCO GEN3 Black 12-36V 3-Bank On-Board Battery Charger
Sportsman Heritage 229 CC
Yamaha 200 HP
Jeremiah 29:11 !!
Tom,
I’ve used both Guest and MinnKota with very good success. You probably want 10 amps per bank, though.
Rick K
There are two different designs on the market (maybe more) for multi-bank chargers. One design is a single charger with an auto switch which floats between the banks, and I believe it sends the power to the battery with the least charge. These are lighter and more compact, but have their weaknesses in charging times and failing to charge your other batteries if one battery is not taking a charge or is weak. The other design is a housing with separate charges… If it is a 3 bank, there are 3 fully independent chargers, all in a single housing and with a single power supply. I have the latter, it is a Dual Pro and is American made, in Tennessee if I recall. These take up more space and are heavier, but charge equally to all batteries as soon as they are connected, which is an advantage. I would recommend at least 10 amps per bank as well.
I bought a set of 3 like-new Schumacher marine battery chargers with digital displays and 2, 6, and 12 amp settings for std, agm, and gel cell batteries off ebay with free shipping for less than 60 bucks. I understand the appeal of being able to just plug in a power chord when you get back from the water and expecting your batteries to be charged the next time you go but it will bite you eventually. I go through the hassle of dragging out my chargers, untangling chords, and disconnecting my battery terminals to charge my batteries each trip but I always know voltage and % charge and duration of time needed to charge my batteries and will never get caught off guard that I had a battery that was dead or low on water. On-board chargers are too expensive for my taste and I’d be curious to hear the expectations out there of how long they will last. In my opinion, I hear more fisherman that have on-board chargers get caught on the water with a dead battery, than I do…and I generally have 4 sometimes 5 batteries on board at all times… I would be sick to have to replace a $220 onboard charger but I know several guys that have done it…
Team Shad Up & Fish
I’ve spent about 85% of my life’s wages on fishing, the rest I just wasted…
Woody I have the same type and I have no problems.
I have 2 two bank on board chargers. One is a Guest 12 amp (6 amp/bank)which charges 2 31 series AGM batteries and the other charger is a 10 amp Dual Pro(5 amps/bank) that charges 27 series Interstate batteries. The Guest charger is 9 years old and I am on my second Dual Pro charger. The first one lasted about 5 years. When I come in at the end of the day I plug the chargers in and most of the time they are charged before I go to bed. The AGM batteries run only the 24v trolling motor and the Interstate batteries (house batteries) run everything else which includes bait tank, satelitte radio, vhf radio. The cranking battery runs the navigation lights, lowrance and bilge pump. Jim Gibbs installed an automatic switch that when the cranking battery is charged it switches to charge the house batteries. Both my chargers are wired so that I only have to make one connection to plug in both chargers.
I install chargers at rate of 2 per month. I recommend you stay away from Professional Mariner (ProMariner). Everyone I have ever installed has failed. Every one. No tech support…as they cannot be repaired.
Guest is good…Charles is better. Xantrex is good if you have the big $$$. I have the following Dual Pro Sportsman Series in my boat and think for the $$$, it is the best out there for our type of battery cycling and price range.
http://www.batterymart.com/p-dual-pro-se-12-24-36v-30a-battery-charger-3b.html
I buy them from BatteryMart.com, and the are one of the only battery chargers in our range/uses that can be repaired…even out of warranty.
I see Marshall had a Dual Pro fail. I had one I installed fail after 2 1/2 years because the owner crossed the cables, melting the charger leads behind the fuses. Dual Pro made it good under the 3 year warranty. I’ve installed at least 20 or 25 of these Dual Pro Sportsman Series chargers in 2-bank, 3-bank and 4-bank configurations and had only that one fail.
By the way…if you spend the big $$$ on a Minn Kota smart charger, realize that MK uses proprietary wiring in each lead for the smart function, and that lead is susceptible to failure from prolonged exposure to moisture. The only way for the charger to work is with their leads. To get a replacement lead, you have to call MK Tech Support and beg them for a set they’ve cut off an old charger. Just a FYI…it’s a great charger til the leads corrode.
Some folks like kicknfish swear by the Stealth chargers. I know some here in Beaufort that love 'em and some that hate 'em. It all comes down to what trips your trigger. 
By the way…when batteries fail other than from age…it’s usually because they weren’t charged properly and the electrolyte wasn’t checked in the wet cell varieties. T’ain’t the charger’s fault most times.
OH…Just visited BatteryMart and see they are offering rebates on all 4 Dual Pro Sportsman Series charger…and I swear I knew nothing about that before posting!