Let Talk Batteries....

[petrey10]

Alright I was thinking today about how awesome its going to be to sitting in party cove listening to my new system in my Tige and realized.... What am I going to do if I run my batteries down? Do I have good enough batteries to sit in party cove for a few hours at a time and not drain the batteries? Well I thought I would post on here and see what you guys use for batteries. I currently have dual batteries without a perko but my new system will have a perko installed and the same two batteries. It may be time to replace my batteries because I just bought the boat last summer and doubt the previous owner spent the dough on batteries. Do I get interstate, optimum marine, stinger, kinetics? Will I need to upgrade my alternator? Do I need a good battery charger? I guess I should have asked these questions when I got the system but it didn't even cross my mind below is my setup


Two KMT6s powered by 08zx450.2
4 KM6000s and one 10 Sony Xplode powered by 08zx700.5
Cheapo head unit that will get upgraded later

[talltigeguy]

There are as many answers as people when it comes to this and it makes my head spin, honestly.

A few points seem to stick out to me as more important:

I like AGM type batteries, because acid won't spill, and they are supposed to withstand a full draw down many more times than even most deep cycle lead acid batteries can do.

A good charger will make the batteries last longer. Something you can plug in when you get home and top the batteries off.

You should have some sort of isolator so that you can draw down one of the battery banks and still have enough juice to start the boat and get you home at the end of the day. There are enough options here to make a man dizzy as well. A simple Perko switch works fine as long as you remember to turn the switch.

If you usually sit at the party cove and have a big system, be prepared to have a boatload of batteries to power it for hours (literally). Some guys have 7+ batteries in their boat for the really big systems.

There is a good start of random thoughts.

[petrey10]

Thanks for that... I have a perko switch that came with my purchase from CHPTHRILL... I was wondering how many batteries I will need because I wouldn't classify my system as really big, maybe above average but not really big.

[talltigeguy]

Might help to calculate an RMS wattage output to put it in perspective. I am running about 1900 Watts RMS. To me, that is a good midsize system.

[petrey10]

well im dumb how do I do that?

[Jason B]

I would recommend using as many batteries as you can afford and can afford to allot the space to. If you're talking about 3 amps and one battery....good luck. I have 4 90$ deep cycle batteries from autozone and 3 big amps. I can easily do 3-4 hours on the water. I do not know exactly how long it will play as I've never tried it. I have a total of 480aH with my stereo bank.

I also hooked up a disconnect to 3 of the stereo bank batteries and a Blue Sea add-a-battery kit with ACR to the fourth battery in the stereo bank. This allows me to charge at least one battery with the boat running so I never run completely out of tunes. My starting battery is seperated from discharge with the ACR.

[petrey10]

again i have two amps... I don't really want to pile 4 batteries in my storage area so that the other thing that is in there is batteries. I am looking for what is needed to play the system for around 4 hours without having to worry about the battery being dead. I will have a separate battery for starting which is why I have the perko switch

[chpthril]

Got your email, and will put some thoughts together on this for you. Need to crunch some numbers on your system, but please dont buy any Optima batteries....they are the MC of batteries........all hype and over priced :D

[Jason B]

oops sorry, thought I read 3 amps. Anyhow, you should be able to get by with three deep cycles then-- I would think.
You're going to have to use some storage space for batteries. There is no way around that. Period. Stereos take power, power comes from batteries, batteries take up space. Period. I use the compartment under the backrest of the bow seat in front of the driver. I found this was my easiest space to live without. You can use the more expensive AGM batteries and that will allow you some flexibility/creativity in how you mount the batteries, but that's about your only choice.

[RID22]

If you want to run your stereo full blast for days and never worry about your boat starting, you have to run golf cart batteries. Everything else is a compromise. I substituted batteries for two summers than finally just bit the bullet and installed golf carts. We never had an issue again. Fortunately, if the boat batteries die, you can start and run the boat of the golf carts or vice versa. If you have the space and $1000 burning a hole in your pocket, it's the only way to go.

It's more than just my two cents because it cost me a lot of money to finally figure this one out. :)

[petrey10]

golf cart batteries huh? Thats interesting and a great idea...


CHPTHRILL- thank you!!!!! And I won't run out and buy anything till I hear from you

[chpthril]

The thing about 6 volt golf cart batteries is that they are big and heavy and it takes 2 wired in series to get 12V, but the Ah's do not sum.

[River Runner]

Get one of these and bring your charger along.

You can crank your tunes all day and night!!!!!!!

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/Images/Models/EU2000i_250x250.jpg

[talltigeguy]

If you want to run your stereo full blast for days and never worry about your boat starting, you have to run golf cart batteries. Everything else is a compromise. I substituted batteries for two summers than finally just bit the bullet and installed golf carts. We never had an issue again. Fortunately, if the boat batteries die, you can start and run the boat of the golf carts or vice versa. If you have the space and $1000 burning a hole in your pocket, it's the only way to go.

It's more than just my two cents because it cost me a lot of money to finally figure this one out. :)

I always thought lead acid golf cart batteries were cheap, no? Why would you need $1000 for golf cart batteries?

