New on board battery charger

[Jm526]

Hello guys, I'm in the market for a new dual bank on board battery charger. I would like to stay around the $100 price range, give or take. I was looking at the Minnkota 220D, Promariner prosport, and the NOCO genius. I don't know what to really look for, I just want something to plug in the night before a trip and don't have to worry about it. I'm open to all options and any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks

[RoLo]

I believe you're on the right track

My onboard charger is a Minn Kota 2-bank 15 AMP (MK230PC)

It has been flawless.

 

Roger

[A-Jay]

27 minutes ago, Jm526 said:

Hello guys, I'm in the market for a new dual bank on board battery charger. I would like to stay around the $100 price range, give or take. I was looking at the Minnkota 220D, Promariner prosport, and the NOCO genius. I don't know what to really look for, I just want something to plug in the night before a trip and don't have to worry about it. I'm open to all options and any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 If the "Dual Bank " you're looking to install doesn't include your cranking battery, you may want to consider it.

This might mean going to a 3 bank but doing so adds a higher level of success in reaching your goal (highlighted above) for a small increase in price.

 

I'm a fan of the Dual Pro models myself.

 

A-Jay

 

[Jm526]

24 minutes ago, RoLo said:

I believe you're on the right track

My onboard charger is a Minn Kota 2-bank 15 AMP (MK230PC)

It has been flawless.

 

Roger

 

Thanks

 

6 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 If the "Dual Bank " you're looking to install doesn't include your cranking battery, you may want to consider it.

This might mean going to a 3 bank but doing so adds a higher level of success in reaching your goal (highlighted above) for a small increase in price.

 

I'm a fan of the Dual Pro models myself.

 

A-Jay

 

 

Thanks, they are just for my trolling batteries. I will look into dual pro. thanks

[A-Jay]

4 minutes ago, Jm526 said:

Thanks

 

Thanks, they are just for my trolling batteries. I will look into dual pro. thanks

 

Which is standard procedure for sure.  I'm sure you do know that all your electronics, your live well, Nav lights when used, and any other accessories (beyond the trolling motor) are All powered by your One cranking battery.  Why leave it hanging ?

Throwing a little juice that way each night can't be bad thing. 

A-Jay

[Jm526]

2 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

Which is standard procedure for sure.  I'm sure you do know that all your electronics, your live well, Nav lights when used, and any other accessories (beyond the trolling motor) are All powered by your One cranking battery.  Why leave it hanging ?

Throwing a little juice that way each night can't be bad thing. 

A-Jay

 

I would like to but my trolling batteries are in the front and the cranking in the back. I will have to buy a single bank and put it in the back. Thanks for the concern

 

[iabass8]

A dual pro or Minnkota will work fine but not charging all 3 of your batteries is asking for cranking battery problems down the road. I get wanting to keep things cheap but going cheap on what charges the power to your boat is silly. Unless you routinely make 20 mile runs, you aren't fully charging your cranking battery every time out.  Extending the cables on the charger isn't a difficult job. A single battery charger is also an option. 

[ethan-333]

i recommend going 3 bank. my last boat had a dual bank and my new one a triple bank. definitely worth running wires to it or getting a single bank just for the starting battery beats getting the charger out and your start battery is always juiced

 

that being said ive never had a minnkota charger but most there products seem to be of high quality

[Jm526]

Thanks to all, I decided to go with the minn Kota 210D. I will use a standard battery charger on the cranking until I get a single bank. I would love to get a three bank but running the wires is not possible unless taking the boat apart. It's not a standard boat, it's a custom storm bass boat. Also I live down in south Florida and usually have at least 15-20 mile run every trip. Thanks for all the input I really appreciate it. 

[Further North]

On 1/20/2017 at 7:23 PM, A-Jay said:

 If the "Dual Bank " you're looking to install doesn't include your cranking battery, you may want to consider it.

This might mean going to a 3 bank but doing so adds a higher level of success in reaching your goal (highlighted above) for a small increase in price.

 

I'm a fan of the Dual Pro models myself.

 

A-Jay

 

On 1/20/2017 at 7:39 PM, A-Jay said:

 

Which is standard procedure for sure.  I'm sure you do know that all your electronics, your live well, Nav lights when used, and any other accessories (beyond the trolling motor) are All powered by your One cranking battery.  Why leave it hanging ?

