A Guide On Choosing The Right Marine Battery?
It seems that we place more emphasis on the power source of our boats these days than ever before. Everything, from radios and livewells to outboard and trolling engines, requires power. Even cell phones, tablets, and bluetooth speakers, are powered by the boat's electrical system. Without the correct battery or charging system you could be dead in the water. It's vital that you get the most from your onboard batteries. I want to share some tips on choosing the right charger and battery for your boat.
It is important to understand what your batteries are used for when talking about batteries. Few boats can run on one battery these days. This is due to the power required to run your different applications. Type and chemistry are the two most important factors in battery selection.
Boat Battery Types: Which Boat Battery Is Best for You?
Let's begin with the type. There are three types of boat batteries available: deep cycle, dual-purpose, and starting.
Starter Batteries
A fully charged and ready-to-go starter battery is all that you need if your battery is only there to start the engine. It provides a lot of cranking power to turn the motor on, and that's all it was designed for.
Dual-Purpose Battery
My boat's battery is also the one that powers my radio, electronics, and livewell. To power my accessories and start my motor, I use a dual-purpose lithium battery.
Deep Cycle Marine Batteries
These batteries can be used to power accessories only and should not be mixed with a starter battery. Deep cycle batteries are used to power radios, lighting and electronics (graphs), trolling motors, charging outlets, and other applications.
Once you have determined the type of battery that you require, you can check your battery compartment. It's not uncommon to see owners using the wrong type of battery. I purchased a boat last year that had two starter batteries connected to it, instead of the deep cycle one. These were replaced quickly, you can bet.
Battery Chemistry: How do Boat Batteries Work?
Let's now turn to chemistry. There are four types of chemistry when it comes to boats: AGM, Flat Plate AGM, Flooded, and Lithium.
Flooded Batteries
These batteries are a long-standing invention. These batteries are very powerful and can be used to match an application. However, they need to be maintained. Regular fluid levels should be checked and replenished. Flooded batteries can be reliable and cost-effective, but they provide less power than AGM counterparts.
AGM - Stands for Absorbed Glass Mat. These batteries are superior to flooded counterparts in terms of starting power, reserve power (the accessory power), and life span. If properly maintained, an AGM battery can last for many years.
Flat Plate AGM Battery
A special dual-purpose AGM type battery with lots of flat lead plates that generate energy. Flatter plates can be squeezed into larger batteries, resulting in more power. These batteries can be used as both a deep-cycle and starting battery. The X2Power marine battery is one of the most powerful AGM batteries available. It offers the highest starting power, reserve capacity and charging speed, as well as the longest life. The X2Power 31 Marine is the exact battery I use to start my engine, power my trolling motor and run any additional accessories.
Lithium Batteries
This technology is the newest to hit the marine market. This technology is lightweight and powerful, and can produce consistent power throughout the entire charge cycle. Although they are a powerful power source, lithium batteries have yet to be widely available and require a greater upfront investment than AGM batteries or flooded batteries.
Let's get charging now that we have the right battery for our boat. There are too many stories about people who take their boats out onto the water with fishing rods and find that the trolling motor batteries have died. Don't do this! It is up to you whether or not to use an onboard charger for charging. It is the only way I know how to do it. Here are some examples and options.
Battery Chargers for Onboard Vehicles
This charger can be permanently mounted in your boat and connected to every battery. The extension cord can be run to your boat, and then plugged into the charger. There are many configurations available. Mine charges all three batteries at once. The SLC10017 Duracell Ultra Automatic Marine Battery Charger has a hardened outer casing protects against water, dirt, UV, and pressure impacts. It can be used to charge a boat battery up to 4.9 feet (1.55 meters) and it can also be mounted to the battery housing of an inside boat.
The SLC10207 is a one-bank on-board battery charger (rated at 10-amps for 12-volt batteries, including marine, boat, starter and deep-cycle batteries) that helps maintain boat batteries and is a battery desulfator as well. The integrated thermal sensor senses ambient temperature and adjusts the charge to prevent overcharging in hot environments and undercharging when cold. This is not a simple trickle charger. It's an advanced battery keeper. It's a worry-free, fully automatic battery charger that can be used 24/7 with no overcharge.
Stand Alone Battery Chargers
Most boat owners will have used one of these chargers at one time or another. Take the battery from the boat and bring it to the charger. Charge the battery and then reinstall the battery. This is too much work for me. It can still be an option if there is one battery that you have in your boat. It can also be used to charge 12V batteries in your lawnmower or car.
The SLC10005 X2Power 7.5 Amp Charger is an example of a stand alone charger that works great for marine battery applications. This charger is designed to charge advanced AGM batteries and can be used with gel, AGM, and lithium batteries. Another great example is the SLC10165 NOCO GENIUS10 10 Amp automatic battery charger and maintainer which is designed for either 6V or 12V lead-acid automotive, marine, deep-cycle batteries and lithium ion batteries and can charge dead batteries as low as 1V, via a unique, built-in "Repair Mode" that brings dead batteries back to a readable levels.
The right charger and battery can make all the difference in a successful day on the water.
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