The other advantage to AGM is the ability to turn them on their side like someone said above.

I posted a link in the finds from Ebay and Craigslist thread to a Kinetik hc1800 battery for $169 shipped from Sonicelectronix.com. The 1800 is supposed to mean they are capable of powering an 1800 watt system. I don't know for how long, but seems like a pretty decent power plant.

My best guess at your system is that you are at 1650 watts RMS. It will depend on how efficient the amps are if you are pulling a lot of amp hours to get that many watts.

[off2board]

A close friend of mine, who used to work at a car audio store installing systems, and who now works for a car company in thier research and develpment department for audio has a pontoon that he built up. Now...I cant say exactly how many watts he is pulling (not as much as mine :ro:) but I do know he was 2 subs, and 6 6x9's and 3 amps pushing it all. He has 5 normal marine batteries tide together in parellel and runs the all day long (and we have spent many a hours on the boat pushing it) At the end of the day, he plugs his poon in and recharges. (obviously his evenrude isnt going to charge that) (I dont have that luxury). So if you have access to plug in and charge your stuff...that will be the ONLY way you can run all day long and not have to worry about it. Unless you have a smaller system and you are not pushing that many watts.
I agree with others about optima though. They suck. I used them for about 5 years before I new better. Dont get me wrong..they work...but definately not worth the price.

[RID22]

I always thought lead acid golf cart batteries were cheap, no? Why would you need $1000 for golf cart batteries?
.

I didn't install them, my Tige dealer did. I'm sure I paid too much, but if you can do it for less than it makes even more sense. The problem for us was that the alternator could never recharge the batteries at the rate we drained them. If you have a big system and you constantly drain the batteries, they stop holding a charge. I was tired of paying for new expensive batteries. Golf cart batteries can be drained down to zero and back up over and over.

Two 6V batteries have to be installed together as a 12V to make it work, they fill the same space as two regular batteries. We installed ours in the left rear storage compartment next to the other two regular boat batteries. Supposedly you loose that quick punch of a high end AGM, but we never noticed a difference in the sound. It was actually the opposite result, full power all the time.

The golf cart batteries solved all our problems and they absolutely made our stereo crank!!!

[petrey10]

bump for some more suggestions!!

[off2board]

No matter what route you go...car batteries, golf cart batteries gel cell batteries or marine batteries... the only way you'll be able to continuiously enjoy a boat that has an overloaded audio system, is by using an offshore charging station. Your alternator will never in a million years, be able to charge the batteries you need.

[petrey10]

how do the battery chargers work are they onboard? do they charge once you start up or once you get home and plug it into the 110v outlet?


Sorry for my ignorance

[dingleberry]

how do the battery chargers work are they onboard? do they charge once you start up or once you get home and plug it into the 110v outlet?


Sorry for my ignorance
On-board smart chargers will plug into a 110v outlet, charge your batteries, then apply a trickle charge to maintain them.

[thtrog]

On-board smart chargers will plug into a 110v outlet, charge your batteries, then apply a trickle charge to maintain them.

http://www.pmariner.com/Chargers.php

[chpthril]

Pete,

What I included with your order was a Blue Sea ACR Iso/Combiner. This is basically a lazy man's Perko. It will keep the main starting battery and house battery separated when the engine is off, but allow them both to get charged when the engine is running.

Your 2 amps have a potential of a 150A draw running wide open. A rule of thumb number is .5 of that, so you are probably talking a 75A draw at normal listening level.

From there, its a matter of deciding on how long you want to listen, then figuring how many batteries with an Ah ratting of "X" will it take to give you want you want.

The next thing is, once you decide how many batteries it will take, you then need to look at if it's practical to tie them into the engine's alternator or make the battery bank a stand-alone. Too many batteries on a stereo bank, and it will lead to a short life of the alt, not to mention that it will never recharge them any way.

If you want a lot of engine-off play time, and have access to 110, then it may be best to build a stand-alone bank and use an on-board charger to recharge the stereo bank.

If one or two batteries is all you need, then wire them to the alt, and maybe use a small charger to top them off after a long weekend.

[petrey10]

ok I don't understand the onboard charger... does it charge when I get home and plug it into the 110v outlet or does it actually charge when the engine is on? I am thinking I might have to do a stand alone bank which is fine but we boat sometimes 6-7 hours. Is there a way to have the speakers run off of the starting battery and alternator while the boat is running and then just have the stereo run off the bank when the engine is off? I would think that would be the most efficient.

[ajholt7]

Onboard charger charge from 110v outlet.

[petrey10]

ok so my next question when you have a stand alone bank is there a way to run the stereo off the battery and alt when the engine is running?

[petrey10]

CHPTHrill what brand of battery do you recommend that won't break the bank?

[ajholt7]

ok so my next question when you have a stand alone bank is there a way to run the stereo off the battery and alt when the engine is running?

You could just add another perko switch.