Throwing a little juice that way each night can't be bad thing. 

A-Jay

 

I could not agree more.  Hitting the lake with a less than 100% charged cranking battery is a recipe for eventual failure.  It's not an "if" it's a "when".

 

It's a long way back to the dock on your trolling motor.

 

Any of the top brands will work just fine, I lean towards Minn Kota myself, but that's a dealer influenced decision on my part.  They are all great.

On 1/20/2017 at 7:42 PM, Jm526 said:

I would like to but my trolling batteries are in the front and the cranking in the back. I will have to buy a single bank and put it in the back. Thanks for the concern

 

Nah...you just run longer wires...

[Jm526]

14 hours ago, Further North said:

 

I could not agree more.  Hitting the lake with a less than 100% charged cranking battery is a recipe for eventual failure.  It's not an "if" it's a "when".

 

It's a long way back to the dock on your trolling motor.

 

Any of the top brands will work just fine, I lean towards Minn Kota myself, but that's a dealer influenced decision on my part.  They are all great.

Nah...you just run longer wires...

I cant, it's a old custom boat with no access to the back

[Further North]

10 hours ago, Jm526 said:

I cant, it's a old custom boat with no access to the back

Sometimes you gotta take 'em apart...even...and I know this'll hurt...make some holes.

 

The original wires gotta run somewhere, and I guarantee, there's more room where they run.

 

Even if there's genuinely no way to run wires hidden...run them where you can see them, inside protective tubing tucked up where it's not in the way.

 

Not everything worth doing is easy...

[Zeeter]

On the subject of 3-bank chargers, I have a dual-pro that run to my trolling batteries in the front and my starter in the back. There's an extension cable going back there that I believe runs through the bilge. Not sure. 

 

My dual-pro seems to have crapped the bed. I think it got too wet over the winter. Anyone who is up to speed on my battery situation knows what happened. And waterproof is only waterproof for so long. Banks 1 and 2 are no good. It shows a charge up to 3 or four lights and stays there. I put a trickle charger on there and it indicated that the batteries were fully charged, so I have an unreliable unit.

 

I messaged Dual Pro and am awaiting their response. Ideally they will give me a new unit at a discount. If not, I was thinking of getting another dual pro, but I've been hearing a lot of good things about the Noco 30 amp charger. It gets rave reviews online and it could be that the only thing keeping it from getting rave reviews on message boards is that they haven't been around long enough. 

 

Does anyone have any experience with these? There's been a few bad reviews, but they seemed to be isolated incidents. I've seen bad customer reviews of Dual Pro, too.

[Jm526]

16 hours ago, Zeeter said:

On the subject of 3-bank chargers, I have a dual-pro that run to my trolling batteries in the front and my starter in the back. There's an extension cable going back there that I believe runs through the bilge. Not sure. 

 

My dual-pro seems to have crapped the bed. I think it got too wet over the winter. Anyone who is up to speed on my battery situation knows what happened. And waterproof is only waterproof for so long. Banks 1 and 2 are no good. It shows a charge up to 3 or four lights and stays there. I put a trickle charger on there and it indicated that the batteries were fully charged, so I have an unreliable unit.

 

I messaged Dual Pro and am awaiting their response. Ideally they will give me a new unit at a discount. If not, I was thinking of getting another dual pro, but I've been hearing a lot of good things about the Noco 30 amp charger. It gets rave reviews online and it could be that the only thing keeping it from getting rave reviews on message boards is that they haven't been around long enough. 

 

Does anyone have any experience with these? There's been a few bad reviews, but they seemed to be isolated incidents. I've seen bad customer reviews of Dual Pro, too.

I've got the minn kota and it's been working wonderfully

[Zeeter]

On 4/25/2017 at 10:01 AM, Jm526 said:

I've got the minn kota and it's been working wonderfully

 

I was looking at that and like it. If the Noco doesn't work out I may upgrade to it. 

[Bluebasser86]

I have a Dual Pro Sportsman 3 bank on the way to the house right now because my Minn Kota 330D stopped charging all the batteries.