when it comes to keeping batteries charged on the boat. The cost of good converters and gennies along with the number of converters, batteries, and trolling motors burning up has kept me looking for a better answer and I think I've found it for me. Researching on the go charging, one brand and one name kept coming up as the guru of charging that solves all problems. Try as I might, I could find not even an iffy review much less a bad one of the product, the customer service, or the warranty. The charging system is called Stealth1 and it was designed and is marketed by a gentleman named Danny Roberts. I sent Danny my tentative charging plan and within an hour he returned my email with a diagram that he suggested I incorporate into my own. I had a hard time wrapping my head around his so I called him a 2nd time and he spent a solid hour on the phone with me going over and explaining how it all worked. It took him a while but he finally got it through my thick head. No need for isolators, automatic charge relays, and a 4 bank charger.
I started off with as much reserve capacity as I felt I could justify purchasing so that I won't be so much forcing a system to keep as I will simply be keeping it topped off. For the money, four Trojan T-145 at $600 provide 530 minutes @ 25 amps. That's 35 to 40% of the price of Lifetime or Rolls Surrette or other high end batteries. I picked up the 31 Group Duracell AGM's from Sam's as my starter and house batteries. They each have 210 minutes @ 25 amps reserve capacity.
I set my system and switches up to provide remote junction posts for the starter and house duties so I can switch the batteries back and forth or combine them for either or both the duties. The Stealth1 DC Unit turns on anytime there it finds 13V in the starting battery. It charges the 24V bank. The 1st half of the 24V bank equalizes with the house battery. The 24V charging system makes the 2nd half equalize to the 1st half. Combine the two 12V batteries on the Start junction and they equalize as well. The Stealth1 AC Unit is a 2 bank 12V charger that connects to the two 12V batteries. Again, when the DC Unit recognizes 13V from the starter battery it begins charging the 24V bank. From what I've read most owners rarely find it necessary to plug the unit in. There's also a trailer harness available so your system charges while you trailer your boat as well. One of the things that really sold me is that it only requires a jumper on the DC unit to turn it into a 36V charger.
Just wanted to share for the folks that are trying to use battery power to get through the night.
I started off with as much reserve capacity as I felt I could justify purchasing so that I won't be so much forcing a system to keep as I will simply be keeping it topped off. For the money, four Trojan T-145 at $600 provide 530 minutes @ 25 amps. That's 35 to 40% of the price of Lifetime or Rolls Surrette or other high end batteries. I picked up the 31 Group Duracell AGM's from Sam's as my starter and house batteries. They each have 210 minutes @ 25 amps reserve capacity.
I set my system and switches up to provide remote junction posts for the starter and house duties so I can switch the batteries back and forth or combine them for either or both the duties. The Stealth1 DC Unit turns on anytime there it finds 13V in the starting battery. It charges the 24V bank. The 1st half of the 24V bank equalizes with the house battery. The 24V charging system makes the 2nd half equalize to the 1st half. Combine the two 12V batteries on the Start junction and they equalize as well. The Stealth1 AC Unit is a 2 bank 12V charger that connects to the two 12V batteries. Again, when the DC Unit recognizes 13V from the starter battery it begins charging the 24V bank. From what I've read most owners rarely find it necessary to plug the unit in. There's also a trailer harness available so your system charges while you trailer your boat as well. One of the things that really sold me is that it only requires a jumper on the DC unit to turn it into a 36V charger.
Just wanted to share for the folks that are trying to use battery power to get through the night.