[petrey10]

Pete,

What I included with your order was a Blue Sea ACR Iso/Combiner. This is basically a lazy man's Perko. It will keep the main starting battery and house battery separated when the engine is off, but allow them both to get charged when the engine is running.

Your 2 amps have a potential of a 150A draw running wide open. A rule of thumb number is .5 of that, so you are probably talking a 75A draw at normal listening level.

From there, its a matter of deciding on how long you want to listen, then figuring how many batteries with an Ah ratting of "X" will it take to give you want you want.

The next thing is, once you decide how many batteries it will take, you then need to look at if it's practical to tie them into the engine's alternator or make the battery bank a stand-alone. Too many batteries on a stereo bank, and it will lead to a short life of the alt, not to mention that it will never recharge them any way.

If you want a lot of engine-off play time, and have access to 110, then it may be best to build a stand-alone bank and use an on-board charger to recharge the stereo bank.

If one or two batteries is all you need, then wire them to the alt, and maybe use a small charger to top them off after a long weekend.

Im just going to keep the questions rolling so my system will draw probably around 75 Amps per hour so one battery at 75 Ah will last only one hour? So this battery would last a little over an hour on the lake(see link below)

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_7342_Kinetik+HC+1800+-KHC1800%2C+HC1800%2C+KHC+1800-.html

[ajholt7]

I don't know what CHP would recommend but, I have good luck out of the Wal-mart Deep cycles.

[Iwndr]

How long have you been running the Wal Mart batteries AJ?

[ajholt7]

Just a year in my boat. I use the walmart batteries in everything I own though. Not bad batteries for the price.

[thtrog]

Don't bother CHP, he's installing my new system...J/K. I went with Interstate batteries in my boat with one group 29 deep cycle (SRM-29) for the stereo, but I'm not looking for an all day play time. When we are on the water we rarely set for more than 30 minutes at a time. CHP is a great resource and I'm sure he can help.

[Guma]

Interesting discussion, I am looking to get an onboard charger for our new boat.

Does anyone know how the dual battery system is set up from the factory? I got this as an option on the 22Ve.

[Jason B]

ok so my next question when you have a stand alone bank is there a way to run the stereo off the battery and alt when the engine is running?

If you're good with the electrical system you can rig up a cutoff to all but one of the batteries in te stereo bank. That will allow you to cut the additional battery(s) off while the motor is running which will do 3 things for you--
1. charge the one stereo bank battery while the motor runs so that you don't get stuck with NO tunes when your stereo bank dies.
2.allow you to charge all the stereo bank batteries with one charger
3. allow you to combine ALL the batteries to start the motor if your start battery dies

All you need in addition to your Blue-Sea add a battery setup is a battery disconect (or a Perko, but they cost more).

[talltigeguy]

Im just going to keep the questions rolling so my system will draw probably around 75 Amps per hour so one battery at 75 Ah will last only one hour? So this battery would last a little over an hour on the lake(see link below)

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_7342_Kinetik+HC+1800+-KHC1800%2C+HC1800%2C+KHC+1800-.html

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_10462_Kinetik+HC1800+-Special+Application+Version-.html

Don't forget to get the marine version. Has the same specs and is right now on sale for $80 less and has free shipping. Same battery specs as the one you referenced. And it has the posts that are marine ready.

[petrey10]

so was I right tho that the battery with 80Ah will run my setup for just over an hour?

[petrey10]

CHP is a great resource and I'm sure he can help.

yep CHP is the man!!:bo: hopefully he can get me rocking:ro:

[majestic]

Interesting discussion, I am looking to get an onboard charger for our new boat.

Does anyone know how the dual battery system is set up from the factory? I got this as an option on the 22Ve.

I have a onboard charger in my 22ve similiar to this one:

http://www.pmariner.com/productFeature.php?ProductNum=42020

I also have the Tige dual battery option and the onboard charger has worked great for the past 2 years. In the Winter I plug the carger in every couple of weeks and let the charger do its thing. During the summer I plug it in after every trip to the lake, let it charge for a while then take it back to storage lot.
As far as the way the dual batteries are set up, Mine has Interstate batteries one deep cycle and one starting battery with a on off switch. My understanding is all accesories run of the deep cycle and the starting battery is only for starting. My only question to the system is if for some reason the starting battery went dead would the boat be able to start off of the deep cycle?

[petrey10]

haha evidently this topic has a lot of questions!!

[talltigeguy]

I have a onboard charger in my 22ve similiar to this one:

http://www.pmariner.com/productFeature.php?ProductNum=42020

I also have the Tige dual battery option and the onboard charger has worked great for the past 2 years. In the Winter I plug the carger in every couple of weeks and let the charger do its thing. During the summer I plug it in after every trip to the lake, let it charge for a while then take it back to storage lot.
As far as the way the dual batteries are set up, Mine has Interstate batteries one deep cycle and one starting battery with a on off switch. My understanding is all accesories run of the deep cycle and the starting battery is only for starting. My only question to the system is if for some reason the starting battery went dead would the boat be able to start off of the deep cycle?

You should have a Perko switch, right? If you put it on both, then both batteries will get power for starting.

