Charging battery ?

[Ddot]

Hello all. I recently bought a bass tracker and i go out a few times a wk. While im out i normally fish for a max of 4-5 hrs. When i get home i always charge my batteries. I have 3. It never takes long for them to charge, normally a few hrs or so. My question is am i overcharging them? Should i charge them everytime? Just curious. New to these things haha. Id hate to have them die on me, but i rarely fish all day. Any input is appreciated!!

[rustedhook]

Hello all. I recently bought a bass tracker and i go out a few times a wk. While im out i normally fish for a max of 4-5 hrs. When i get home i always charge my batteries. I have 3. It never takes long for them to charge, normally a few hrs or so. My question is am i overcharging them? Should i charge them everytime? Just curious. New to these things haha. Id hate to have them die on me, but i rarely fish all day. Any input is appreciated!!

You say 3 batteries. I assume 1 cranking and 2 trolling. You should not have to charge your cranking battery unless your boat sets a long time between uses. It charges off the outboard. I charge my trolling batteries as soon as I get home no matter how long the day was. but my days are 8 - 12 hrs.

It won't hurt "em"

[Ddot]

Thx thats what i wanted to hear..

[roadrunner]

If you are using a regular battery charger and it is not automatic shut off and not an on board charger. You can over charge them if you are using a high amp setting. What you need to do is check the water about once a week. As long as you have water over the plates you are ok.

[floatman]

If you are using a regular battery charger and it is not automatic shut off and not an on board charger. You can over charge them if you are using a high amp setting. What you need to do is check the water about once a week. As long as you have water over the plates you are ok.

everything roadrunner said, make sure it is distilled water....JMO

Gary

[roadrunner]

Yes distilled water for sure

[MLTSPCS]

Best bet is an on-board charger with back-feed/over charge/reverse polarity protection, imo. Easy to just plug them in and you never have to worry about over charging. The better ones direct more amps to the battery that needs them most. For the most part they are pretty affordable and easy to hook up. Good luck.

[hairball]

Both my boats now have on-board chargers now, so they require little attention. But years ago I read an article that got my attention and I followed those recommendations for a long time with great results. If you don't already have one, go to your local automotive store and pick up a hydrometer (Prestone has one for just a few dollars). While charging, periodically test each cell until they reach a specific gravity of 1.265. That is the optimum for performance/longevity. Testing will also alert you to a cell that is getting weak. I followed this routine for years on my old Tracker and every battery I put in it outlived expectations.

[Ddot]

Thanks for all the info. I do have an on-board charger that directs where needed.