Quote:
Originally Posted by zacs
doh, should have looked more closely. I have optima D34Ms... agm
batteries are already off the boat, so much for avoiding the work this year...
but RR, you are saying you use something like this? GUEST ChargePro Weather-Resistant Battery Chargers at West Marine
I am nervous about putting anything on my boat that says "weather resistant" as opposed to waterproof... |
One boat has a Guest 3 bank X 4 amp, about 9 years old, no issues aside from needing to re-crimp the battery connections. It maintains 3 deep cycles on a small CC with an older engine that in all practical terms doesn't charge them on it's own. I plug it in during the summer when not in use..
Other boat has a Cabelas brand, "pro" something, 2 bank X 10 AMP. 6 or 7 years old no issues. It's charging 4 batteries via auto charging relays (each set of starting and house batteries have an auto charging relay in between, two sets, two engines, so either each engine charges one starting and one house or the charger does the same)..
Both are tucked away, one in a console, the other in the cabinet under the drivers seat so they never get wet directly, passively maybe.
If there's concern with safety I'd just plug it into something ground fault protected. The most dangerous thing is definitely messing around with alligator clips around batteries & gasoline fumes, especially in low light conditions like sub-deck areas of a boat.
I think Cabelas is a place to go looking for them, definitely cheaper than West Marine.. Maybe they even do make waterproof or submersible models..
At one point I was pulling 7 batteries a year, even with the chargers, then realized it was just a chit-ton of backbreaking work. Realized it's easier to run an extension cord!
Not to mention it requires removing the cables, cleaning, and re-installing again and again. Simpler to clean them up nice once, cover the terminals with liquid electrical tape, and to leave them installed until the battery actually needs to be replaced.
Jon