Battery Charger help, please......

[Liv4Huntin']

I saw this on a previous post... Esox says: ". Deep cycles require a different charging cycle to maximize their life."

Does this mean that we should NOT be charging a deep cycle marine battery with a 'regular' battery charger? I'm new at this part of the game and have been told it's O.K. to use one (regular, car battery charger) and also have been told NOT to.... don't know who to believe. And I don't want to ruin a new battery, or the elec. trolling motor, either !!

Thanks for any help/advise you can give.

~ m ~

[maddog]

I would like to know as well. I use a real little trickle charger on mine. I think it is something like 1 amp, or something like that.........Matt

[Rasdale]

The battery charger that I just bought has a switch on it for regular batteries and deep cycle batteries. So I would say there is a difference.

[ESOX]

http://www.marine-electronics.net/techarticle/battery_faq/b_faq.htm#6

Read this article, it explains a lot about batteries. I have a Minn Kota charger that has settings for wet cell deep cycle, wet cell cranking batteries and gel batteries. I love it, and it cost about the same as a good deep cycle. Since I am maintaining 8 batteries on various watercraft, I consider it a wise investment.

[Walleye Dog]

I have found that a 10 amp auto shut-off charger has worked the best for my deep cycle batteries. The 2 amp works fine if you have the time to wait. The best thing to do is to call the manufacturer for each specific type of battery because they are all different.

I have two maintenence free gel deep cycles and they require a 10 amp charge. The old water batteries I used to use required a 2 amp charge.

[Liv4Huntin']

Many thanks, guys........

Exos: WHEW! That site looks like a lot of DEEP info..... this is looking complicated. Lots of stuff to digest that I never knew had to be considered....... I can see this is going to take some time.

Thanks for the hints and all the help :)

~ m ~

[Beeg]

I have 29 years experience in the electrical repair industry. Until 6 years ago I thought you put a battery charger on a dead battery and charged it. Wrong. I have a trailer in northern Michigan and we only have electric power when the generator is running. I put two deep cycle batteries on my trailer and use them for the water pump and furnace. The blower on the furnace runs whenever the burner is on and after until the heat exchanger cools off, so it really uses the power. I put the batteries on a 2 amp charge and let it go for hours. This way it will be fully charged. Without getting scientific a fast charge will not hold up on a deep cycle battery. I stay in the trailer for days at a time in cold weather and the trailer charger is on only 5 more or less hours a day. Without the initial slowwwwwww charge they will never hold up.