Best on-board battery charger

Hello again. My main battery is charged through the alternator hooked up to the motor. I currently have 2 marine batteries hooked up to my trolling motor, and for the most part, they get me through an entire day of trolling. But, now I’m adding 2 Helix units, which I assume will be hooked up to the same batteries as the TM, because I’ve heard that hooking them up to anything attached to the main motor can cause interference. Is it best to just get more batteries for the Helix units, or get a charger, and hook the TM and Helix’s up to the same batteries, and have them charge as the day goes on? If charger is the best way, which do you guys suggest for my purposes?

I think you actually have it backwards. You want to connect your graphs to your starting battery and keep your TM batteries dedicated to your TM.

I HIGHLY recommend a 3 bank charger to keep them all fully charged. When it comes time to replace your starting battery get the biggest one you can fit if not replacing it with a deep cycle battery. Most deep cycle batteries are fully capable and rated for starting an outboard motor.

Oh, and I am impressed so far with the NOCO chargers. I’ve had nothing but trouble with my Minnkota chargers so I’ve decided to look elsewhere.

First of all, there is more potential for interference from trolling motor batteries than from the outboard motor battery. Sonar should not be powered from trolling motor batteries.
Second, exactly what equipment do you have? Don’t make me search all your old posts to figure this out.
Outboard: Make, model HP, alternator output, battery size and specs.
Trolling motor: Make, model, voltage, battery size and specs.
Helix units: Which specific units, amp draw, and are all running simultaneously?
What other accessories are you running? Livewell pump, radio, etc.
Charger: Are you talking about an alternator charger or???

Simple answer is to max out the size of the main battery and use that to power all accessories. Second option is to add an accessory battery for sonar units only. Depends on what it takes to crank your outboard. On an old 2-stroke that starts hard, you want to be sure you don’t run the battery down so there’s not enough power to crank it. On a modern mall to medium 4-stroke you don’t need much power to crank it. Watch the battery voltage readout on your electronics.

never power you units from your trolling batteries!!! buy the largest battery you can get for your starting battery. use that for your electronics. purchase a onboard charger to maintain all three batteries. there are a lot of options if you fish a lot then buy a faster charger like a 3 bank 10 or 15 amp that charges each bank with 10 or 15 amps some will split the total amps between banks which is a slow charge. dual pro or minnkotas have been good to me.

I’ve had Guest battery chargers in my last 2 boats with no issues, first one was had 2 10 amp channels, my second was a 3 channel 10 amp for each channel. Both were used for over 5 years a lot!

Been running a MinnKota 3 bank for 11 years now. No issues. If memory serves it is 10 amps per bank.

muskie-tim wrote:

Been running a MinnKota 3 bank for 11 years now. No issues. If memory serves it is 10 amps per bank.

14 years on my 3 bank 10amp MinnKota…and I lost a bank last year.

Thanks guys. Your info was exactly what I needed.

I have had 2 different Guest ChargePro Chargers. First one was a 2 bank 10 amp each channel for 6 years no issues. Second one was a 3 Bank 10 amp per channel for 6 years no issues.

From what I read at least my last 2 versions all components were encased in epoxy, this makes sense to me in a marine environment.

I need 2 for my new boat will probably be going with Guest as I’ve had good luck with there products and always get prompt answers to my questions.

Thanks Greg. I have kind of decided to go with a Noco 3 bank x 10, based upon the reviews I’ve read, and I found one on Amazon for $199. But, I’ve yet to see the brand you mentioned, Guest. So I’m going to do some research on that right now. Thanks for the info.

Chris, I had a conversation with a friend today in my garage about onboard battery chargers and he was praising Nocco from his experiences. Seems like that would be a good choice if you chose to go that way.

SuperDave, I made my purchase this morning, before I saw your post. I think I’m going to be fine with my decision though. I ended up getting a Minn Kota MK330 PC Precision 3 bank 3 amp digital charger. I had $50 on bonus money from West Marine, plus there was a $50 rebate from Minn Kota. Couple that with a couple bucks I saved cuz West Marine does price matching, and the thing only cost me $167. That company is having a 3x points deal right now, so I got around 750 points, which equates to $30, so I guess it cost me around $137. From the reviews I have read, and the info I received from guys on this site, I’m confident this charger is of high quality, and I’ve been a Minn Kota / Humminbird guy for a while anyway. With the deal I got money-wise, I’m happy with the purchase. Thanks to all who responded, I’ll have more questions in the near future.

I assume your trolling motor batteries are set up for 24V.

I’ve been running this charger for years and it has been outstanding. Guest discontinued them a couple years ago and some company bout out a warehouse full of them. Keep in mind with this system, it doesn’t charge your trolling motor batteries at low idle. But if your fishing style is run/gun, this can add hours of run time to your day.

Guest 24V w/module

Thanks Randy. I’ll check the link out right now.