how do pros keep their batteries charged

[scsiman411]

How do you tourney pros keep your batteries charged up over the practice period and days of competition while on the road. I know there a systems to charge while you drive and thats great in between events but while staying onsite. Do you depend on your lodging to have outlets available and you carry a quarter mile of extension cord, portable generator, do some events provide overnight 'depots' so to speak, take the batteries out every other night (sounds like tons o fun for 3 batteries lol),

thanks in advance for the help

[Dewayne]

All of our boats have onboard charging systems that will charge all 4 batteries from a single plug outlet. Most of us know the motels we are staying at and that the power availability is like. If we don't know we ask before making a reservation. At most motels we have power within 50-100 feet of the boat parking. I carry about 150 feet of cord just in case. If the power is not available you do what it takes. I remember one tournament where I left my boat at another motel that had better power availability and parking. When staying on houseboats at Shasta I have a generator that will power the charger.

With a little planning charging the batteries is easy.

[Phil]

JUST TO ADD A LITTLE NOTE; I ALSO CARRY A SOLAR CHARGER THAT WORKS GREAT WHEN IT IS NOT RAINING , SNOWING OR CLOUDY ! NOT THAT I CLAIM TO BE A PRO, JUST INFO ONLY !

THANKS


JIGS

[Smile_n_Jax]

And some use the StaynCharge system to charge their batteries when they're running the big motor or towing the rig. No need to have to plug in an AC charger.

[SABP]

For the boat. 4 bank onboard charger. Carry three cords. 25,50 and 100 Ft. You never know how far you will have to go to reach an outlet from the boat.

One time I backed up to a bathroom at a campsite and ran the power from an outlet in the john. Takes about 3-4 hours to get a full charge.

Worst case scenerio, batteries can make it two days if you don't kill them on day one. But not recomended.

A good charger is worth its weight in gold.

[David Rogers]

I fish a tourney or 2 a year but I am not a pro, but I think the word pro means how much money you are willing to spend on a tourney entry fee:)I can fish as a pro all day long if I want to give my money away to the guys who are real pro's. Anyway back to the question:) When I bought my Ranger last year it needed new battery's, I bought some batteries from a very well know tackle shop that I will not mention but everyone who reads this would know if I said the name, I asked the person if the batteries were good, he said OH they are the best so I bought 2 for $100.00 ea, these batteries would only last 1 1/2 days at Clear Lake and they would be drained and I would have to charge them at 30 amp rate so I was not shut down for the rest of my 3 to 4 day trip, 30 amps will ruin a battery quick, the last time it happened I said that's it and I went to WallMart in Clear Lake and bought the biggest they had for $80.00 ea, they are yellow and about 10 lbs heavier and also larger than the $100.00 ones I bought, these Wallmart batteries are far better, even on windy days they will last 3 full days and if you have every fished Clear Lake you will know what wind is. OK, the reason I said all this is because you need to start with the best batteries you can find or you will be charging your batteries at 30 amp so you can get back on the water with in 1 hr but again this will take 2/3 of the life of the batteries away. After you have your best batteries money can buy refer to what everyone else has posted. Sorry to go on and on but the guys I bought the batteries from would not take them back they would only exchange, so now I have 2 extra batteries just sitting in my garage and my wallet is shy $200.00

[Dewayne]

Your batteries will last longer if you charge them each night and do not drain them really low. Once fully drained a couple times my experience is that they will never come back to a full charge. I have to agree on going with the biggest batteries possible and 36V over 24 V. With the 36V systems the batteries do not get drained as low and will last a year or more longer. The high quality charger like the Dual Pro chargers will also help your batteries last longer because they do not over charge.

Jigs,
We fish all day. I don't think that solar cherger will do much good with overnight charging.

[CN]

thing I have found to help longevity is get them on charge ASAP when your done fishing.

Dont wait until the night before you go to put the charger on from your last trip.But it's also just another expense you have to deal with every few year's.

We all know what BOAT stand's for.

[battman]

Hello
I Disagree with that 30 Amp Charge being to much for a Deep Cycle Battery! That is called an Equalization Charge!! Best thing for a Flooded Lead Acid Battery!! You have to break down Stratification build up on the Plating or the Battery will Prematurely Age. I have done this for 27 Years in the Battery Business and it prolongs all Deep Cycle, and Starting Batteries, FLOODED LEAD ACID BATTERIES ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Marc]

I cover all my bases when traveling and fishing extended periods. I use a Stealth 1 Charger in the boat. This unit charges all four of my batteries from my Evinrude's alternator while running down the lake or river, keeping them from getting deeply discharged.

When I get back to the motel, it plugs into AC power. I carry 200 feet of heavy extension cords, and most importantly a pigtail splitter in case all the outlets are taken I can plug two boats into one outlet. I also wait a half hour and go and check the plugs to make sure a GFCI didn't get tripped from pulling more power than the GFCI can handle.