I understand that from about 2007 onward, the Tiges have both a perko and isolator.

[majestic]

You should have a Perko switch, right? If you put it on both, then both batteries will get power for starting.

I understand that from about 2007 onward, the Tiges have both a perko and isolator.

My Perko only has an on/off.

[chpthril]

ok I don't understand the onboard charger... does it charge when I get home and plug it into the 110v outlet or does it actually charge when the engine is on? I am thinking I might have to do a stand alone bank which is fine but we boat sometimes 6-7 hours. Is there a way to have the speakers run off of the starting battery and alternator while the boat is running and then just have the stereo run off the bank when the engine is off? I would think that would be the most efficient.

An "On-Board Charger" is just a battery charger/tender that is installed on the boat that uses shore power to charge the batter(s) when the boat is back in it's slip or plugged up to the hose when home. This is easier then dragging out a charger as well as it's ignition protected.

The only thing to charge the battery(s) when out on the water running is the engine's alternator. But if the stereo's battery bank is too large, then trying to recharge run down batteries will lead too early alt failure. The real deciding factor will be how much play time you want with the engine off. This will determine how many Ah's you need, thus how many batteries. If you spend 6-7 hours running the system, then the last thing you want to do is fire up and let the alt see 2-3 dead deep-cycles. It will never be able to recharge them, and will have a heart attack trying :D so that's why I mentioned the possibility of a stand-alone

ok so my next question when you have a stand alone bank is there a way to run the stereo off the battery and alt when the engine is running?

The Blue Sea ACR will do just this, but it's not a stand-alone if the bank is getting charged by the alternator.

CHPTHrill what brand of battery do you recommend that won't break the bank?

There are only about half a dozon battery manufacturers out there, so, most of what you see are just re-badged at a lesser price. Some are made to lesser specs, but most are just the same. IMO, you cant beat the $$$ V's Ah of a good 'ol marine deep-cycle. The technology has serviced us well for years.

Interesting discussion, I am looking to get an onboard charger for our new boat.

Does anyone know how the dual battery system is set up from the factory? I got this as an option on the 22Ve.

Your boat is set up with a diode type isolator. It allows the alternator to charge both batteries while the engine is running, but keeps the 2 batteries separated when the engine is off. This is a very simple yet effective system. The only real down side to the diode iso's is that they have a about a .7 volt drop across the diodes, so the battery doesnt receive the full output of the alt. For most peeps with a mid-level system, this is never a problem. Even with the .7 drop through the diode, the batteries will see a higher charge from the alt, then what is considered a full charge. The .7 drop just means it will take longer for the alt to recharge a run down stereo battery. And if you have read enough posts on here, i've commented a number of times that this is not what an alternator is designed to do.

I ran 3 battery setup (1 starting and a 2-battery stereo bank) on our Tige EIDB factory setup with the full Tige Tower O power, and only had low battery problems that summer when gas was $4 a gal. We would spend all day Sat and Sun at the sand bar, and by Sunday afternoon, the 2 deep-cycles would get low. Once back at the house, I hooked up the charger. So, as recommended, with any mid to hi draw system, it's best to at least have a charger to bring the batteries back up, and not rely on the alt, or have a complete stand alone battery bank.

[chpthril]

If you're good with the electrical system you can rig up a cutoff to all but one of the batteries in te stereo bank. That will allow you to cut the additional battery(s) off while the motor is running which will do 3 things for you--
1. charge the one stereo bank battery while the motor runs so that you don't get stuck with NO tunes when your stereo bank dies.
2.allow you to charge all the stereo bank batteries with one charger
3. allow you to combine ALL the batteries to start the motor if your start battery dies

All you need in addition to your Blue-Sea add a battery setup is a battery disconect (or a Perko, but they cost more).

All you need to do is add a simple on/off switch between one of the stereo bank batteries and the others, and have this battery be the one that the Blue Sea ACR is wired to. After a long day in the party cove, open the on/off switch to isolate the rest of the run down stereo batteries, then start the boat. The ACR will combine the 2 banks, as normal, but the alt will only "see" one small real low battery, instead of one huge run down battery. The ACR will allow the one stereo battery to get a charge, so the system will keep playing, but the alt is not working overtime on a job at will never complete.

[Guma]

Your boat is set up with a diode type isolator. It allows the alternator to charge both batteries while the engine is running, but keeps the 2 batteries separated when the engine is off. This is a very simple yet effective system. The only real down side to the diode iso's is that they have a about a .7 volt drop across the diodes, so the battery doesnt receive the full output of the alt. For most peeps with a mid-level system, this is never a problem. Even with the .7 drop through the diode, the batteries will see a higher charge from the alt, then what is considered a full charge. The .7 drop just means it will take longer for the alt to recharge a run down stereo battery. And if you have read enough posts on here, i've commented a number of times that this is not what an alternator is designed to do.

