Re Charging Batteries
Submitted by pharlap on Tue, 2012-01-03 21:07
While I'm on a roll picking up info I thought I'd keep going.
What's the go with re charging your boat battery, I don't have a dual battery system "yet" so I want to keep what I've got on deck.
I was following another thread here, and it mentioned that somebody forgot to put the battery on charge after the last trip.
Is that normal practice for boaties and fishos to do ? Should I be re charging after every trip out, or should it be done once every three odd months or something ?
And if so can you charge with your normal car battery type charger, like I would charge a car battery ?
I have a Delkor marine battery, and I have noticed it does not have the caps to unscrew while it is charging, like a car battery, what's the go there ?
Cheers.
CCC
Posts: 539
Date Joined: 29/03/10
Someone correct me if i,m
Someone correct me if i,m wrong but i dont believe there is a need to unscrew the caps when charging. My reasoning for this is you dont unscrew them when the motor is charging them?
As for charging at home, I dont charge mine but I use it at least once a week.
chookc
Posts: 442
Date Joined: 07/01/10
Good practise and good for the battery
Your marine battery is most probably a sealed type battery. Ie liquid can't escape if it falls over.. Just charge as you would a car battery.. Disconect and take out of boat if possible to charge...
I always throw my battery on charge after every trip out. and give it a boost every three to four weeks if the boat hasn't been used..... or throw it on charge the night before going out. That way you won't have that dreaded dead battery at the ramp or stuck out wide after a day's drifting for fish with 2 ways radio gps and sounder going to drain it and not have enough power to crank your motor over.....
CCC
Posts: 539
Date Joined: 29/03/10
Im Interested as to why you
Im Interested as to why you charge when you get home? Wouldnt it be fully charged from the run home to the ramp?
chookc
Posts: 442
Date Joined: 07/01/10
not if yoou have been out on
not if yoou have been out on the water anchored or drfiting all day with the vhf and 27mg going the radio/cd/mp3 on the sounder gps bilge etc etc....
And if the run home is only short not enough to fully recharge them..
Was once told that a car takes 15-20 minutes to recharge the amount of charge you use just to start the car. Plus its much better for your battery to ramin fully charged then half drained. Wil get more life out of it
CCC
Posts: 539
Date Joined: 29/03/10
Makes sense, i think becuase
Makes sense, i think becuase i use mine every week at least once it may be the reason that i,ve never had any trouble.
kempy
Posts: 810
Date Joined: 28/05/09
Wish we could get ours out
Wish we could get ours out everyweek.
Dinkum Auto Electrical A/C & Mechanical Unit 10/16 Kent way Malaga 0438755754 Also Mobile
Open 7 days except when we are fishn For all your auto electrical needs
kempy
Posts: 810
Date Joined: 28/05/09
Always best to have the
Always best to have the batterys charged as batterys dont like being flat and they wont last anywhere near as long I would charge when you get home and then a couple of days before you go out again to top them up.
Dinkum Auto Electrical A/C & Mechanical Unit 10/16 Kent way Malaga 0438755754 Also Mobile
Open 7 days except when we are fishn For all your auto electrical needs
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
Charging
Most outboard alternators don't put much charge back into the batteries to cover all the electronics we love, I put mine on charge when I get back, but I leave it connected in the boat. If I am a few weeks between trips I give it a charge the night before
Bluedog
Posts: 251
Date Joined: 28/07/11
Chookc has covered all bases
Chookc has covered all bases for you, and yep you have a sealed battery so no need to unscrew anything. Everything else is exactly what I do.
UncutTriggerInWA
Posts: 2692
Date Joined: 05/09/08
Why assume?
If you life depends on your battery it's best you recharge regardless IMO. After doing all the cleaning up after a trip out wide why is it such an imposition to take the battery out and put it on charge? If it is charged, the charger will shut down anyway. Better to go out knowing the battery is full than assuming it is. yes???
Vince.
Work smart and fish often.
Member and die-hard supporter of the mighty West Coast Eagles.
CCC
Posts: 539
Date Joined: 29/03/10
.
