In-boat dual battery charger/tender?

[sly_karma]

Looking for recommendations for hull-mounted charger that can maintain and/or recharge my two group 24 flooded batteries, one starter, one house. I have a Blue Sea ACR and shutoff switch installed. Power is a 130 Etec and a 9.9 Merc 4 stroke with electric start.

Will I need to change any of the existing wiring?

 

[zurk]

victron https://www.victronenergy.com/chargers/blue-smart-ip65-charger

connect it to your alternator output.

 

[bigbruce]

https://www.amazon.ca/NOCO-GEN5X2-Fully-Automatic-Temperature-Compensation/dp/B08G3STB1N/ref=asc_df_B08G3STB1N/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459879188282&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5210653774429614213&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1001890&hvtargid=pla-1070162692981&psc=1

connects to each of your batteries

 

[Brando]

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08G3STB1N...d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams

 

[BC Coast Pilot]

Why would you connect to alternator output and not directly to the battery?

victron https://www.victronenergy.com/chargers/blue-smart-ip65-charger

connect it to your alternator output.

 

[zurk]

Why would you connect to alternator output and not directly to the battery?

his boat has 2 batteries and an acr.

 

[BC Coast Pilot]

his boat has 2 batteries and an acr.

Ya. So why not connect the charger to start battery directly? Or even better...a 2 bank charger?

 

[kingblazer84]

Looking for recommendations for hull-mounted charger that can maintain and/or recharge my two group 24 flooded batteries, one starter, one house. I have a Blue Sea ACR and shutoff switch installed. Power is a 130 Etec and a 9.9 Merc 4 stroke with electric start.

Will I need to change any of the existing wiring?

Wally look at the noco genius 2 bank charger series

 

[zurk]

then it wont charge both batteries...

 

[kaelc]

I went with the victron two bank charger, but the three is a nice option to give you the option of adding a trolling motor or house battery https://a.co/d/iviZnjm

Nice thing about the victron is you can check if it's working with Bluetooth, don't have to climb into the boat and look.

 

[Matty4x4]

I went with a 2 bank NOCO. Wires directly to each battery. It’s programable for battery type and it goes on sale at canadian tire from time to time.

 

[BC Coast Pilot]

then it wont charge both batteries...

And it won't charge either with the battery switch off when wired to the alternator?
However with the battery switch off and a charger installed to battery 1.. the acr would sense the charge on battery 1 and combine to charge battery 2 no?
That being said. If you wired a charger to the alternator and disconnected the batteries you may be buying a new alternator.

 

[sly_karma]

And it won't charge either with the battery switch off when wired to the alternator?
However with the battery switch off and a charger installed to battery 1.. the acr would sense the charge on battery 1 and combine to charge battery 2 no?
That being said. If you wired a charger to the alternator and disconnected the batteries you may be buying a new alternator.

I've been using a Noco automotive charger I had in my shop to charge. (Some pesky micro load will drain the house battery if the boat isn't used for 3-4 weeks). I directly clamp on to battery terminals and it charges one battery only. This is with the Blue Sea switch in Off position. Hadnt thought to try charging while in the On position, perhaps the ACR would see charging voltage on one side and close the relay to deliver charge to both batteries. I'm not sure where in the system it measures input voltage.

Thanks everyone, I'll look into those recommendations. I like the concept of a compact charger permanently mounted under the transom ready to plug in for maintenance charging of both batteries. Need to protect that house battery; nowhere to practically use paper charts in a 19 ft runabout, so those MFD screens are almost as important as preserving the starter battery.