shore power/battery charging

[doehunter]

I need to install something to charge my batteries at night when I parked in a slip.
I already have solar and it's charge controller but it's not enough to keep up with my demand. My fridge will be running all night.
I have 2 batteries running in parallel and disconnection them is not an option.
So,
I'm looking at on board chargers and most of them say they are like 10 amps but it's 5 amps per battery. I don't have 2 separate batteries. (because they're linked in parallel?)
I'm wondering what others are doing that have a similar set up.
Can I just use the 2 banks on the charger in parallel?

 

[tkanzler]

The chargers I'm familiar with that have 2 or 3 separate 'channels' can be configured for individual batteries, or combined for 12V batteries in parallel. My last boat had a 3-channel charger, with two of them on a pair of batts in parallel, and the third for my backup start battery.

The manufacturer will have information on how to connect to batteries in parallel, if allowable.

There are more sophisticated ways of doing this of course, but I've never had a boat with anything other than 1/2/Both/Off switch, with different combinations of batteries, so that's as far as my experience goes, though it's been fine for my needs for as long as I've been MAIB.

 

[doehunter]

I went shopping today and looked at one 15 amp onboard charger. The instructions only cover having 3 separate batteries, or batteries in series. I wasn't sure about running all 3 charge circuits in parallel, so I put it down.
They had a Guest 10 amp charger that did mention running both charge circuits in parallel for 10 amps on one battery, so I picked that one up.
I guess it'll have to do.
So, I'm thinking put both + wires on one battery and the - wire on the other battery?

 

[Sumner]

I went shopping today and looked at one 15 amp onboard charger. The instructions only cover having 3 separate batteries, or batteries in series. I wasn't sure about running all 3 charge circuits in parallel, so I put it down.
They had a Guest 10 amp charger that did mention running both charge circuits in parallel for 10 amps on one battery, so I picked that one up.
I guess it'll have to do.
So, I'm thinking put both + wires on one battery and the - wire on the other battery?

Lots of possibilities but we might not be right. I'd call Guest (Marinco) and talk to a tech about your specific situation.

If I was doing it without calling I would connect the batteries in parallel like this....

and then put the two outputs from the charger on the positive lead to the top battery and the negative to the negative of the bottom battery. I'd also use a charger with one output, but it sounds like the one you got could be connected like that,

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[Kestle]

That's how I would do it also.

Jeff

 

[doehunter]

Thanx,
The chargers that I found that only have one output are only 5amps.
Since I have 2 batteries and still have lights and a fridge running at night, I wanted the most amps I could get. 5 amps is just barely more than the fridge load. add in the lights and that would basically just keep up and not really charge my batteries.
Sooooo,
I looked for more amps and all of those are set up with 5 amps per battery.
The Guest one is the only one that actually said I could run the 2 circuits in parallel for a 10 amp charge on a single battery.
My thoughts were to set it up like Sumner's picture.

 

[tkanzler]

The Guest one is the only one that actually said I could run the 2 circuits in parallel for a 10 amp charge on a single battery.

There are two versions of that charger, one with mains cord and plug, plus four leads for two batteries (2611A), and the other with just studs for hardwiring (2610A). There's also a 20A (10A + 10A) version (2620A) that can be configured the same way.

http://www.marinco.com/productline/battery-chargers

These aren't very sophisticated chargers. I use the 2611A on mine with just one battery for now, but will split it apart when I get two new batteries in the spring. The OB does a fine job keeping the single battery up the way I use the boat these days, but for long sails with electronics running, a backup battery is nice, and a charger to bring it/them back up, as my Honda has a pretty wimpy alternator.

Oh, and I got the 2611A on sale at WM for around $100. There was no charger on this boat when I got it other than one of those portable jump-start battery/charger combos, so this seemed reasonable as a permanent charger on the cheap.

 

[doehunter]

There are two versions of that charger, one with mains cord and plug, plus four leads for two batteries (2611A), and the other with just studs for hardwiring (2610A). There's also a 20A (10A + 10A) version (2620A) that can be configured the same way.

http://www.marinco.com/productline/battery-chargers

These aren't very sophisticated chargers. I use the 2611A on mine with just one battery for now, but will split it apart when I get two new batteries in the spring. The OB does a fine job keeping the single battery up the way I use the boat these days, but for long sails with electronics running, a backup battery is nice, and a charger to bring it/them back up, as my Honda has a pretty wimpy alternator.


Oh, and I got the 2611A on sale at WM for around $100. There was no charger on this boat when I got it other than one of those portable jump-start battery/charger combos, so this seemed reasonable as a permanent charger on the cheap.

I think the 2611A is the one I bought.
I didn't consider ordering on line. I need to get this installed this weekend.
I just went to the local Academy Sports store. That's the only Guest charger they had. The other ones were Minn Kota. One was 15 amps but it was for 3 batteries and no mention in the manual about running the 3 circuits in parallel across a single battery, and I didn't want to experiment.
(my "single battery" is 2 in parallel)

 

[seaStan]

I have a m26 with 2 batteries and a isolation switch. I use a west marine 30 amp portable smart battery charger which I can take out and use on other batteries when not sailing. It has a 75 amp start mode and conditions the batteries when charging by varying the charge rate. I also have shore power and a 1500 watt converter and solar panels so I am well powered. The only problem I have with the charger is out of the boat when I am charging an old or weak battery. It is too smart for me and it cuts off and won't charge a weak battery which is annoying. It gives me an error code and cuts off. I live on a farm and yes I know the battery is old but my tractor will start if I put a little charge in it.

 

[doehunter]

I went ahead and installed the Guest 2611A yesterday.
It's on the inside of the V berth and out of the way. I also installed a bulkhead type of mount for the plug right there at the end of the port settee. Now I can just plug in an extension cord and I'm charging.
When I was looking for the plug mount I saw a variety of styles and it made me wonder if I'll run into trouble if I pull into a slip and all I have is a normal 110 AC style plug?
The ones I saw were a different shape. "lockable". Is there a standard for shore power plugs?

 

[tkanzler]

IIs there a standard for shore power plugs?

NEMA L5-30, which is a 125V, 30A, 2-pole, 3-wire, grounding, locking plug and matching receptacle. There are also 50A locking types, in both 125V, and 125/250V types, but the ubiquitous locking 125V 30A is the most common.

Oh, and the nominal single-phase voltage as used in your house and on boats in North America is 120V and 240V, but devices (switches, receptacles, etc.) are normally rated for 125 and/or 250V. Just mentioning it as it might confuse.

 

[RonRock]

Wouldn't you want a twist lock while on water? Like the ones tkanzler mentions. Otherwise the cord could come out and drop into the water.

 

[doehunter]

Wouldn't you want a twist lock while on water? Like the ones tkanzler mentions. Otherwise the cord could come out and drop into the water.

When I bought the onboard charger I didn't really know about the connection.
It has a regular plug and showed a bulkhead mount for it. I assumed that was normal for charging.
When I was at WM getting the plug mount I saw the other styles and that's when I started to wonder about what I might see if I over night in a marina somewhere.
I think they had adapters to go from the regular plug to those.
Yep, a lockable one does seem a lot better.

 

[RonRock]

I was thinking something like this,

Only I'd look for one with a cover.