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Dual battery charger hookup

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Jdjabara

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I just bought a new R line with the dual battery option. I bought a dial battery charger to install when it comes in. I just found out the batteries are on opposite sides of the boat Has anyone installed a dual charger ?
 
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I use this. I have leads hooked up to both batteries, and it is enough length to reach charger which I leave on the back of the boat, plugged in. they sell extensions as well, but the ones that come with are pretty long.
 
Jdjabara said:
Thank you!
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Just to add, we were hit with the drought and boating season ended in July for me. Hooked up to the tender, batteries stayed perfect throughout the offseason until we got the lake back up recently, a lot of months just sitting there with some cold temps mixed in.
 
Congrats on the new boat! Which onboard battery charger did you purchase?!? We have the Promariner Prosport....
 
We use the NOCO Genius 2x2. It is a 6-volt and 12-volt battery charger, battery maintainer, and battery desulfator rated at 2-amps for lead-acid automotive, marine, and deep-cycle batteries, including flooded, gel, AGM, and maintenance-free, plus lithium-ion batteries. Once connected, you select your battery type for each battery connected. It automatically selects that from then on. Made for year round use, and we have it hooked up every minute it's not on a lake or in transit. We trailer full time.
 
I have a Bennington 2020 24' Bowrider R quad bench which has two batteries (one under each of the two rear benches). There is a doorway in the middle of the back. There is a plastic cable conduit going under the deck connecting the wiring form the Port battery to the Starbord battery. I bought the Noco 5x2 duel battery charger. It easily fit on the floor right next to the Port battery (didn't need to screw it down). The cables that come with the Noco were long enough to easily feed one through the floor conduit already there to connect the Starboard battery. I screwed the terminals into both batteries, and I was good to go. But then to make it even easier, and safer to use, I also bought a marine extension plug (Noco makes this also). This simply plugs into the power cord on the Noco unit. I ran it under (through) the Port bench and drilled a hole in the side of the boat near the gas tank so I could plug an extension cord in right there. This was the only hole that was needed and the entire project took about an hour (and I was figuring it out as I went). Total cost was about $200. Now I don't have to worry about completely draining my second battery playing music when the motor is not running because I can easily charge that baby back up!

plug.jpggenus 5x2.jpg
 
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Electrical plug next to gas fill may not be best practice. Looks great though!
Question for all, if on a 2 battery system and 1 battery is being charged, but both are connected through perko switch: will both batteries charge up?
 
Timdelta said:
Electrical plug next to gas fill may not be best practice. Looks great though!
Question for all, if on a 2 battery system and 1 battery is being charged, but both are connected through perko switch: will both batteries charge up?
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I have a 75% confidence level in this answer - ideally enough to guide you to find an answer - there are several variables: Bottom line - probably not a great idea - they make two battery charges for a reason.

If the Perko is switched to 1+2, then most likely yes, though at a much slower rate. I believe the charger would average the condition / SOC (state of charge) of the two batteries, and deliver a charge based on that average reading.

This means that one battery could get overcharged / boiled while waiting for the other batter to get fully charged. In part, this would depend on the charge rate of the charger. There is probably also a charge rate variance between the two, given one is connected directly, the other through a length of wire that is not properly gauged for charging.
 
The Noco charger will independently charge both batteries. I have only ever turned it on when the electrical cut off switch to the boat is is set to OFF (the switch choices are Off, 1, 2, and 1+2). This setting disconnects the batteries form the boat and each other which is how the charger is designed to work.
 
Noco says it’s ok to do both at once, but only in similar charge states. I think Laurencetheadventurer probably has the best info/thoughts.
 
Jdjabara said:
I just bought a new R line with the dual battery option. I bought a dial battery charger to install when it comes in. I just found out the batteries are on opposite sides of the boat Has anyone installed a dual charger ?
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You could leave your battery selector switch on 1+2 and just hook your maintainer to one of the batteries.
 
The best option is to charge while both batteries are disconnected from each other. The Noco genus 5x2 unit is a smart charger. It will determine how much charge each battery needs and charge accordingly. It will monitor the health of the battery and avoid overcharging. It can even charge a battery with zero volts. Don't try to outsmart your smart charger. All of these functions should be done while independently connected to each battery (without the batteries connected to each other as would be the case if you had your disconnect switch set to 1+2) so that the charger can sense the amount of charge each battery needs and give it that. If your charger only had one output than you probably would want to switch your disconnect switch to 1+2 to charge them both but you would lose some of the functionality of your smart charger.
 
I’m using a solar charger, it is hooked to battery 2. It’s basically a trickle charger.
I run on both 1+2, then at sandbar, I’m just on #2. When I come home it’s in 1+2, but I’m so close to sandbar no chance of charging #2. It’s so close I could swim home.
I was just curious if it could do a charge on both at same time. I have power at my dock, but just figured a solar charger would suffice (and it seems to). I have the panel mounted to a cell phone cup holder and stick in the cup when home.
 
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My built in onboard ProMariner charger/maintainer/conditioner safely charges both batteries and automatically switches to maintainer/conditioner mode. But now that we keep our boat in a dry storage building I have them bring our boat to the wash rack once a month and I run an extension cord to the external plug and leave it plugged in for a good 24 hrs. No charging is allowed in the building!
 
I took possession of a new 22SBSX a few weeks ago, so far I love it. I have two batteries with a blue water On-Off-Combine switch. Today I installed a NOCO Genius 5x2 charger (installed charger leads directly to the batteries, blue water switch set to "off"). After setting each bank for the battery type, each charger bank cycled a couple of minutes and then the high voltage error light went on for each bank and then recycled again then the high voltage light went on again. After a few times I unplugged it.

I thought the "off" setting should isolate each battery and the NOCO 5x2 would charge each battery separately. After looking on this site and on the Blue water website, I am wondering if I need a ACR? Attached is a picture of my switch. Appreciate any help. Thanks....
 

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Hummm. I don't have that same switch, but I have two batteries and the same charger. It charges no matter which position the switch is set to. I typically only charge with the switch set to off, but it still works in other positions and I can even use the radio with the boat on the lift plugged in. There are ways to troubleshoot to see f the problem is the Noco unit or the switch. Try the charger only connected to one battery. Better yet disconnect the batteries completely from the boat and then try charging. That would at least tell you if it was the Noco that was the problem. Even if the switch is set to combine (1+2) it should still charge but much more slowly and the charger would not be able to do its battery conditioning.
 
My switch is in the OFF position and both batteries are cabled using a Noco 2x2, and never had your problem, but I DO have the relay circuit. Works and conditions both batteries perfectly. Try the above advice. Disconnect both batteries, then cable them up and see what happens. Maybe you have a bad Noco ? Or maybe a bad battery ?
 
Thanks all,
I tried:
1) charger bank 1 to battery 1 => Worked
2) charger bank 1 to battery 2=> Worked
3) charger bank 2 to battery 2=> Worked
4) charger bank 2 to battery 1=> Worked

So then I tried charger bank 1 to battery 2 AND charger bank 2 to battery 1. This worked! no error message on charger.

I thought about trying charger bank 1 to battery 1 and charger bank 2 to battery 2 to see if I could replicate the original error, but decided to take the "win" and leave it as is..... I did not try disconnecting the batteries from the switch...
 
The only other thing I did before I started, I moved the switch from "off" to "on" and then back to "off". Possible the switch was originally not exactly in the "off" position??? I don't think that this was the case, and not sure it would make a difference if it weren't.....
 
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