Should I Charge My Battery?

[Lasty]

I haven't used my boat for a couple of months (don't ask!) and was wondering whether I should charge my battery. It is a Supercharge battery and the charge indicator is all green.

[Davemmm]

I would touch it up with a trickle charger.

Dave

[Lasty]

I have just got the standard cheapo charger!

[Flightmanager]

Try to start the engine , if it fires off straight away , then your probably OK . If not , stick it on charge overnight.

Actually , stick it on overnight anyway!!

Ross

[jewgaffer]

Hi Ross and Lasty. I was always advised not to let a battery run down especially the dual battery systems. I checked on it with marine battery manufacturers etc and was told that a boat battery should be charged back up to full after use by giving the battery/s a slow trickle charge and this should also be done even if a boat is standing idle for a few weeks. The manufacturers say batteries last longer if they are kept fully charged.

Cheers

jewgaffer

[pjbink]

A solar trickle charger is a good investment.

[caine]

yeah but dont much help when ya keep ya boat in the garage and fish at night all the time

[pjbink]

yeah but dont much help when ya keep ya boat in the garage and fish at night all the time

You don't use them when you out fishing (they get charged from the motor's rectifier in any case) . Also they have long leads on them. One of my boats is under a carport. I just put the solar panel on the carport roof.

[caine]

mmmmm

do you have to disconect the batery for these solar chargers?

Should you trust the ciggy lighter ones.?

[pjbink]

mmmmm

do you have to disconect the batery for these solar chargers?

Should you trust the ciggy lighter ones.?

No, just have the isolation switch in the off position (as you should do anyway).

I'm not sure what you mean by 'ciggy lighter ones', but you get what you pay for. Mine cost about $100 and is about the area of a car number plate. It does a good job in keeping a heavy duty marine battery charged.

[Hooky.]

I have two batteries in my boat, a standard Supercharge marine and a Supercharge Allrounder.

Also have an Allrounder in my 4WD.

The best thing I find is to just rotate the batteries around from car to boat.

Takes all but 5 minutes to swap one over for another and it certainly helps with battery life and keeps things charged all the time.

or

you could go and spend around a few hundred or more on a decent solar panel, although five minutes of ones spare time each fortnight or so may be more financially rewarding.

[Davemmm]

A plug in trickle charger will be lucky to cost you bugger all. They work great and most of them turn off when fully charged.

A solar trickle charger cost a bit more and a lot of the cheaper ones simply put out a constant voltage and dont switch off when our battery is full. Having said that a good solar, slash, zener outfit apparently goes well.

Dave