wrote in message
oups.com...
The difference is pretty simple. Since you have more than one battery,
an onboard charger is the way to go. It will charge, monitor, and
maintain each battery as if each had it's own charger.

Sound good to me. Seem like an onboard charger is the way to go.

You can also buy models that handle one 12V and one 24V
at the same time (or other configurations) that are common
on bass boats that have a 12V starting battery and a 24V or
36V deep cycle trolling motor battery.

This sounds odd. If they only have one battery for starting engine,
and another 24V or 36V battery for the trolling motor. Then all the
other electronic equipments (such as fish-finder, VHF radio) may have
to connect to the 12V battery that is supposed for starting engine.
This doesn't sound like something that I would want to do.

The other thing is that I cannot find any 24V battery. Seem like
people tend to use two 12V batteries in serie to make a 24V system.
This kind of make sense. Then we can use those two 12V batteries as
backup just in case the starting battery and the house battery both go
dead. This is just that two 12V batteries may be a bit too heavy and
take too much room. I am just hoping that I can find one single 24V
battery, and I am still looking.

I would never charge two batteries with a conventional battery charger
at the same time. They are never the same so while on is starving for a
charge, the other may overheat - or worse.

Good to know that the onboard charger has this benefit. Thanks.

I have decided to get an onboard charger tomorrow. The onboard charger
will charge those two existing 12V batteries. In the future when I get
a 24V trolling motor and two 12V batteries for the trolling motor, I
will get another onboard charger to charge those two new trolling motor
batteries. This sounds like a plan.

Jay Chan


You can find a 24v battery, but you would not want to pay for it. Get 2 12V
deep cycle batteries. Walmart sells them for about $50-60. Warranteed for
2 years full replacement I think. Run the trolling motor off these
batteries, and keep a set of jumper cables in the boat and if the single
starting battery is dead, jump it. If you already have duel batteries, just
run the trolling motor batteries separate. I have Grp 30 size batteries on
a Minn Kota 65AP, but I may go 3 days without recharging. Since I store the
boat where there is no power, I pull the batteries and charge at home. I
use a Vector 1092 smart charger. About $65 and does a great job. Much
better job than the Shumacher I replaced.

You can find a 24v battery, but you would not want to pay for it. Get 2 12V
deep cycle batteries. Walmart sells them for about $50-60. Warranteed for
2 years full replacement I think.

This explains the reason why I cannot find any 24V battery in local
marine supply stores. This means I should forget about using one
single 24V battery, and should concentrate on getting two 12V batteries
that are much less costly.

Run the trolling motor off these batteries, and keep a set of jumper
cables in the boat and if the single starting battery is dead, jump it.

I assume the way to jump a dead battery in the boat is exactly the same
as jumping a dead battery in a car (honestly I had done this multiple
times to my car because I tend to forget to turn off the headlight).
This sounds easy enough. Thanks for this suggestion. This means I
will have a set of backup batteries ready to go in case the starting
battery goes dead.

If you already have duel batteries, just run the trolling motor batteries separate.

This sounds like a good way to avoid messing up the existing battery
connection while still keeping the option of jumping started the dead
starting battery with a set of jumper cables. This is quite likely the
way that I will go. Thanks.

Jay Chan