Single bank 20-30 amp marine rated charger?

ric · **Posted:** Sat Dec 07, 2013 3:02 pm

Having a hard time finding a single bank ignition rated charger in the 20-30 amp range. I want to onboard a charger for my house batteries (two 6v wired in series) so for a 12v charger it sees it as a single bank. There's 20 amp dual bank chargers everywhere cheap but that does me no good. Ideas?

ric · **Posted:** Sat Dec 07, 2013 3:08 pm

http://sterling-power-usa.com/sterlingp ... pfc-1.aspx

This seems pricey but it would charge my house bank in 10-11 hours (overnight) which is perfectly acceptable.

NiagaraChillin · **Posted:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 12:36 pm

Well outta my expertise level on all the electrical stuff, but what about the weight distribution of the equipment your adding? Will it list to one side or the other? I guess you could add more bottles of booze to even it out.

ric · **Posted:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 12:39 pm

I have 4 batteries in the boat. Two engine, two house. On opposite sides. Boat sits level now lol

Paul I. · **Posted:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 11:21 pm

ric wrote:

I have 4 batteries in the boat. Two engine, two house. On opposite sides. Boat sits level now lol

At 20amps for 10 hours that's 200 amp hours. What is your total amp hours? With 4 batteries, I would go with 3 for the house and 1 to start. You could all ways use any one of the house batteries to start provided you wire it up right.

ProMariner, if you understand you they work this one should fit you needs.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Dec 09, 2013 12:45 am

I have two dual purpose 12v wired in parallel on the engine side. Two 6v deep cycles wired in series on the house side.

Why 6v? Cheaper, lighter. Two 230ah 6v give me 230ah of 12v. At 65lb each that's 130lb for 230ah and $100 each for a total of $200. I can safely use 85% of the capacity of a 6v cell with no damage what so ever so I have a safe 195 amp hours of power. To size that in 12v batteries let's use Optima Blue Top marine deep cycles for example. The biggest/baddest they sell is the D31M. It's 60lb and 75ah. $270 each. Safe discharge limit of 50% or around 38 amp hours. It would take 5 Optima Blue tops to equal the power of two 6v cells. It would weigh 300lb and cost $1350!! 12v cells on a house side is wasteful and pointless.

The house side is independent from the boat but in the future might be connected via. isolator to gain some free charging while the engine is running.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Mon Dec 09, 2013 2:02 pm

ric wrote:

I have two dual purpose 12v wired in parallel on the engine side. Two 6v deep cycles wired in series on the house side.

Why 6v? Cheaper, lighter. Two 230ah 6v give me 230ah of 12v. At 65lb each that's 130lb for 230ah and $100 each for a total of $200. I can safely use 85% of the capacity of a 6v cell with no damage what so ever so I have a safe 195 amp hours of power. To size that in 12v batteries let's use Optima Blue Top marine deep cycles for example. The biggest/baddest they sell is the D31M. It's 60lb and 75ah. $270 each. Safe discharge limit of 50% or around 38 amp hours. It would take 5 Optima Blue tops to equal the power of two 6v cells. It would weigh 300lb and cost $1350!! 12v cells on a house side is wasteful and pointless.

The house side is independent from the boat but in the future might be connected via. isolator to gain some free charging while the engine is running.

And this has what to do with the topic? other than 230AHs of battery(s) and 20 amp charger would take about 10 hours to charge. Thats if there fully discharged! But you don't know that and you make these comments. I think you just like to hear your self talk/write. If you know how to wire it up right and know how to use it, 12volt batteries will do the job as well as 6volt ones. And you have proved that you don't know and JUST think you know.

Hint for you, a 10a charger will work for you as well. The chances of you fully discharging them is slim. Not to mention, as soon as you start your engine they will be charging anyways. Have you replaced your alternator?

NiagaraChillin · **Posted:** Mon Dec 09, 2013 2:48 pm

Paul I. wrote:

And this has what to do with the topic? other than 230AHs of battery(s) and 20 amp charger would take about 10 hours to charge. Thats if there fully discharged! But you don't know that and you make these comments. I think you just like to hear your self talk/write. If you know how to wire it up right and know how to use it, 12volt batteries will do the job as well as 6volt ones. And you have proved that you don't know and JUST think you know.

