[rkerhs409]

I have been wondering what's the best way to charge deep cycle batteries? I have a charger with 3 settings 2A, 10A, and 50A starter. I have always thought that the 2amp setting was best for getting a good charge. But here lately I have been told to charge on 10 amp. Is there really a difference?

Also I have a 24V trolling motor and the batteries are hooked up in series. Can I charge both batteries at the same time with a 12V charger? Or do I need to disconnect them and charge them individually?

Thanks,
Robert

 

[Dani California]

Deep cycles charge well with a 2A charge.

You can charge them without disconnecting as long as you have a 2 bank charger that is rated 12 volts for each bank.

Biggie

 

[redfish bayrat]

Deep cycle batteries are made to discharge slowly and i believe they should be charged the same way. 2 amp for those. Starting batteries are just the opposite. They discharge a large amount of current quickly and need to be charged the same way. (Alternator or 10 amp.)

If you are using a 12 volt charger to do both batteries you will need to hook them up in parallel or charge them one at a time.
Each battery is 12 volt, but when put in series, the output is 24.

 

[sqwaby]

Some batt have a higher internal resistance than others it might be a long time to full charge at that rate. Even with a lower res. If you have a 105 AH batt you might need 20+ hours to get a full charge. The 10 amp charge rate won't hurt any thing.

 

[Crossroads]

Those amp ratings are a max current flow rating. If the charger is built correctly, the current will reduce as the battery charges up until it trickles. The 2 amp setting will take forever to charge a fully deflated battery. I recommend the 10 amp setting for overnight charging on all types unless you're going fishing in an hour or so, then hit the 50 setting. Those deep cyle batteries can be installed in RVs, trucks, boats etc all with a lot more charging capability than the portable charger.

 

[boashna]

most people overcharge their battery. according to my manufacture web 10amp is the correct way. you must charge one at a time or connect both positive and both negative together . the way charge figures when to shut down is by monitoring the intake . when intake slows down it will shut off but it can be wrong and stay on forever due to rust on connections so use a timer as back up or you will cook the battery .

 

[Liljonboat]

Charging Batteries

Always use the lowest possible charge rate. Charging a battery too fast creates heat and deteriotes the plates inside if its a lead acid battery or if its a AGM it will fry the internals and not hold a full charge.

 

[HSP506]

I just purchased a 2 bank Battery Tender for my boat batteries http://batterymart.com/p-battery-tender-12v-1_25a-int-battery-charger-2b.html for $78.00.Now when I put my boat up in my storage I can plug this device into the wall and connect both my batteries up to it and forget about them. They should be fully charged the next time I go to use my boat.

 

[tboltmike]

It is my experience that even a 1 amp charge (mine is on a timer so it charges only 2 hours per day) will evaporate the battery water.
How do you prevent the water from getting too low.

I just purchased a 2 bank Battery Tender for my boat batteries http://batterymart.com/p-battery-tender-12v-1_25a-int-battery-charger-2b.html for $78.00.Now when I put my boat up in my storage I can plug this device into the wall and connect both my batteries up to it and forget about them. They should be fully charged the next time I go to use my boat.

 

[HSP506]

In doing some research before my purchase I did not find anyone that claimed the Battery Tender cooked their battery. I know there was another brand that had a model Dual XL that actually turned off after the battery reached fully charged. But since I didn't find any bad news on the Battery Tender I decided to go that route.

Even if I have to upgrade to the Dual XL I can still make use of the Battery Tender for other batteries I have in my garage for various hobby needs.

 

[Dani California]

The battery tenders are the way to go. The higher rate you use to charge your battery the shorter the life of the battery. Rule of thumb.

Biggie

 

[Freshwaterman]

Is it ok to hook the charger to one battery and turn the purko to both . Will this charge both at the same time?

 

[Dani California]

Is it ok to hook the charger to one battery and turn the purko to both . Will this charge both at the same time?

It depends on if your batteries are connected in a series configuration or a parallel configuration.

Biggie