And when all else fails, I also have the Stealth TowNCharge which quickly charges all my boat batteries while driving my Yukon.

ciao,
Marc
Stealth1 Prostaff

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

I carry a small honda generator, and use it if the motel doesnt have any power source plugins. Also sometimes we run the cords from the inside of our rooms or out a window and to the boat. Its a good idea to take a long cord that has multiple outlets on the female end just in case you need to share an outlet with others and they got there first

[Blue_R70]

And when all else fails, I also have the Stealth TowNCharge which quickly charges all my boat batteries while driving my Yukon.

Marc,

Can you shed more light on the TowNCharge? What size is the unit, where it mounts, how it connects to the boat, can it be purchased as a stand alone product, etc.

I've been wanting something like that for a while and I asked the about it during the early days of this site, when Stay-N-Charge was one of the early sponsors. Responses weren't that favorable at the time but that was years ago--what about the unit in 2007?

[Blue_R70]

And when all else fails, I also have the Stealth TowNCharge which quickly charges all my boat batteries while driving my Yukon.

Marc,

Can you (or anyone who has one) shed more light on the TowNCharge? What size is the unit, where does it mount, how it connects to the boat, can it be purchased as a stand alone unit to be used with my existing Dual Pro 3 bank, etc

Thanks!

[Marc]

The Stealth 1 TowNCharge is a stand alone unit, but works best in conjunction with the Stealth 1 Charging system. You can purchase it from Stealth 1 (or locally by Mike Osgood). You get a heavy gauge wiring harness that simply runs from the back of your tow vehicle to your engine battery. The connection at the back is a plug similar to your trailer light plug receptacle.

The second part of the TowNCharge is a pair of wires that you run from the bow of your boat back to your Stealth 1 charger. You have another plug receptacle that you install in the bow of your boat.

The third component is a simple wire that has male plugs at both ends, and plugs into the receptacle at the back of your tow vehicle, and the other end plugs into the bow plug receptacle. You have velcro straps that hold this cable in place on the tongue of your trailer so it doesn't flop in the wind.

This system allows your tow vehicle's engine alternator to power your Stealth 1 charger to charge all your boat batteries! No portable generator needed, and fully charged batteries are always at hand! The best way to keep batteries performing like new is to minimize the time they sit in less than a fully charged state which sulphates the plates. A TowNCharge system charges the batteries as soon as you trailer the boat and start to Tow.

Hope this helps!

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

Do you reccommend that we leave our onboard chargers plugged in constantly between fishing days? I am wondering what is the best way for the longest battery life.[/i][/b]

[Blue_R70]

The Stealth 1 TowNCharge is a stand alone unit, but works best in conjunction with the Stealth 1 Charging system. You can purchase it from Stealth 1 (or locally by Mike Osgood). You get a heavy gauge wiring harness that simply runs from the back of your tow vehicle to your engine battery. The connection at the back is a plug similar to your trailer light plug receptacle.

The second part of the TowNCharge is a pair of wires that you run from the bow of your boat back to your Stealth 1 charger. You have another plug receptacle that you install in the bow of your boat.

The third component is a simple wire that has male plugs at both ends, and plugs into the receptacle at the back of your tow vehicle, and the other end plugs into the bow plug receptacle. You have velcro straps that hold this cable in place on the tongue of your trailer so it doesn't flop in the wind.

This system allows your tow vehicle's engine alternator to power your Stealth 1 charger to charge all your boat batteries! No portable generator needed, and fully charged batteries are always at hand! The best way to keep batteries performing like new is to minimize the time they sit in less than a fully charged state which sulphates the plates. A TowNCharge system charges the batteries as soon as you trailer the boat and start to Tow.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the lowdown because I couldn't find the TowNCharge on Stealth1's website. Do you have Mike Osgood's contact info?

[David Rogers]

Hi Battman,
I was told by a co-mgr at a very very well know tackle shop in san jose that if you charge a battery at 30 amp it will dramatically shorten the life of the battery and that is one of the reasons they will not take battery back and only replace them because a lot of tourney guys do that, they run all day at Clear lake or the Delta and charge them up at 30 amps for a very fast charge, I do not know that much about battery's all I know is what I have been told and my 15 years of battery experience. I had a skeeter before with 24 volt and 2 of the biggest battery's you could buy and never had a problem with dead battery's. If you fish Clear Lake or the Delta on a extreamly windy days you better charge them every night no matter how big the battery's are. I have a Ranger now with 24 volt and have fished 3 slighlty wendy days in a row with out charging the battery's and they never went dead but I have the biggest heaviest ones you can buy.

[Marc]

Blue_r70: you can reach Mike Osgood in Modesto at 408-821-2948 or Danny Roberts at Stealth1 at 888-588-4506. They don't have the TowNCharge on their website yet (www.chargeontherun.com) but will have it there in the future.