I ran 3 battery setup (1 starting and a 2-battery stereo bank) on our Tige EIDB factory setup with the full Tige Tower O power, and only had low battery problems that summer when gas was $4 a gal. We would spend all day Sat and Sun at the sand bar, and by Sunday afternoon, the 2 deep-cycles would get low. Once back at the house, I hooked up the charger. So, as recommended, with any mid to hi draw system, it's best to at least have a charger to bring the batteries back up, and not rely on the alt, or have a complete stand alone battery bank.

Thanks Mike, great explanation of our setup!

I got the Tower O Power for our stereo setup, so it has all the regular cabin speakers, 10" WS sub, and 2 WS on the tower. I believe, and correct me if I am wrong, this is all powered by two WS subs.

Sorry to threadjack but this is some great info!... Are both of my batteries in the same location or is one in the rear locker, and one up by the spotter seat?

[petrey10]

mike you always help with your posts... What kind of Ah should I be looking for in a deep cycle? How big? I am thinking I am going to do one starting battery and then two standalone batteries for the system. What onboard charger do you recommend? I would love one that I could just plug in and leave plugged in so that way I don't have to worry about shutting it off after a certain time.

[Carter13]

mike you always help with your posts... What kind of Ah should I be looking for in a deep cycle? How big? I am thinking I am going to do one starting battery and then two standalone batteries for the system. What onboard charger do you recommend? I would love one that I could just plug in and leave plugged in so that way I don't have to worry about shutting it off after a certain time.

The ProMariner in boat chargers are good ones. Just make sure all your batteries are of the same make, either gel or standard. The charger cannot accept two different kinds of batteries.
I have had one for a year and it has been stellar.

[ajholt7]

X2 on the ProMariner. I have the single bank prosport6 charging two batteries through the Blue Sea ACR.

[Iwndr]

Here is another good thread on this subject

http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3985

[petrey10]

great thread I am going to go through that today if work aint too busy...

I think I might buy the Promariner prosport 8 so I can just top off the two stereo batteries when I put the boat back in my barn

[Jason B]

I think I might buy the Promariner prosport 8 so I can just top off the two stereo batteries when I put the boat back in my barn

Do some research. There are A LOT of complaints with the Promariners not working for long-sometimes even multiple units with the same person. I have no personal experience so I am not "badmouthing" them. Just an FYI that's worth a little consideration. I went with a Xantrex just to be safe; all of their user reviews spoke very well about them.

[petrey10]

well i went with a bass pro model it comes with 2 year warranty is 2 banks at 5 amps each. I will use it to charge my stereo batteries only.

[larryueckert]

i ran my stereo all day and had to get a jump but no one had cables and my jumper was dead 2. so a buddy had this in his boat and 5 min later the boat started no problem... what do youy think about hooking 1 or 2 of these solar panels and when your partying set them out so you get sun to charge the battery's up
http://www.batteryjunction.com/12vsopabachs.html

[H20SKIER14]

I have the same question as larry, I found a marine version http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200306865_200306865 what is everyones opinion on wiring one of these into your stereo bank of batteries?? I would think you would also want to add one of these http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTEProdinfo?productId=200265524&prnbr=336606&storeId=6970&catalogId=4006970&langId=-1

[chpthril]

i ran my stereo all day and had to get a jump but no one had cables and my jumper was dead 2. so a buddy had this in his boat and 5 min later the boat started no problem... what do youy think about hooking 1 or 2 of these solar panels and when your partying set them out so you get sun to charge the battery's up
http://www.batteryjunction.com/12vsopabachs.html

An once of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Does your boat have the EIDB dual battery set? If not, it's time to add stereo battery and isolator.

If you do have a dual battery setup, then you need to relocate the H/U's yellow memory wire to the amp's power wire. This will get it off the starting battery and on the stereo battery. i'm 99% sure that the yellow wire is on the starting battery, this would explain why both went dead.

[larryueckert]

An once of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Does your boat have the EIDB dual battery set? If not, it's time to add stereo battery and isolator.

If you do have a dual battery setup, then you need to relocate the H/U's yellow memory wire to the amp's power wire. This will get it off the starting battery and on the stereo battery. i'm 99% sure that the yellow wire is on the starting battery, this would explain why both went dead.

i just never turn the perko switch :( but i have 3 battery's one for starter and 2 for stereo and i never fully charge the battery's when i get home

[chpthril]

i just never turn the perko switch :( but i have 3 battery's one for starter and 2 for stereo and i never fully charge the battery's when i get home

We need to look into how your system is designed, you shouldn't have to mess with a switch as all.

[wakeatx]

Ok, here's a dumb question. On my perko does it allow both batteries to be charged when I'm running or just the one I have selected? or just the starting battery no matter which one I have selected?

[chpthril]

Ok, here's a dumb question. On my perko does it allow both batteries to be charged when I'm running or just the one I have selected? or just the starting battery no matter which one I have selected?

Well, depends on how it's wired, but in theory, and if wired in a typical fashion, both batteries get charged when the switch is in "Both" position and each individually get charged when the switch is in "1" or "2"

[wakeatx]

Ok, cool. So am I going to overwork my alternator if I make it charge both the crank and the deep cycle when I'm running?

