Battery Tender for winter help
 

So I keep my boat outside during the winter but remove the batteries. This year one of the batteries was dead when I re installed it. So im looking into some battery tenders to keep then charged during the winter. I have the blue top optimas and was wondering if anyone has experience with a tender. They may be called trickle chargers. Ive found a ton of different info and am having trouble making a decision and finding the product i need.

Any help woudl be great. Ive been told i need one for 1.25Amp, not the 750Amp ones.



Thanks
Rob

I use this http://www.harborfreight.com/15-amp-...ner-99857.html on a two battery setup on a Perko switch in my boat. I connect the charger to "battery 1" keep the battery switch in the "All" position and plug the boat up after use. It works perfectly for much less $ than a "battery tender" brand charger. If you search online you can normally find a 20% off coupon for HF which puts the price of that charger at $16.

Thanks for the help. But, im looking for one I can put in my garage or house. Im not near the boat and the power to the dock is off during the winter.

Rob - Why not get something that cover all aspects of charging. This would be bulk, absorption and maintance.

A 1.25 amp charger is not really what you want for 110 amp hours of batteries. I doubt it offers enough voltage to keep the batteries from allowig sulfur to build up on the plates which is what kills batteries.

My suggestion would be to go with the promariner line for a little more money. Get a dual bank charger and hook up each battery to a bank. You can get you a pro sport 8 or pro sport 12 online for about 100 bucks.

Murph is right. I got a pro mariner and was one of the best things next to getting a second battery I have done on my boat. 100 bones plug it in and leave it and not worry about it. DONE.

This was my original idea but i do not have power on my dock during the winter. So I dont think this is an option. Im looking for more of a stand alone unit that i can hook a battery up to in my house and plug it into the wall. House has power. I would prob need 2 for each battery.

there shouldnt be anything wrong with using the Pro Mariner or similar multi bank charger in your garage right? that is what I was planning on doing this winter.. anyone see anything wrong with that?

So why not buy a two bank promariner and use it at the house for the time being? You can add to it and when you get power at the dock install it in the boat.

Over the winter I pull my batteries and use something like this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/15140190?a...l5=pla&veh=sem

Just switch batteries every couple of days and you'll be fine come spring.

Think spending a little bit more money and not having to mess with it all winter is worth the coin.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...rds=promariner

i use a cheap walmart trickle charger with duel batteries switched to ALL have for many years never a problem

does the boat get enough sun for a solar charger/tender ?

Rob,
You are getting some good advice here by spending a little more for a dual-bank three-phase charger of a little more amperage capacity than a trickle/tender/maintenance charger. It works in the home exactly as it would in the boat. But it is a multi-application 'SMART' charger.
A trickle charger is just fine for a battery that is placed into storage fully charged (at 12.8 volts for an AGM) like for a third car, tractor, motorcycle, etc. Sulphation is not an issue when the battery is already fully charged and your only concern is keeping pace with the 2 to 3 percent per month self discharge.
The deciding factor should be what the resting voltage of the batteries are once removed from the boat and any charging voltage has had a chance to dissipate. If you are measuring 12.5 volts or below I would definitely depend on the conditioning benefit of a larger charger. Optima states no more than 10 amps capacity per each battery and I would consider 6 amps per each group 34 battery enough. A ProSport 12 would be fine. Optima also recommends Ctek chargers for their AGMs. They perform a little stronger than their amperage specs in respect to conditioning because they utilize pulse technology. You could use two 3-amp models.

David
Earmark Marine

Thanks for all the responses. David, do you have a link to what your talking about? Ive googled ProSport 12 but seem to come up with this.

http://www.amazon.com/ProMariner-amp.../dp/B001BSRLPW

Is that what you are refering to?. And this can be installed in my boat as well correct? Also would this only hold 1 battery or could it do two at a time??

Again thanks for all the help. Very much appreciated!!
Rob

oh maybe what j.bob posted is the 2 battery charger. Thanks J.bob missed that initially.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...rds=promariner

Rob,
That's it. Basically the two are the same charger with a different amperage capacity.
Yes, either will charge two batteries independently and simultaneously.
Yes, they will work at home or in the boat.

David
Earmark Marine

Perfect,
Thanks!!

C-teks!!! Always on board......

i have a question, i have 4 group 24s, deep cycle, not sure the brand, but my stereo marine shop did it and used the xantrex truecharger 2, its only 10amp, but xantrex recommended it and said to just plug it in and go. I have used it all year on and off and had no problems, never lost battery power, but i am not sure about the perko switch. I have alway kept it off. do i have to keep it on 1? its a vsr in a new enzo 244 2012. I am not the stereo battery guru so any info would help. thanks

You are spending a lot of money for this I think. I have a $40 black and decker 3 stage charger. You don't need to keep them hooked up all winter. I personally would not want to leave a battery charger capable of exploding a battery hooked up. I know it will adjust the current, but electronics fail sometimes and it could just start juicing the battery until it boils and or burns.

GOOD BATTERIES DON'T LOSE MUCH CHARGE OVER THE WINTER FROM MONTH TO MONTH. I put mine on my charger once per month or less in the winter and the charger usually goes into trickle mode within 1 or 2 minutes and shuts off after 10. So it's barely giving it any charge. I love gadgets as well, but I don't think this stuff is necessary if your not into spending a lot.

I use the Schumacher XCS15 15/10/2-Amp Marine Battery Charger...Suits my needs for a moderate two battery system!

I guess im the only one here that just winterizes my boat, turns the battery switch off, and stores it for the winter. In the spring, I just through a trickle charger on it the day before I plan on taking it out for the first time that year, and im set for the rest of the summer. After having my boat for 6 years, I've only replaced the battery once 1 year ago. I just don't see having a battery charger plugged in all the time unless i was running a heater down in the bilge through the winter.