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CCC
Posts: 539
Date Joined: 29/03/10
..
..
wazzbat
Posts: 977
Date Joined: 19/01/10
We were told when we bought
We were told when we bought our battery that you should always have a charger on your battery when you aren't using it.
Just make sure that your charger has a trickle charge function on it.
By doing this, you're battery will last a lot longer apparently?
I fish for the future - Cause I can't bloody catch anything!
Tomcat
Posts: 614
Date Joined: 24/02/11
Chargers
Yes I installed a smart charger in boat always plug in after fishing have AGM batteries and at 350$ it pays to look after them
Terry
Posts: 458
Date Joined: 04/12/05
Solar
I have a small solar panel that I use for keeping the batteries topped up.
It is to small to do the 2 batteries together so I just swap them over each week or so.
Our boat doesnt get a lot of use so keeping the batteries topped up is a must.
The batteries are now 7 years old and as good as when I purchased them.
I had them tested about 3 months ago to confirm this.
kempy
Posts: 810
Date Joined: 28/05/09
I would be thinking time for
I would be thinking time for some new ones at 7 years old as thats pretty old for batteries.
Dinkum Auto Electrical A/C & Mechanical Unit 10/16 Kent way Malaga 0438755754 Also Mobile
Open 7 days except when we are fishn For all your auto electrical needs
Terry
Posts: 458
Date Joined: 04/12/05
good as
'The batteries are now 7 years old and as good as when I purchased them.
I had them tested about 3 months ago to confirm this.'
My last boat was 10 yo when I sold it and with the original batteries too.
If you buy quality batteries and look after them they will last.
Test them regulary to confirm their status.
I take mine to the outlet where I buy them and they load and capacity test for free.
thesupervisor
Posts: 1136
Date Joined: 10/06/09
another thing to rember 2
another thing to rember 2 stroke moters dont have a alternater they use a rectifyer they are not as efficent at charging compared to alernaters
getting the bottom line final answer from a bunch of blokes that use false names and put smiley faces at the end of paragraphs is not the best place in the world to get the information you seek.
Feral
Posts: 1508
Date Joined: 01/11/06
Can I please just add a
Can I please just add a little note to this thread .. please remove the batteries from your boats while recharging them .. one of the regular guys here had their boat destroyed by fire while recharging .. not something any of us want to see happen again
Juiced Up
Posts: 36
Date Joined: 04/01/12
Wow! What would cause that?
Wow! What would cause that?
Go the Eagles.
kempy
Posts: 810
Date Joined: 28/05/09
I think the charger
I think the charger overheated and set fire to the carpet
Dinkum Auto Electrical A/C & Mechanical Unit 10/16 Kent way Malaga 0438755754 Also Mobile
Open 7 days except when we are fishn For all your auto electrical needs
Feral
Posts: 1508
Date Joined: 01/11/06
Batteries can heat up while
Batteries can heat up while charging .. and they also release explosive gases ..
chookc
Posts: 442
Date Joined: 07/01/10
also have been told not to
also have been told not to put the battery directly onto the concrete floor. Can't remeber the reason but always put them onto some wood etc now...
kempy
Posts: 810
Date Joined: 28/05/09
Its a common misconception
Its a common misconception they use to back in the olden days but modern batteries this is no problem.
Dinkum Auto Electrical A/C & Mechanical Unit 10/16 Kent way Malaga 0438755754 Also Mobile
Open 7 days except when we are fishn For all your auto electrical needs
davidbland50
Posts: 392
Date Joined: 24/07/11
Second battery
Well worth investing in a second battery to run your accessories. That way, you can almost guarantee that your primary battery will start your motor after being out for awhile. Make sure you have a battery isolator switch and follow the directions in its installation and operation.
Wherever you go, there you are
CCC
Posts: 539
Date Joined: 29/03/10
Agree, i have a dual battery
Agree, i have a dual battery set up. When i rundown the coast upon arriving at the place i,m going to stay i isolate one battery so that i have a fully charged back up
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
Consider a decent solar panel
Consider a decent solar panel instalation to keep the batteries topped up all the time.