Jim, on-board chargers with auto switches are designed to plug in and forget. If properly functioning they will keep your batteries in better shape when the charger is always powered. The big mistake many make is that they forget over time to check the electrolyte level in their flooded cell batteries. Flooded cell batteries are still the best choice if you remember to service them. If you aren't the type to perform operator maintenance, then don't get flooded cell batteries.

ciao,
Marc
Stealth1 Prostaff

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

I will get in touch with you to get the best setup for keeping them charged

Jim

[Jim PAyne]

Stealth doesn't have the charge on the tow on there web site and when they do my patent atty will be in contact with them. You can go and make them on your own and if you need help I would be more then happy to help you so you get what you need. I have for eight years owned the patent on the units and Danny can do what he wants with his system but he will not have the charge from the vehicle. You can do it on your own if you like. Yes STayncharge is still around and if you heard bad things about it in the past then it was from some one not using it. Good lcuk

[Smile_n_Jax]

Allow me to explain the StaynCharge system. The original, patented, StaynCharge product is a set of three wiring harnesses. The first connects to the tow vehicle's battery and runs to the back with its own special connector. Next is an 8' jumper harness to connect tow vehicle to boat. Lastly is a harness that runs through the boat to the cranking battery. All are made with premium 12ga wire and special connectors. As Jim said, he'll be more than happy to help you make your own. It's a no-brainer really. With this setup you can charge your cranking battery while towing and plug in your charger when needed.

The real beauty of the complete system is the AllCharge system. It consists of a Smart Box which connects to your cranking and trolling batteries. While towing, it senses voltage at the cranking battery, and once it reaches 13.5V, the charging signal is redirected to the trolling batteries, cycling between them at 5 minute intervals. The same thing happens when you run the big motor. As you run from spot to spot, your batteries are being charged. With the complete system in place, you shouldn't have to worry about plugging into a charger.

[Smile_n_Jax]

Something Jim C. brought to my attention that I omitted in my previous post.

Your onboard charger can be used in conjunction with BOTH the StaynCharge and the AllCharge systems. This way, in case you don't make long enough runs on the water, you can still top off your batts.

[Stealth1]

For the record Stealth I Charging Systems has been in the market now over 9 years in some kind of form. Stealth was the first to introduce the 12/24/36 charging ability while you ran the engine to the marine industry a whole and was patented. Note of mention with award winning Technology to enhance the charging methods and the tools used to do it best. Extending battery life was one thing highly acknowledged, cost of operation, timeless stay on the water, size of the complete package. But most of all the way it treated the batteries with safe heat transfers not crystallizing sulfating plates, nor breaking the battery down or distorting the physics with excessive heat while charging, but working to remove sulfating extending battery life. This unit comes in a complete package bundle that does include a tow harness to handle our input from the vehicle alternator and always has. This harness was designed to protect the vehicles electrical system as well as the ability to handle the load transfer from the vehicle that the stealth1 would demand. Which standard vehicle tow packages will not. This is not an individual stand alone system (the tow harness) it’s simply a part of the Stealth1 system and will only work with the Stealth1 unit doing a transfer of 12 to 12, 12 to 24, 12 to 36, and 12 to 48 volt systems. But the units AC 110 plug-in 20 amp, DC Stealth1 ( 12/24/36/48 ), Tow Harness, Emergency cranking system, Gauge, can all be purchased separately and added individually to work into our complete charging system as desired for the customer. Our Stealth1 is a charger not a diverter of power sources or a smart switcher which all have transfer losses. We change the input dc power recreating it to a technology that has proven itself for better charging with less current push and less heat which interprets to better battery life. I am not here to be derogative or be detrimental but the facts are we “Stealth1â€

[Jim PAyne]

Danny it is great to see you here. I am glad that you are doing well. I am really happy to see you come on here and explain the Stealth system. I am and have always wished you and your products well. I came on here after freinds asked me to and explain our products and defended them as well because people not knowing how they worked. As of July this year will be nine years for us as well and as far as the charge from the truck unit I guess I will research further because I can't find it on the site and never have been able too. No big deal I guess and i do wish you well. The angler can decide what benefits them most as we will be puttying out our list of Elite guys and other pros that use our products. We also have a three year full replacement warranty as well as a 90 day money back guarantee. Oh one more thing, All Stayncharge products are built in MN. USA also

[battman]

David
If you continually put 30amps of power into each Battery, you would end up over charging the Battery and Prematurely Age the Battery. With the Phenominal Charger Technology that we have these days most of the times this will not happen. Example: Dual-Pro Model#PRO3 Charger, 15 Amps of Current per Battery. This Charger goes into an Equalization Charge right out of the Gate when you hook up your Batteries after being on the Water all day. When the Sulphation and Stratification break down off of the Plating of the Battery, the Battery will now accept a Full State of Charge. The Charging Current then backs down from 15 Amps and goes into a Bulk Charge Mode! After the Battery has been Charged to 80-90 percent state of Charge, the Charger then goes into Charging the last 10 to 20 percent of the Battery. i know everybody thinks it is best to Charge a Deep Cycle Battery slowly, but if you do not break down that Sulphation and Stratification on a Flooded Lead Acid Battery, the Battery will never come back to a 100% State of Charge, and you will be Lucky if your Batteries last 1-2 years! Please feel free to call me if you would like to discuss this further.
916-997-2327
Charlie