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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Battery Trickle Chargers

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bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1776 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/25/2007 : 13:23:06

As I live in New England my C-25 is now on the hard, covered and resting up for next season. One of those winter issues I am now dealing with is battery storage and more specifically what type of battery trickle charge/maintenance "charger" should I get for my two deep cycle batteries. I am looking for a simple and relatively inexpensive device for maintaining batteries over the winter months -- not a true rapid charger. What do other's do for battery storage and maintenance? Is their a specific brand or type of charger I should be looking at -- or not considering? I welcome any advise from this sage association of com-padres.

Peter

Peter Bigelow
C-25 TR/FK #2092 Limerick
Rowayton, Ct
Port Captain: Rowayton/Norwalk/Darien CT

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 11/25/2007 : 16:00:27

For battery maintenance I have a 1.5 amp Shumacher (sp?) 'Smart Charger' from Autozone. About $25. Works fine. It services a Johnson Controls deep-cycle battery that came out of a big computer room UPS unit.

Edited by - on

Bubba
Admiral

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USA
542 Posts

Response Posted - 11/25/2007 : 18:11:08

I have a similar 1-amp battery maintainer purchased at an auto parts store. I have two deep cycle batteries and made a couple of simple jumper wires to hook them up in parallel. It keeps them at full charge all winter.

Edited by - on

DanM
Captain

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USA
256 Posts

Response Posted - 11/27/2007 : 08:29:50

For the past few winters I have been using the 2amp trickle setting on the Sears multi-function charger/starter that I've owned for many years. I ran it a few days per month to keep the batteries topped off. The batteries were not holding their charge as long this past summer, maybe getting past their useful life.
My son and his friends have had good results with small float chargers, Chicago part #42292 from Harbor Freight, when storing their motorcycles and snowmobiles. Cost about $5.00 and they just leave it attached. I just looked at one of them, but can't see an output rating on the label.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/27/2007 : 08:56:14

Mine stay in the boat with the onboard charger running all winter, I just run shore power off my house current. I love having my boat at the house for the winter.
A friend bought one of the Sears, $29.99 DieHard Battery Charger/Maintainer, it has worked great. She has the Hunter 25.5 which has a house battery in the cabin and a starting battery in a lazerette, the charger comes with Three swapable connectors. The terminal connectors stay on her house battery and she has the charger cable plugged into that most of the time. When she needs to charge the starting battery she uses the clamp tail and takes the charger to the cockpit.
[url="http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02871219000P?vName=Automotive&cName=Batteries+%26+Chargers&sName=Battery+Chargers+%26+Boosters"]charger/maintainer[/url]

Edited by - Frank Hopper on 11/27/2007 09:01:10

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 11/27/2007 : 09:14:16

Thanks for that Frank, Sounds like a workable charger for very little $!! They're out of stock right now but I'll get one when they restock

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/27/2007 : 10:38:06

They are out of stock on line, check with your local Sears Automotive Department.

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bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/27/2007 : 11:22:17

Thanks all

Based on the comments I went to Wallmart and bought a 2v battery maintainer for $18.95. If it works well I might get a second so both batteries have a dedicated system working and I don't overload (e.g. they last longer) the maintainer. Wallmart sells both Schumacher and Black & Decker brands.

Peter

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yamahapacifi
Deckhand

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USA
4 Posts

Response Posted - 11/27/2007 : 11:50:53

"Mine stay in the boat with the onboard charger running all winter, I just run shore power off my house current. I love having my boat at the house for the winter."

Frank, how are you able to connect the shore power to your house current? I know that the better charging systems (i.e. Xantrex) will take 100VAC~260VAC input, but how did you find the cabling to go from a 110VAC house outlet to your shore power inlet?

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 11/27/2007 : 12:35:09

West Marine sells adapters.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/27/2007 : 12:49:00

Howdy,
Shore power for a typical 25' boat is 110 volt @ 30 amp. All I have to do is not draw more than the 15 amps that my outlet is rated for and a charger draws very little. As for the plug, I have an adapter that is very common. I also have a receptacle that I should install so I will not need the adapter but hey, it is pretty far down the list.

Edited by - on

Gambit
Navigator

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USA
160 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2008 : 15:28:52

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Bubba
 I have a similar 1-amp battery maintainer purchased at an auto parts store. I have two deep cycle batteries and made a couple of simple jumper wires to hook them up in parallel. It keeps them at full charge all winter.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I have been meaning to ask, how specifically do you hook them up in parallel? Just hot to hot and so forth?

I now have a pop-up battery to keep charged over the winter as well.

Thanks,

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2008 : 16:36:44

Yes, positive-to-positive and negative-to-negative. Here is a useful link.

[url="http://www.engineersedge.com/battery/lead_acid_battery.htm"]Parallel and Serial[/url]

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