3 bank battery charger

[jjohnson0709]

Has anybody heard anything about the Guest Opticharge 3-bank charger. It puts out 12 amps and is priced at $109 through cabelas. Would that be suffice for my 36v trolling motor system?

 

[farginicehole]

Re: 3 bank battery charger

I haven't heard of anyone with the Opticharge. I have a Guest Charge Pro 2613 for my 24V trolling motor, and it has a third bank for the cranking battery, and it works great! The Opticharge looks like it "only" puts out 4 amps per bank, so it probably depends on how often you use your boat and how quickly you want it to fully re-charge your batteries. The Cabela's ad doesn't give a whole lot of info about the Opticharge, so I can only assume that it has similar "smart" circuitry as the Charge Pros? If I were you, I'd probably look at a 2631 Charge Pro that is designed for a 36V system and has higher output. It may sound very expensive (almost 3x as much!), but trust me, after you've used one for a while you'll wish you would have bought one years ago!

 

[kalan2000]

Re: 3 bank battery charger

I'd look at a unit with smart-charge capability and a higher charge rate per bank, with 10 amps per bank being the minimum. Low charge rates your TM batteries don't have enough to properly condition the charge plates, especially after heavy battery use.