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Author Topic:   Charging dual batteries

Mullet posted 09-16-2001 05:34 PM ET (US)
Haven't used the boat for about three weeks and batteries were dead as a doornail today. I am sure I left something on. I usually charge by hooking the trickle charger to either battery and turning the battery switch to "both". However, today, I tried that and the charger made a loud hum, (louder than ususal) and apparently reset itself. Hooked to the other battery same thing. Isolated battey #1 and still the hum. Isolated battery #2 and appears to be charging normally. Boat functioned flawlessly the last time we used and all cabling seems to be in good shape. Also, this is the first tike this battery charger made this loud of a humm. Am going to get both checked tomorrow but wonder if any of you have ever run into this. Yes, I did try to search first.
simonmeridew posted 09-16-2001 08:47 PM ET (US)
Mullet:
It sounds to me like you need at least one new battery, probably two. Sometimes when a regular battery(not as often with a deep cycle battery) anyway, when a battery is drawn down fully(totally uncharged) and especially an older one, the plates sulfate up with a really hard lead sulfate and when you put a big charge to it, the pieces of lead sulfate break loose instead of disolving like they usually do. These hard pieces drop to the bottom of the battery(inside of course) and sometimes will cause a dead short so when you try to put a charge on the battery you're trying to charge against no resistance and you exceed the ampere capacity of the charger by a great deal, the breaker pops and voila. Solution: new battery. The other battery might be able to sneak by for this year, but don't trust your life with it. Around here (Northern Vermont),it's the end of the boating season so treat yourself to two new combination batteries in the Spring. Just my 2 cents.
simonmeridew
Mullet posted 09-17-2001 08:29 AM ET (US)
Thanks, one battery came back just fine. I think you are right on the other. My only problem is that we boat almost year round so I guess I'll go ahead and "treat" myself. Thanks again.
Kim posted 09-28-2001 12:10 AM ET (US)
the way I charge my batt.'s
I put a perco water prouf plug or a two prong plug . one small and one lg. on the plug. on the out side of the consell. and hooked it to the fuse block ! pos.&neg. now I have a plug / that I can use for the spot light, elct.reels or any other thing I might need to run on 12V.
now.. I cut the wires on my batt. charger and put a male and feamale plug on the cord. to get to the point !
if you turn the batt. selcter to bouth (2) batt. just plug the charger in to the perco plug. and it will charge one or two batt.'s this works very well for me. with my new OB / I don't charg them any more bot I had to with the old 70 hp johnson.
with the cord cut on the batt, charger and a M/F plug on the cord you can still use it with the clips / red and blk........
kim.

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Author	Topic: Charging dual batteries
Mullet	posted 09-16-2001 05:34 PM ET (US) Haven't used the boat for about three weeks and batteries were dead as a doornail today. I am sure I left something on. I usually charge by hooking the trickle charger to either battery and turning the battery switch to "both". However, today, I tried that and the charger made a loud hum, (louder than ususal) and apparently reset itself. Hooked to the other battery same thing. Isolated battey #1 and still the hum. Isolated battery #2 and appears to be charging normally. Boat functioned flawlessly the last time we used and all cabling seems to be in good shape. Also, this is the first tike this battery charger made this loud of a humm. Am going to get both checked tomorrow but wonder if any of you have ever run into this. Yes, I did try to search first.
simonmeridew	posted 09-16-2001 08:47 PM ET (US) Mullet: It sounds to me like you need at least one new battery, probably two. Sometimes when a regular battery(not as often with a deep cycle battery) anyway, when a battery is drawn down fully(totally uncharged) and especially an older one, the plates sulfate up with a really hard lead sulfate and when you put a big charge to it, the pieces of lead sulfate break loose instead of disolving like they usually do. These hard pieces drop to the bottom of the battery(inside of course) and sometimes will cause a dead short so when you try to put a charge on the battery you're trying to charge against no resistance and you exceed the ampere capacity of the charger by a great deal, the breaker pops and voila. Solution: new battery. The other battery might be able to sneak by for this year, but don't trust your life with it. Around here (Northern Vermont),it's the end of the boating season so treat yourself to two new combination batteries in the Spring. Just my 2 cents. simonmeridew
Mullet	posted 09-17-2001 08:29 AM ET (US) Thanks, one battery came back just fine. I think you are right on the other. My only problem is that we boat almost year round so I guess I'll go ahead and "treat" myself. Thanks again.
Kim	posted 09-28-2001 12:10 AM ET (US) the way I charge my batt.'s I put a perco water prouf plug or a two prong plug . one small and one lg. on the plug. on the out side of the consell. and hooked it to the fuse block ! pos.&neg. now I have a plug / that I can use for the spot light, elct.reels or any other thing I might need to run on 12V. now.. I cut the wires on my batt. charger and put a male and feamale plug on the cord. to get to the point ! if you turn the batt. selcter to bouth (2) batt. just plug the charger in to the perco plug. and it will charge one or two batt.'s this works very well for me. with my new OB / I don't charg them any more bot I had to with the old 70 hp johnson. with the cord cut on the batt, charger and a M/F plug on the cord you can still use it with the clips / red and blk........ kim.