[chpthril]

Ok, cool. So am I going to overwork my alternator if I make it charge both the crank and the deep cycle when I'm running?

Depends on how low you run the deep-cycle down. If you play the system all day with the engine off, or stereo battery isolated by the switch, a short trip back to the dock or ramp will not be enough for the alternator to recharge it. This is were some kind of charger comes in. It all depends on how the system is used.

[petrey10]

yep my charger is on its way... I ended up giving basspro's 2 bank (5amp to each bank) charger a try... its a got warranty so if it dies on me I will send her back.... Now for winter storage will I want to keep it plugged in at all times? Will I want to take the batteries out of the boat (storage gets very cold, soemtimes below zero)?

[petrey10]

o ya and I checked out my local hardware store that has batteries but they only had durabrand starting batteries. I am going to try and go to walmart and see if they have more selection there. Would autozone or NAPA be a good place to check to? Or would they just have car batteries?

[fleetpaint]

The ProMariner in boat chargers are good ones. Just make sure all your batteries are of the same make, either gel or standard. The charger cannot accept two different kinds of batteries.
I have had one for a year and it has been stellar.

Hey carter, Just hooked one of theese up in my friands supra. He has one of each type of battery!...any idea what will happen?

[petrey10]

http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Detail.aspx?R=NBP8331_0056217756

saw this battery on NAPA's website... we got one here locally so I know I could get it ordered if needed... you think two of those babies would be sufficient?

nvm these were 250 some bucks!!!!!!!

[petrey10]

Hey carter, Just hooked one of theese up in my friands supra. He has one of each type of battery!...any idea what will happen?

I didn't think you were supposed to have different types of batteries hooked up to a charger but you might want to go back to the manufacturer's instruction booklet

[ajholt7]

Hey carter, Just hooked one of theese up in my friands supra. He has one of each type of battery!...any idea what will happen?

It will shorten the life of the batteries due to charging rates is what I have been told. I know my charger had a switch to select between the two types.

[Ewok]

Good reading here. I'm looking at getting an on-board charger and I ran across this one:

http://www.batterystuff.com/battery-chargers/12-volt/gel-cell/GU16202.html

It says each bank is programable to each specific type of battery so I can set a profile for AGM and lead acid on each bank individually. Anyone have any experience with this brand of battery charger?

If you remember from my previous battery problems my house battery was dead and I needed a house battery to use my boat. While waiting for my dealer to get back to me about my battery issues, I bought an optima marine deep cycle battery because I read about it on the Tige website that they offer the optima as an option for the house battery (I know now that they are a rip off), and they had one at autozone on sale. I still have the interstate starting battery.

Also, how many volts should the alternator put out? I'm heading to the lake now to figure out of my starting battery is bad or if the alternator might be bad. After 3 hours surfing and cruising yesterday my engine had trouble starting and the volt meter on the instrument cluster read 10.6. Took the battery to an interstate dealer and they charged it, tested it and said it was just weak. I bought a volt meter and I'm going to run the boat to see what voltage is charging the batteries at different rpm's, what numbers are good? The volt meter on the dash says it's putting 13.8-13.9V into the system and I think that is about right but I'm going to check with an independent meter.

Thanks

[talltigeguy]

Good reading here. I'm looking at getting an on-board charger and I ran across this one:

http://www.batterystuff.com/battery-chargers/12-volt/gel-cell/GU16202.html

It says each bank is programable to each specific type of battery so I can set a profile for AGM and lead acid on each bank individually. Anyone have any experience with this brand of battery charger?

If you remember from my previous battery problems my house battery was dead and I needed a house battery to use my boat. While waiting for my dealer to get back to me about my battery issues, I bought an optima marine deep cycle battery because I read about it on the Tige website that they offer the optima as an option for the house battery (I know now that they are a rip off), and they had one at autozone on sale. I still have the interstate starting battery.

Also, how many volts should the alternator put out? I'm heading to the lake now to figure out of my starting battery is bad or if the alternator might be bad. After 3 hours surfing and cruising yesterday my engine had trouble starting and the volt meter on the instrument cluster read 10.6. Took the battery to an interstate dealer and they charged it, tested it and said it was just weak. I bought a volt meter and I'm going to run the boat to see what voltage is charging the batteries at different rpm's, what numbers are good? The volt meter on the dash says it's putting 13.8-13.9V into the system and I think that is about right but I'm going to check with an independent meter.

Thanks

I like the charger. Can you make sure that you isolate the batteries from one another during charging?

Remember that the batteries will be combined when charging with the boat. Never an optimal situation to mix and match batteries, but a good idea to try and isolate them as much as possible. What type of isolator/perko/relay do you have?

[chpthril]

I like the charger. Can you make sure that you isolate the batteries from one another during charging?

Remember that the batteries will be combined when charging with the boat. Never an optimal situation to mix and match batteries, but a good idea to try and isolate them as much as possible. What type of isolator/perko/relay do you have?

