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On board charger?

2K views 7 replies 8 participants last post by  SaLtY dAwG 
#1 ·
I want to put a onboard charger on my troller batteries. I have two Trojan SCS225 wired parellel to give 12v to my 55lb Minkkota Endurance Max (12v). Which on board charger will do the best job? I have been looking at the Minnkota and Norco. Is there a better one to look at? Will a single bank work because they are parellel? How many amps do I need? Can I run these off my generator when I'm out fishing and using the troller or will it burn up the troller? My main goal is to be able to come home and plug it in and walk away and have the batteries charged and ready to go the next time I go out. Thanks in advance.
Ben
 
#2 ·
Don't run a standard onboard charger while it's plugged into the genny-most likely it'll fry it. At least that's what happened to one MinnKota I had. A second MinnKota almost cried when I tried it again. Lesson learned!

Converters can run and charge while the genny is pumping juice to them. That may be your answer?
 
#4 ·
Onboard chargers are for shore power charging. They are generally multi-phase chargers that will first charge quickly, top off, and then tend the battery. Those phases can in a high amperage demand situation be hard on the electronics of both the charger and the trolling motor. The bulk charging voltage is typically around 14.6v which may not be healthy for your trolling motor.

There are DC-DC chargers for charging your batteries underway through the starting battery once it is fully charged (over 13v). The source can originate from your outboard, fan alternator, or even the tow vehicle while being trailered. The charging capability is limited first by the capability of the alternator and 2nd by the capability of the DC charger. I have a Stealth1 charger that has done a great job for me but it will only utilize 40 amps of dc current before limiting out. Since my outboard has only a 35 amp alternator it never charges at its full capacity from the outboard. It has an AC power pack that uses the same charging system with shore power.

If your amperage demand exceeds that consistently, you'll be better off using a generator and a couple of rv converters as mentioned above. If you have multi-phase convertors you can charge them via land power once you're off the water but it's noteworthy that PowerMax now has a model specifically made for bowfishing that is a single phase convertor. It's voltage is limited to a consistent 13.4v to maintain your battery levels and operate your lights & trolling motor but you can't use that convertor to top off and tend your batteries. You would still need a multi-phase charger for that.

Some of these guys can probably tell you more about their convertor based systems and how they've worked for them.
 
#5 ·
My main goal is to be able to come home and plug it in and walk away and have the batteries charged and ready to go the next time I go out. Thanks in advance.
Ben
If that's your goal then yes a on board charger will work and easiest if thats all you want. As cc mentioned they arnt meant to be used while using the batteries (I've also burned one up, and heard of another guys catching on fire)
 
#8 ·
I have 2 cabela's 2 bank and they keep my 4 batteries in good shape... no problems with them... I use them only when we are done fishing... we mostly shoot day shoots out west and they are 2 day events once we get back from weight ins I fire up my genny and by morning the next day all my batteries are charged... in 24hour shoots as soon as a set of batteries go dead I switch my new set to the troller and start charging with my onboards on the unhooked set, we can go a full 24hours doing this... converters would be nice at some point but I would need to find a dry spot for them... they do not do well with wet environments vs a Onboard is completely sealed and can be washed down...
 
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