Question about on board charging

[georgia_marine]

I have a 2008 Skeeter. When I purchased it, it came with a 2 bank charger hooked into 2 of the 3 trolling batteries I have. The other trolling battery and cranking battery does not have a charger hooked to it. I am now having issues with the cranking battery not starting up because I have been fishing in an area that I do not run the outboard for very long.

My question is can I purchase another 2 bank charger and hook one bank to the cranking battery and one to the other trolling battery, or will this cause issues? Also any opinions if this does work as to if I would be better spending the extra money and getting a four bank charger would be greatly appreciated.

Semper Fi

[Walkabout7781]

While I think it would be ok to put another charger in there and hook it up to the other two batteries...it seems to me that for space and weight reasons, you should be better off with a 3 or 4 bank charger.

I'd also suggest that you copy and paste your question into either (or both) the main bass boat forum or the electrical/TM forum for a lot more views by guys who know more than I do about onboard chargers (mine is old, and as long as it works, it's not getting replaced).

Be aware that some battery types (conventional lead/acid) like 10 amps and some (gel cells) prefer 15 amps each. I'm a big fan of gel cells, because I can't check the rearward cells for water levels. My charger is a "Dual Pro". When it went TU, I called the factory and they offered me a killer deal on a 15 amp/bank, but I had to send the dead unit back for refurb. There are many newer products out there now.

[mainebassn]

Most chargers, like a Dual Pro, have individual banks so yes you should be able to hook you 2 batteries up no problem, just follow the directions, I suggest a minimun of 10 amps each bank. Also your starting battery is probably dead because you run your electronics, live well on that battery. A long day on the water without running your outboard will drain the starting battery down. Always charge all batteries after each trip and carry booster packor set of jumper cables to jump your starter if needed.

[georgia_marine]

Yeah I learned the lesson of having tools and jumper cables on the boat the hard way. Thanks for all of the info.

[mdtritn21]

What issues would it cause? Its a seperate charger on two different batteries. Get another two bank for $150 or go buy a 4 bank for $400 its up to you. You might as well get a new crank battery if its not holding charge all day.

[SoonerFan]

My boat came with only a 2 bank for just the TM batteries. I would sometimes hook up a small Minn Kota hand held to the starting battery just to top it off. After a trip to the lake in which my starting battery was dead and and too dead to jump start off the TM battery, I broke down and got a 3 bank charger to make sure that everything was getting equally charged.

I also put in a battery on/off switch to prevent battery drain from the electronics and the computer in many modern motors.