Being an 09, it should have a diode type Iso and a main ON/OFF switch.

i'm not familiar with that particular model as my distributor doesnt stock that one, but if the boat does have the factory Iso, they will not combine while charging.

[chpthril]

Good reading here. I'm looking at getting an on-board charger and I ran across this one:

http://www.batterystuff.com/battery-chargers/12-volt/gel-cell/GU16202.html

It says each bank is programable to each specific type of battery so I can set a profile for AGM and lead acid on each bank individually. Anyone have any experience with this brand of battery charger?

If you remember from my previous battery problems my house battery was dead and I needed a house battery to use my boat. While waiting for my dealer to get back to me about my battery issues, I bought an optima marine deep cycle battery because I read about it on the Tige website that they offer the optima as an option for the house battery (I know now that they are a rip off), and they had one at autozone on sale. I still have the interstate starting battery.

Also, how many volts should the alternator put out? I'm heading to the lake now to figure out of my starting battery is bad or if the alternator might be bad. After 3 hours surfing and cruising yesterday my engine had trouble starting and the volt meter on the instrument cluster read 10.6. Took the battery to an interstate dealer and they charged it, tested it and said it was just weak. I bought a volt meter and I'm going to run the boat to see what voltage is charging the batteries at different rpm's, what numbers are good? The volt meter on the dash says it's putting 13.8-13.9V into the system and I think that is about right but I'm going to check with an independent meter.

Thanks

By what method did they test the battery to determin it was week :confused: Batteries are either good or bad, or charged or discharged. In all actuality, if they used the proper tester, they could have deternined it's state before charging to determine is was bad - and toss it, or good - and either disharged or charged.

At idle, you should see a voltage level that is above the level of the batteries static (engine off) voltage level. As the RPMs increase, so should the voltage level from the alt. 13.5+ and even as high as 14.5 is normal.

[Ewok]

By what method did they test the battery to determin it was week :confused: Batteries are either good or bad, or charged or discharged. In all actuality, if they used the proper tester, they could have deternined it's state before charging to determine is was bad - and toss it, or good - and either disharged or charged.

At idle, you should see a voltage level that is above the level of the batteries static (engine off) voltage level. As the RPMs increase, so should the voltage level from the alt. 13.5+ and even as high as 14.5 is normal.

They hooked it up to a hand held battery tester with a load button that they pushed. Napa used a similar tester but it was more of a computer and it said the battery was bad. I bought a volt meter and checked the readings on the lake with the engine running and off.

The battery read 12.5 when I left the interstate dealer and a few hours later was the same when I started the boat at the lake. At idle I was getting 13.9-14 V on the starting battery, 13.8-9 on the house battery. 13.9-14.0 on the lake at @3K rpm. 12.7-8 with the engine off after I pulled it out of the lake. I think these numbers sound about right and I guess the alternator is good. I just can't figure out what discharged the starting battery so bad and why the engine didn't charge it up enough to have a normal start the second time yesterday. All switches were off, and they are off now, I tripple checked. I'm going to be checking the voltage at least everyday and I hope it stays good.

[Nobody]

Might help to calculate an RMS wattage output to put it in perspective. I am running about 1900 Watts RMS. To me, that is a good midsize system.

What about 5000 watts RMS?

[Ewok]

For those who have mounted on-board charges, where did you mount them? I'm going to order that guest charger and I don't want to re-invent the wheel. Also, did you flush mount a plug of some type or just reach into the boat to find a dangling plug and attach the extension cord?

[petrey10]

its hard to describe where I mounted it but basically its the side of the pass. side storage that the opening is on... i no i no bad explaination but it fit perfect and is easy to reach and is still out of the way for storage of towels and vests.

[Fiveflat]

Personally, I like the sound of a permanent onboard charger, but for the cost I'd rather just plug in my portable each evening.

I just setup my stereo system and my boat only had 1 battery. I installed a second, a Perko and that second battery ran dead pretty fast just tuning the 12" sub.
I put it on my charger, watched it charge it back up to 100% and tested the sub. I let it hit hard and with each hard hit I could literally see the guage on the charger fall 5%. I hit it hard until the guage fell to 85% (so 3 hard hits lol) and turned the sub all the way down, turned the towers down and the in-boats up and the 2A trickle let that battery still climb...

[Domsz06]

i had 7 batteries on mine and about 8000 watts in system. ran about 2-4 hrs depending on volume and bass. Never hurts to have more ;)

[robert theisen]

ewok sometimes the auto bilge gets stuck. debris in the float check that. once motor locks up it's just a draw. it's got a connector on port side near taps motor,just unplug it.

[Ewok]

ewok sometimes the auto bilge gets stuck. debris in the float check that. once motor locks up it's just a draw. it's got a connector on port side near taps motor,just unplug it.

Thanks for the tip, I'll look for that. Yesterday I had the battery fully charged and it read 12.6 when I left the boat. This afternoon I took the boat out and the starting battery read 10.5 and the battery switch was OFF. The bilge pump could be the culprit, I'll check that first thing in the morning, but the battery will probably be dead by then.

