cheap battery charger solution

[Queenofthenight]

After having bought a generator to charge the batteries on my boat, I have now been told that I should buy a battery charger too. Having spent a fair whack on the gennie, I'm looking to keep costs down on the charger. Is something like this: My link

 

any good? If not, what should I be looking at buying, considering I am on a budget?

 

Thanks.

[blodger]

After having bought a generator to charge the batteries on my boat, I have now been told that I should buy a battery charger too. Having spent a fair whack on the gennie, I'm looking to keep costs down on the charger. Is something like this: My link

 

any good? If not, what should I be looking at buying, considering I am on a budget?

 

Thanks.

No. You would be better served by a 3 or 4 step/stage charger built for the marine or leisure/caravan market because you are not just looking after a starter battery.

 

I think Electroquest on EBay or Amperor do a 18/25 amp one on EBay for under 60 squid.

 

Stirlings are expensive new but occasionally come up 2nd hand.

Edited August 29, 2012 by blodger

[Queenofthenight]

No. You would be better served by a 3 or 4 step/stage charger built for the marine or leisure/caravan market because you are not just looking after a starter battery.

 

I think Electroquest on EBay or Emperor do a 18/25 amp one on EBay for under 60 squid.

 

Stirlings are expensive new but occasionally come up 2nd hand.

 

Ah ok, thanks for that. Also, if I decide to change the batteries on the boat, which I will be doing at some point, will I be able to use the same charger for a different type of battery?

[Richard10002]

After having bought a generator to charge the batteries on my boat, I have now been told that I should buy a battery charger too. Having spent a fair whack on the gennie, I'm looking to keep costs down on the charger. Is something like this: My link

 

any good? If not, what should I be looking at buying, considering I am on a budget?

 

Thanks.

 

Tough call - definitely not a car charger! I would want a charger with a max of at least 50A

 

Having spent a lad on a generator, I wanted the biggest bang for my buck from a charger - I bought a sterling inverter charger, the charger bit having a max of 70A. Prior to that, the boat had a charger with a max of 25A. With the 70A charger, I tend to be thinking of turning it off when the Amps get down to about 20, so would be very frustrated with a less powerful charger.

 

Using my generator and charger, if I let the batteries fall to about 55%, the charger pumps about 70 Ah in just a couple of hours. My bank is 330Ah

[Queenofthenight]

Tough call - definitely not a car charger! I would want a charger with a max of at least 50A

 

Having spent a lad on a generator, I wanted the biggest bang for my buck from a charger - I bought a sterling inverter charger, the charger bit having a max of 70A. Prior to that, the boat had a charger with a max of 25A. With the 70A charger, I tend to be thinking of turning it off when the Amps get down to about 20, so would be very frustrated with a less powerful charger.

 

Using my generator and charger, if I let the batteries fall to about 55%, the charger pumps about 70 Ah in just a couple of hours. My bank is 330Ah

 

Steeling products look great, but they are just too expensive for me at the moment!

[Phil Ambrose]

Bite the bullet and buy a decant 3 or 4 stage charger intended for Marine use, not cheap but you will only have to spend it once. It will look after your batteries which are an expensive bit of kit and you owe it to yourself to give them the best care that you can. I have a Numax 30amp charger for mains use and also a 50amp Sterling Battery to Battery charger for when we are cruising.

 

Phil

[Queenofthenight]

Any thoughts on this?:

 

My link

[blodger]

Ah ok, thanks for that. Also, if I decide to change the batteries on the boat, which I will be doing at some point, will I be able to use the same charger for a different type of battery?

Bog standard cheapo open lead acid batteries are the ones usually recommended on this forum with some dissenters claiming the most expensive type actually offer the best value long term.

The same charger will suit most types though the expensive need to be mollycoddled more, a good reason to avoid them.

50 amp chargers are pretty expensive. For some reason 2 x 20/25a are a lot cheaper. Compromises work quite well

 

Any thoughts on this?:

 

My link

I would say that is almost twice as expensive as it needs be

[Arthur Brown]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FULLY-AUTOMATIC-4-STAGE-MARINE-BATTERY-CHARGER-12V-45A-/130666047099?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_BoatEquipment_Accessories_SM&hash=item1e6c4da67b

 

More amps for a fair price. Lots of others exist.

[Phil Ambrose]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FULLY-AUTOMATIC-4-STAGE-MARINE-BATTERY-CHARGER-12V-45A-/130666047099?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_BoatEquipment_Accessories_SM&hash=item1e6c4da67b

 

More amps for a fair price. Lots of others exist.

 

 

Yes this looks like a good buy.

 

Phil

[Queenofthenight]

Yes this looks like a good buy.

 

Phil

And this would run off the 12v socket of my Kipor? I see they do a 24v version too-would that be better?

[Arthur Brown]

NO! STOP!

Most typical small generators produce 230ish volts and a "12v for battery charging" output. Some of the Kipor models do just this,please check the manual for your generator. HOWEVER the Kipor 12v output is rated at 5 amps which is really tiny in boat battery terms and you have the engine making about 2Kw and only use 12 x 5 = 60 watts of that.

 

Best that you get a mains powered charger and plug it into the mains output on the generator and get say 12v @ 50 amps = 600watts used from the generator and the recharge current will be better for getting the batteries back to fully charged in a reasonably short time.

 

The "battery Charging" output doesn't have the clever regulation that helps bring part charged batteries to fully charged quickly and safely. A "multi-stage" battery charger does.

 

*kipor figures from: http://www.dpgenerators.co.uk/pdf_uploads/kipor_ig1000.pdf

[bottle]

No.

 

The 12v 45amp is what the charger will output.

 

The input is 230v, the 'mains' output of the generator.

 

24v is not better than 12v, it is different your battery bank will either be 12v or 24v so charger has to match.

 

ps. the 12v socket on the generator is only good for running 12v dc equipment up to the stated amperage on the specification sheet.

[blackrose]

And this would run off the 12v socket of my Kipor? I see they do a 24v version too-would that be better?

 

If you're not used to running generators please be extremely careful using petrol. Always refuel the generator off the boat and store petrol either in its own locker (definitely not in the engine room), or if that's not possible then in the gas locker. Those plastic jerry cans will swell in the heat and aren't recommended for long term storage. You can get a decent 5 litre steel one for about 15 quid.

 

Like LPG, petrol fumes are heavier than air, so escaping fumes from refuelling shouldn't be permitted to get into your boat. Ideally the generator should also be run off the boat because of the exhaust fumes (carbon monoxide risk) which can kill you if it blows into your boat.

 

Lastly keep it locked up, even when in use, otherwise it will walk...

Edited August 29, 2012 by blackrose

[pistnbroke]

Ive had one of those refurbished style ones for many years ..the 30 A is only 15 ..it fine for single battereies if you watch it as it goes well over 14.4v if left as its only a transformer and diodes....best get something better for the boat

[onionbargee]

And this would run off the 12v socket of my Kipor? I see they do a 24v version too-would that be better?

 

 

Thanks, that's made my day