[C320-list] Trickle Charger

[JJ Morrison]

We're up north here in Kingston ON and occasionally have temps in the minus 30degreeC range and often it is below freezing. Many of us here leave our flooded lead acid batteries aboard and charge them up once over the winter, say around mid Feb, and have never had an issue. If the batteries are in good shape and fully charged  they won't freeze. AGM batteries won't freeze even if discharged because of the technology used in their construction, gel cells I expect are the same but I'm not sure and you'd need to check on that. When you leave the batteries make sure you disconnect the -ve cable for safety reasons and connect it back up when you go to charge them.
Cheers
JohnM
1999#574 

> Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:19:58 -0500
> From: kmielen at suddenlink.net
> To: C320-List at catalina320.com
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Trickle Charger
> 
> Need more info to be able to help you Joe....
> Are you planning on taking the batteries home or leave on the boat?
> Will you have access to the batteries periodically?
> Are the batteries Lead Acid, AGM, or Gel cells?
> 
> My limited experience indicates that 3 copies of a low output trickle
> charger would cost you less than a 3-bank charger. And of course,
> anything designed for the marine environment (ie. humid, salt) will
> cost you even more.
> 
> What I used to do when I lived "up north" was to take the batteries
> home, store in my basement, and charge them once per month for about
> 24 hrs. I am leery of leaving anything hooked up for unattended
> constant charging. Of course, that was a Catalina 22 with a single
> Group 24 battery, so it was much easier to move around!!!
> 
> Karl
> 
> On Tue, Nov 20, 2012 at 11:59 AM, Joseph R Aberdale
> <summerwind3 at comcast.net> wrote:
> > I have 3 starter batteries that I think I should leave on a trickle charger until May, unless anyone has a better idea as to how to best maintain them. Does anyone know of a good trickle charger that can charge 3 batteries simultaneously?
> >
> > Thank you. Your help is appreciated.
> >
> > Joe Aberdale
> > #908