[Ewok]

On the charger now, it was down to 10.6 when I got to the boat today. I'll let it charge and watch it overnight. When it gets cooler out tonight I'll investigate the float switch on the bilge pump but if my bilge has been dry and the pump has been running its probably burned up right? I do not hear the pump or anything doing anything on the boat when the batteries were connected and all the switches were off.

I'll disconnect the bilge pump and put the battery back in tomorrow morning and see if it holds its charge for 24 hrs. If it does then I get to replace the bilge pump :-(

[chpthril]

On the charger now, it was down to 10.6 when I got to the boat today. I'll let it charge and watch it overnight. When it gets cooler out tonight I'll investigate the float switch on the bilge pump but if my bilge has been dry and the pump has been running its probably burned up right? I do not hear the pump or anything doing anything on the boat when the batteries were connected and all the switches were off.

I'll disconnect the bilge pump and put the battery back in tomorrow morning and see if it holds its charge for 24 hrs. If it does then I get to replace the bilge pump :-(

You've either got a bad battery or about a 5A draw bringing the battery down overnight.

Does the volt meter you have also read amp/current draw? If so, set it in amp mode and put it in between the pos cable and the pos post, with the neg hooked up, and see if it shows a draw.

[Ewok]

Just pulled the battery off the charger and watched the voltage drop on my voltmeter. The battery read 12.5 when I disconnected the charger but the volts just continued to decreased to 11v in about 10min after disconnect. I'll take it to napa again today and get a new battery.

I have an extra deep cycle battery I can hook up to the boat and I can look at the amp discharge if there is any.

At least this hobby keeps you busy, no matter how much money you spend your always running around doing little things keeping the boat running, good thing I love it.

[Ewok]

Determined it's probably not the autobilge. The regular switch turns the bilge pump on/off so the pump is still good, although it's only a 500gph pump, pretty small for this size boat. I hooked up a spare battery in the starting battery position and the autobilge did not turn on. However, I pulled as many panels as I could without taking off the floor and I couldn't find the float switch. On my old boat it was right next to the pump but I couldn't see it. Anyone know where it is mounted in the RZ2?

[chpthril]

Determined it's probably not the autobilge. The regular switch turns the bilge pump on/off so the pump is still good, although it's only a 500gph pump, pretty small for this size boat. I hooked up a spare battery in the starting battery position and the autobilge did not turn on. However, I pulled as many panels as I could without taking off the floor and I couldn't find the float switch. On my old boat it was right next to the pump but I couldn't see it. Anyone know where it is mounted in the RZ2?

It's float-switch/pump assembly.

[Ewok]

It's float-switch/pump assembly.

So its all one self contained unit? Sweet! That will make it easier to change out when I need to because its really not that hard to reach. The bilge pump was directly under the engine on my last boat, very difficult to reach.

Thanks for all the great info/advice.

[Ewok]

The battery charger came today and I'm thinking about the best way to mount it. There is a warning placard on the battery panel cover that says to unplug the batteries before charging. That is not the intent of the on-board charger so a buddy told me as long as I had a physical disconnect switch from the battery to the accessories I would be good to go. As I understand it, the battery On/Off switch in the boat now is only for the starting battery and I would need to add a single pole Perko style on/off switch for the house battery as well. This way I can turn both batteries off in the stern of the boat, plug in the charger and be good to go, does this sound right to the experts? Thanks

[chpthril]

The battery charger came today and I'm thinking about the best way to mount it. There is a warning placard on the battery panel cover that says to unplug the batteries before charging. That is not the intent of the on-board charger so a buddy told me as long as I had a physical disconnect switch from the battery to the accessories I would be good to go. As I understand it, the battery On/Off switch in the boat now is only for the starting battery and I would need to add a single pole Perko style on/off switch for the house battery as well. This way I can turn both batteries off in the stern of the boat, plug in the charger and be good to go, does this sound right to the experts? Thanks

No worries, that is more of a CYA because some large heavy duty type shop chargers can actually put out a high voltage level when placed on high. your on-board charger will not.

[Ewok]

Thanks chpthril

[majestic]

I just turn my on/off switch to off never had any issues. I mounted mine to the back of the removable panel in front of the batteries. When I charge I just open the door lay the panel on the locker floor and let it charge.

[Ewok]

Here are some pics from the install of the battery switch and the charger. I took chpthrils advice and added the switch to cutoff the negative cables going to house battery. There was a ground cable going from the starting battery to the house battery and I put the switch on that cable as well. To sum it all up, I have the return cable from the electrical system and the ground cable from the starting battery going to post number 1 on the Perko switch. Then the common switch from the Perko goes back to the negative terminal on the house battery. Turning the switch off cuts the flow to the ground on the engine block and the battery and turns off ALL of the accessories. I mounted the battery charger to the compartment cover opposite the batteries. I still need to add a little length to the positive lead on the starting battery bank charger but other than that its a perfect fit.

http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af83/EwokHD/88cdc380.jpg
http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af83/EwokHD/2eac95f9.jpg
http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af83/EwokHD/4b55f298.jpg