Recommend a Battery Charger

[mickjbuist]

Hi All,

I am after a battery charger that will keep my boat battery in good condition while I am away for work. Is there a charger that I can use with the battery still connected in the boat and use to charge the odd car battery as well. No real budget just after a good quality unit.

Battery is a Seamaster Gold MFM70.

Is the Ctek MXS10 suitable?

[552Evo]

The Ctek MXS10 would be great.
It has all the stages of charge (8) that would properly charge your battery and it is also suited for maintenance charging.
Just make sure if you're maintenance charging that you have all devices off or the battery isolated and preferably charging only one battery at a time (if you have multiple batteries).


Saltwater fishing, boat mad but has a job that gets in the way.

[Crunchy]

Had great run with c-tek personally, been using the same charger for > 8 years without a glitch (hope that's not tempting fate:-X)

[Dezzer]

C-tek again, >10 yrs for me. Got 8yrs out of my last 110 amp gel battery and it was actually still going strong, just thought I might be pushing my luck not replacing it.

[myusernam]

If u want far cheaper but still good the Jaycar smart ones are good. U can even go the small one (3.8 amp). About 69 bucks I think

[mace01]

The Pro Mariner chargers with multi-bank outputs are great for dual systems (or triples). Mat

[Smithy]

I prefer the $40 ebay specials. They will actually try to charge a dead battery. A few other brands of charger I have basically give up. I run one full time on my Evakool fridge. Seems to work good. The odd one the fan goes after a bit in the salty atmosphere but I have a mate buying C-Teks who has virtually given up on them. He has one on his boat and the other one is in for repair and he keeps taking them back and so on. Buy cheap to start with and then they are a throw away item.

[Kero]

If u want far cheaper but still good the Jaycar smart ones are good. U can even go the small one (3.8 amp). About 69 bucks I think

I have used this charger on a SeaMaster Gold for years and can't fault it!

[mickjbuist]

Will the MXS10 charge small 7ah batteries aswell? I use a couple of them when camping.

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[Triple]

Plus 1 on the c-tek just check which one is suitable for your needs.

[Dirtyfuzz]

I just purchased a powerline brand 12v 7ah was only $70 from memory and works really well, has trickle charge function,battery test and 3 battery type modes


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[Scott Ashe]

Another vote for the c tek.

[chocolatemoose]

I Must be strange. but i prefer Victron chargers or Pro mariner chargers.

[552Evo]

I prefer the $40 ebay specials. They will actually try to charge a dead battery. A few other brands of charger I have basically give up. I run one full time on my Evakool fridge. Seems to work good. The odd one the fan goes after a bit in the salty atmosphere but I have a mate buying C-Teks who has virtually given up on them. He has one on his boat and the other one is in for repair and he keeps taking them back and so on. Buy cheap to start with and then they are a throw away item.

Re dead batteries and getting them to charge, the reason the "smart" chargers don't start the charge is most likely is the standing voltage is below the sensing threshold.
If you put your charger in power supply mode so it outputs a voltage, this will slowly bring up the battery standing voltage.
After about an hour then switch over from power supply mode to charge mode and it should charge.
Some batteries will recharge ok and some are beyond repair if the standing voltage has been too low for too long.


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[Cape Crusader]

G'day
I can't comment on other brands but have a Projecta and it works well, is connected when the boat is in the shed
Had it about 4 years with no problems
Cheers
Rod

[littlejim]

I'm another Jaycar user. It has been keeping the boat down the coast fully charged for many years.
Pays to check the electrolite level in the battery from time to time.

[Toygut]

c-tek all the way. Reliable. I have the plug on my crusher for my c-tek 5amp and trickle charges dual 640ccas no worries. Before that, had it trickle my single in the Quinny kept a 730cca century healthy for nearly 4 yrs until I sold it with the boat. A tip is to regularly check you cell levels as even trickle charge can cause a little more evaporation then when they just sit...

[mickjbuist]

Thanks for all the suggestions, just ordered a Ctek MXS10.

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[U4REEL]

for maintaining i just use the projecta wallmount 900ma.. $35