Hint for you, a 10a charger will work for you as well. The chances of you fully discharging them is slim. Not to mention, as soon as you start your engine they will be charging anyways. Have you replaced your alternator?

Here we go again :roll:

At least ya didn't call him a douche like that "other" poster, lol.

Geez ric, you sure got some fans around here....

Paul I. · **Posted:** Mon Dec 09, 2013 3:38 pm

NiagaraChillin wrote:

Paul I. wrote:

And this has what to do with the topic? other than 230AHs of battery(s) and 20 amp charger would take about 10 hours to charge. Thats if there fully discharged! But you don't know that and you make these comments. I think you just like to hear your self talk/write. If you know how to wire it up right and know how to use it, 12volt batteries will do the job as well as 6volt ones. And you have proved that you don't know and JUST think you know.

Hint for you, a 10a charger will work for you as well. The chances of you fully discharging them is slim. Not to mention, as soon as you start your engine they will be charging anyways. Have you replaced your alternator?

Here we go again :roll:

At least ya didn't call him a douche like that "other" poster, lol.

Geez ric, you sure got some fans around here....

He's like my son! He will ask a question and than AGUE the point. I will make you laugh. We live just out side of Boston and a few miles away from M.I.T. So again my younger son calls me, aske me for advice and then agues the point. I told him that he should "get a job at M.I.T. You coiuld make millions!" This goes on and he is puzzled at my comment. I said "sure, they put you in a room and have everyone on campus come to you with questions!" Again hes puzzled. He says "what?" I said "yes, because you have all the answers to everything and they could use you there. So why are you calling me if you already have the ansewer? Please just go there and get a job, you will make million and get out of my hair."

kd4pbs · **Joined:** Thu Sep 05, 2013 10:34 am **Posts:** 350

My apologies for referring to Ric as a douchebag. Having a daughter, and not thinking of women in the way in which he was talking about them stuck a nerve. That being said, I think Ric is just bouncing ideas off all of us. I think that's a good way to be when coming up with new things to do.
Ric's alright with me, as long as he stays away from any ladies that I know.

ric · **Posted:** Tue Dec 10, 2013 12:04 pm

Yes, I am bouncing around ideas. I'm trying to think of the most efficient way of doing this that won't break my wallet.

My goal for charging is overnight or around 12 hours. That requires a 15-20 amp charger.

ric · **Posted:** Tue Dec 10, 2013 12:18 pm

Oooo. Found this. Very affordable.

http://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SS-15A ... B004ZC3RWC

NiagaraChillin · **Posted:** Tue Dec 10, 2013 12:22 pm

kd4pbs wrote:

My apologies for referring to Ric as a douchebag.

LMAO.....No, I was refering to the "other" other poster. That post has since been removed by moderator though.

But in seriousness, like I said on my Bow Ballast thread, winter brings out the grumps in everyone, and posters tend to get short and harsh with each other. We're all boaters here and we all share a common passion. There ain't a boater here that I wouldn't raft up to, or hang out on the dock with wilst sharing some beverages.

Now back to the regular scheduled thread.

kd4pbs · **Joined:** Thu Sep 05, 2013 10:34 am **Posts:** 350

I think that indeed was I... I went to apologize and it was gone.
Speaking of chargers, looks like mine has failed one of the outputs. May have never worked, since I've not had the boat long enough to figure it out.
Would a charger have to be "ignition rated"? I don't know that there's any exposed switching that happens inside any modern battery charger; perhaps it doesn't have to be a marine specific one? Perhaps simply mount it somewhere out of the engine compartment if you're worried about that?

ric · **Posted:** Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:30 pm

If its exposed to engine fumes, gots to be ignition rated per USCG. That being said, nobody adhears to that rule.

www.iFourWinns.com

Single bank 20-30 amp marine rated charger?

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