Bass Fishing Forum

General Bass Boat Discussion => Trolling Motors and Batteries => Topic started by: 7TCU on January 08, 2018, 10:28:38 PM

Title: Batteries and chargers?
Post by: 7TCU on January 08, 2018, 10:28:38 PM
I will try to keep it short and I fish about every other day? I have been running standard deep cycle batteries and only getting   6 to 9 months out of a set i maintain water levels with distilled water. My charger was a min kota MK220D now I have a MK 330D both are 10 amps per bank. Trolling motor is a fourtrex 80lbs thrust, I have had it checked out and it is fine. What am I missing.
Title: Re: Batteries and chargers?
Post by: Princeton_Man on January 09, 2018, 04:12:04 AM
There's few possibilities.

1.  When you discharge your TM batteries, you should put them back on charge as soon as possible. Parking the boat and waiting a few days to recharge will drastically reduce the battery's ability to be fully recharged.
(Do you leave the charger connected to maintain the batteries between trips, or do you unplug after they have charged)

2.  ONLY add distilled water to the batteries. Tap water, purified drinking water, Deer Park and other spring water all contain small amounts minerals. Minerals are naturally found in spring water and they are added to purified water to enhance the flavor. Those minerals will build up on the plates and can weaken a battery quickly.

3.  Just because the charger seems to do what it's supposed to doesn't mean it's doing it properly. Lots of things to check there. Assuming the batteries are good, after fully charging the discharged batteries, unplug the charger and check each battery with a Multimeter or VOM. I'd recommend testing two ways. Once with the batteries disconnected and once with them connected. The voltage on each fully charged battery should be 13.0 to 13.8 volts. If that changes when the batteries are connected, you have something pulling them down. Either a short or device drawing from them. (hopefully the only thing attached to the TM batteries is the TM).

If a battery tests less than 13 volts after charging. Use a battery hydrometer to test the acid in each cell. You can pick up a hydrometer at any auto parts store or the auto department of most big box stores. Hydrometer indicators vary, some use floating balls, some use floating stick, and some use a needle indicator. They will indicate if a cell is bad.

4.  Just because the charger is a top quality charger and appears to be working correctly, doesn't mean is it. If either or both batteries test lower than 13 volts when disconnected, the cells all test good, and you only use distilled water, it could be the charger. You can test the output voltage of each bank with the multimeter. THat will only tell you the voltage is correct, it won't tell you if the current rate is what it should be, or if the charger cycles as it should.

Few more things... On a new set of batteries, do you get the expected length of time from them?

What brand of battery?

Are your batteries subjected to freezing temperatures while not being charged?

Title: Re: Batteries and chargers?
Post by: Oldfart9999 on January 09, 2018, 08:08:16 AM
If you have had the problem with more than one set of batteries I'd have the charger checked out.
Rodney
Title: Re: Batteries and chargers?
Post by: Kris on January 09, 2018, 01:13:49 PM
I had gotten a stupendous deal on an MK two bank charger. I believe 210 was the model. It seemed that every battery I hooked it up to you could hear electrolyte boiling rapidly. I only used it a short time and made a deal with a Buddy for it and he seems happy with it. It has been replaced by two used chargers I got from some Friends.
Check the output on the charger and see if might be higher voltage than necessary.
Title: Re: Batteries and chargers?
Post by: SteveTX on January 09, 2018, 01:24:09 PM
Quote from: Princeton_Man on January 09, 2018, 04:12:04 AM

1.  When you discharge your TM batteries, you should put them back on charge as soon as possible. Parking the boat and waiting a few days to recharge will drastically reduce the battery's ability to be fully recharged.
(Do you leave the charger connected to maintain the batteries between trips, or do you unplug after they have charged)
Just curious about this part in bold. Is it better to leave the charger connected to maintain the batteries (I do this), or to unplug?
Title: Re: Batteries and chargers?
Post by: Princeton_Man on January 09, 2018, 01:48:41 PM
Quote from: SteveTX on January 09, 2018, 01:24:09 PM
Just curious about this part in bold. Is it better to leave the charger connected to maintain the batteries (I do this), or to unplug?


It depends on the charger. Most of the better on-board chargers are designed to charge, monitor, and maintain. They don't trickle charge 24/7 like the old battery tenders. That required constantly checking and adding water. They have a computer circuit that monitors, sees a battery drop a little, and applies charge to that battery. Once the charge is complete, it goes back to monitoring.

Some of the older on-board chargers just charged. That required constantly checking and filling. Others charged then went into standby mode. On those, you had to unplug and reconnect to get them to charge again.
Title: Re: Batteries and chargers?
Post by: 7TCU on January 09, 2018, 05:45:36 PM
I always plug in the charger after I return from the lake and unplug once they reach full charge. I monitor water levels and service with distilled water as required. I have had two different chargers both 10 amps per bank.
Title: Re: Batteries and chargers?
Post by: WTodd on January 09, 2018, 06:00:07 PM
I have the MK 2 bank Precision Charger and am convinced it's the best out there. I store my boat away from my house but will charge the batteries before I take it to where I store it; this is what MK recommends.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Batteries and chargers?
Post by: SteveTX on January 09, 2018, 08:56:19 PM
Quote from: Princeton_Man on January 09, 2018, 01:48:41 PM
It depends on the charger. Most of the better on-board chargers are designed to charge, monitor, and maintain. They don't trickle charge 24/7 like the old battery tenders. That required constantly checking and adding water. They have a computer circuit that monitors, sees a battery drop a little, and applies charge to that battery. Once the charge is complete, it goes back to monitoring.

Some of the older on-board chargers just charged. That required constantly checking and filling. Others charged then went into standby mode. On those, you had to unplug and reconnect to get them to charge again.
Thanks I figured some of it had to do with the type of charger/maintainer being used but wanted to verify my thinking.  :)
Title: Re: Batteries and chargers?
Post by: Nutt on January 16, 2018, 01:48:55 PM
I am now having issues with my batteries.  I don't want to hijack the thread, so I will start a new one.  Any advice would be helpful.