[Rhodes22-list] Dead Battery (Again)

[Leland]

Herb,

"If you decide to hook up a battery charger, I'd strongly 
recommend you bit the bullet, and get a decent marine battery charger, 
and install it."

A friend recommended connecting both batteries to a marine charger connected
to shore power.  He said it wasn't that expensive for parts and I can pay
him in beer for the labor.

I've never turned on my shore power at any of my slips, but my current
marina requires a de-icer.  $400 for the de-icer.  $140 for the themostat. 
$80 for the 30A to 15A convertor (finally figured out my marina outlet
wasn't a 220).  I don't know what the marine charger and beer will cost, but
I'll need a 30 amp extension cord that I'm sure will be about $100.

Worst part is that none of this has anything to do with sailing!

Lee


hparsons wrote:
> 
> You didn't mention whether or not you have a switch to turn off power 
> from your battery to your motor. If not, I would install one.
> 
> I'd suspect that between sub-freezing winter temps and no use, that's 
> what's causing your motor only batter to not hold a charge. Put it on 
> your solar panel charger, even if you don't put in the above mentioned 
> switch, and let it charge during the winter.
> 
> Personally, I would not leave an unattended non-marine battery charger 
> on my boat. If you decide to hook up a battery charger, I'd strongly 
> recommend you bit the bullet, and get a decent marine battery charger, 
> and install it.
> 
> Leland wrote:
>> I seem to ask the same question around this time every year and I hate to
>> beat a dead horse, but I am about ready to start beating my dead battery.
>>
>> I have two batteries and two solar panels.  
>>
>> The cabin battery is for everything but the motor and has both solar
>> panels
>> attached to it.  For three years it has been fully charged, although it
>> is
>> rare that it operates much aside from my depth/fish finder.
>>
>> The motor battery is only for the motor and is hard-wired to the
>> motor--it
>> gets charged by the motor.  All three years it has lost its charge during
>> the winter.  It is also connected to the cabin battery.  Last year there
>> was
>> a charge coming from the cabin battery to the motor battery, but I
>> suspect
>> that it is too low to keep the motor battery charged.
>>
>> I haven't checked the batteries' charges yet nor have I cleaned/checked
>> the
>> connections, but I certainly will.
>>
>> I own a trickle charger that connects to a 110 outlet and I own an AC/DC
>> convertor.
>>
>> I think my new marina only has 220 electrical and I haven't yet purchased
>> an
>> expensive 220 cord nor have I had a need to do so.
>>
>> 1.  Should I re-run the solar panels so that one charges the motor
>> battery
>> and one charges the cabin battery?  I assume there is no danger with the
>> motor battery being hard-wired to the motor.  I don't want to do this if
>> one
>> solar panel won't be strong enough to keep the motor battery charged or
>> if I
>> will risk not being able to keep the cabin battery charged with only one
>> solar panel connected to it instead of two.
>>
>> 2.  Should I break down and buy a 220 cord and use my AC/DC converter and
>> trickle charger to charge the motor battery?  Any dangers to the trickle
>> charger, converter, or battery?
>>
>> 3.  Should I buy one of those rechargeable jumping battery panels to
>> start
>> the motor when the battery is dead?  I was thinking about getting one for
>> my
>> motorcycle anyway.  I hate it when I want to go for a ride or a sail and
>> have to wait for the trickle charger to do its thing.
>>
>> 4.  Any other recommendations?
>>
>> Thanks for your advice.  Just want to make sure the electrical juice is
>> worth the economic squeeze.
>>
>> Lee
>> 1986 Rhodes22  At Ease
>> Kent Island, MD
>>   
> 
> -- 
> Herb Parsons
> 
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