Dual Battery Setup and Battery Charging

[smile0784]

If you have to buy the tools its probably the same price and quicker to get a expert to do it for 450.
Just think
decent battery cost about $200+ and a 3 way switch is probably $70+. Wiring is probably $40. Battery box $15.

So for 450 for a expert to do it with a warranty is not a bad price.

There is also a switch that i cant remember the name maybe esr. that can flicks the charge between the batterys.
Someone else can tell you exactly what its called.

I have a dual set up and turm the battery switch off at end off the day or next day and havent had a flat battery in a year and a half and only topped it up twice with the car charger.
1. before we went for long trip to top the batterys and once about 5 months later.

[Scraglor]

To be honest, if you are asking the question, you are probably best paying for it to be done

[Hydroman]

There is also a switch that i cant remember the name maybe esr. that can flicks the charge between the batterys.
Someone else can tell you exactly what its called.

They are called a VSR and some will not allow you to start from the house battery. Some people are ok just having the house as a house battery. I like the idea of being able to switch over and start the engine from the house if there is a problem.

[skronkman]

If the $450 includes parts its a good price. There are many ways to skin the dual battery setup cat and you are best to learn them and decide what you want. If you are not handy on the tools then you can ask for help from a mate who is or even on this site. The brand name batteries are all pretty good, just base Your purchase on price and warranty. I have 2 Lion brand batteries that were comparatively cheap ($150 each) and have been excellent. It is mostly to do with how you look after them. Keep them charged with a decent multi stage charger and you should get a good life out of them.

At a minimum you want a good quality battery switch and 2 batteries in battery boxes strapped down securely with heavy duty tinned copper cabling and the lugs on the end should be crimped or soldered. You really want a multistage charger to keep your batteries in order. A CTEK is great if you have money to splurge or if you go to Aldi on the right day you can get one (4 amp I think) pretty cheap that works fine. You can add a VSR at a later date if you desire. For a day tripping fishing boat I don't think it's a requirement.

My advice would be to start with a basic dual battery setup that is composed of good quality components and put together well. Learn it's pros and cons and look after your batteries. This will serve you well. If you decide you want to upgrade in the future then you can add bits on (like VSR) but these are not necessary requirements, they just make things a bit easier.

The old rule of KISS is a good one to apply here, that and battery maintenance will serve you well.

[Sinsemilla]

I used to have a minnkota onboard charger to keep the trolling motor battery charged in the USA. I wonder what is a good onboard charger to use here? Thanks!

CTEK Chargers https://www.ctek.com/au

Cheers, Anth

[purple5ive]

if the price quoted is icluding the supply and fit of 2 marine batteries (make sure its the right size), the cabling and the switch, then just get them to do it.

[purple5ive]

I used to have a minnkota onboard charger to keep the trolling motor battery charged in the USA. I wonder what is a good onboard charger to use here? Thanks!

CTEK Chargers https://www.ctek.com/au

Cheers, Anth

you can still buy the minnkota chargers either through amazon or ebay.

i use a supercheap auto brand 7 stage 15amp charger that does my 120ah trolling motor battery perfectly fine. it has also the setting for lead acid/gel andcalcium type batteries.
my charger however is not onboard, i just charge it when i get home via quick release plugs (no different to it being an onboard charger really)

[skronkman]

Don't ask me why but I have a collection of battery chargers. They have pros and cons. Just for reference I'll list them here is n case anyone is interested.

1. Aldi 4 amp multistage (3 or 4 I think) charger . Cheap, works fine, has 2 charge rates but you need to press a button to start the charge cycle which isn't great for being permanently connected (after a power outage you need to press the button again)

2. Super cheap auto 15 amp multistage (7 I think) charger. Value for money, fast on big batteries, not waterproof, too big for smaller batteries

3. CTEK 10 amp multi stage (7) charger expensive, top of the range, very smart multistage, waterproof, the LED lights are playing up on mine and I'm not 100% sure it's progressing through the stages properly.

4. Super cheap auto 5 amp multistage (3) charger. Seems fine, not waterproof, gave it to a mate for his boat and he has no complaints

5. 2.1 amp projecta constant current charger. Will charge your battery but will also cook it if left on for too long. Not recommended.

I reckon any decent multistage charger (3 stages or more is fine) of around 10 amps is probably good. Waterproof is also a bonus for the salty wet environment of boats. The CTEK has a great name but is on the pricey side and is the only one I have that seems to have issues. The Aldi unit is good value but might be a bit slow for some people's needs, especially if charging multiple batteries at once.

[Sinsemilla]

I used to have a minnkota onboard charger to keep the trolling motor battery charged in the USA. I wonder what is a good onboard charger to use here? Thanks!

CTEK Chargers https://www.ctek.com/au

Cheers, Anth

you can still buy the minnkota chargers either through amazon or ebay.

i use a supercheap auto brand 7 stage 15amp charger that does my 120ah trolling motor battery perfectly fine. it has also the setting for lead acid/gel andcalcium type batteries.
my charger however is not onboard, i just charge it when i get home via quick release plugs (no different to it being an onboard charger really)

You know you can get ctek chargers that hook up to your alternator and makes sure your battery is fully charged all the time. No need to take it out or hook it up when you get home. It does it all while the engine is running

[purple5ive]

yep, my main battery is charged by the outboard (but still managed to go flat few months ago anyway go figure)
for the trolling motor, motorguide advised me not to run the trolling motor on a VSR setup, something about corrosion issues.