Thread: Batteries
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Old 11-17-2014, 03:02 PM   #5
Capthead
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City: Long Beach, CA
Vessel Name: Heads Up
Vessel Model: Grand Banks 42 Classic
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 956
I have a Xantrex smart charger. The four stage float charger. The one everybody says is the best kind to have. I still only use my charger when my batteries are down. I never leave a charger on. It boils the water and it uses a cycle of life, even the smart ones. I know there will be tons of arguments against this and me.

I put my 6 6 volt Trojans in my boat in 1998. They are done now. Actually there were done a couple of years ago as far as going out on the hook and running the inverter. The point is, batteries have a life cycle and deep cycle or starting batteries only have so many cycles of use. Either you choose to use them with a 100% to 65% cycle before charging or you use them with a 100% 99.99% cycle the smart charger does.

No, I'm not an engineer, I'm a boater than has done this for the last 30 years and I always double the life of any of my friends. I now have a few people who do the same and they are experiencing longer battery life.

I get arguments, the what if....ones. I love what if's.

I had a sears battery that said 48 mos. This was in my first boat. I used it eight years and took it back to sears to get another one and the guy said he never saw one of those before. Must have been a new employee.

If you really have to have the charger going, turn it off when you get aboard and always only use distilled water but keep them topped off. Only put it back on when the voltage drops to 12.4 or so or when you leave if you are that concerned about a catastrophic event.

Good Luck.
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