DC Alternator OnBoard Charger

[tedc54]

I am looking for input on one as I am considering adding one to my boat.

 

Also, can anyone recommend a marina to do this for me?

 

Thanks.

[TileMan Dan]

R u looking for an on board charger for your batteries?

[rolmops]

Does your current engine charge batteries? Or do you have a  pre 1972 magneto engine?

I'm asking this because I'm trying to find out whether you want to keep your batteries charged over the winter,or whether you are looking to add an alternator/generator to your engine?.

[tedc54]

Does your current engine charge batteries? Or do you have a  pre 1972 magneto engine?

I'm asking this because I'm trying to find out whether you want to keep your batteries charged over the winter,or whether you are looking to add an alternator/generator to your engine?.

I am trying to add a charger that will charge my trolling motor batteries while I am running my outboard. Minnkota and others make a unit that does this.

[rolmops]

Your outboard should charge those batteries if they are hooked up the right way. Although,if you are running 24 volts on your trolling motor, it does get a bit complicated

As for the Minnkota battery charger,it works like any other battery charger. It needs to be plugged in to a 110 volt outlet

Edited January 4, 2016 by rolmops

[muskiedreams]

That is probably not a simple question to answer. First you have to have an alternator and voltage regulator on your outboard that is capable. I have a 1990 mercury 75 hp. when I bought the boat in 1996, I installed a 3 bank charger that was set up to charge the batteries from the motor's charging system when the motor is running and it also plugs into ac power to charge with 20 amps per bank. There was a separate wire that connected to the charging system on the outboard to charge the two deep cycle batteries while under way. The first time I used it, the voltage regulator in the outboard fried almost immediately. I found out that the charging system on the outboard is only rated for 15 amps so I figured that it just couldn't handle the added load of the deep cycle batteries. I just disconnected that wire after I replaced the voltage regulator. So now it still charges the main battery while under way but I have to plug into ac power to charge the deep cycle batteries.

 

So I think what it may all boil down to is if the charging system on your outboard has the capacity and is capable of charging all the batteries at once and/or if the charger can automatically switch between batteries to charge them in turn. I think a lot of the newer outboards are equipped with a more robust charging system for that capability. I am not sure if they all are but I know a lot of professional bass anglers have that capability on their boats. Many of them are running a 36v bow mount so the have 4 batteries including the cranking battery. I have heard about people with IOs or inboards adding an extra heavy duty alternator and voltage regulator to handle charging extra batteries.

Edited January 4, 2016 by muskiedreams

[tedc54]

I have a three bank onboard charger on my boat that I plug in at the dock to charge my trolling motor batteries.

 

There is another type of charger i would like to add called an alternator charger that would charge my trolling motor batteries when I am on the water running my outboard motor. My problem is that if I want to fish all day, I have to run in and plug my boat in for a while.

[justtracytrolling]

I have the charger you want made by minn Kota. The way it works is it reads the condition of your main starting motor and if it's good it splits the surplus from your alternator across up to three trolling motor batteries. Works fine if you run your big motor a lot and want your trolling motor batteries topped off. Think they run about 140 bucks and simple to install.

[justtracytrolling]

This charger is by no means a game changer it will take hours of running to charge me just like on shore. New higher amp hour batteries would probably be a better move.

[tedc54]

Thanks for the input. It sounds like it won't help me all that much. I was hoping to use my electric motor to troll for a few hours, run my big motor for a while to charge my batteries back up, and then continue trolling.