Battery Charger Recommendation for AGM Batteries

[John Stone]

Does anyone have strong feelings and personal experience with a quality battery charger designed specifically for AGM batteries. I’m not looking to install a charger on the boat. But one to keep at home to charger the batteries when the boat is laid up. A charger that will condition, desulfate, etc and provide 14.5’ish amp maintenance float charge.

I’ve been looking at two portable chargers.

-CTEK Multi US 250000
-Odyssey OBA 20A

I have no experience with either of these chargers though I have read about them. Lifeline recommended the CTEK. Thanks in advance for your insights and wisdom.

John

[tjr818]

John,
What brand of batteries are you going to install? I know that Odyssey recommends their own charger, other battery manufacturers might also have a preference.

[John Stone]

John,
What brand of batteries are you going to install? I know that Odyssey recommends their own charger, other battery manufacturers might also have a preference.

Same as before. Lifeline group 27 100 ah AGM. Life line does not have their own charger but the tech rep liked the CETK. Said it has the Lifeline Charging profile as part of the programming or words to that effect. But, the reviews I have read for it online are mixed.

[tjr818]

John, here is what we use. We are happy with it and it allows you to program voltages to match the battery recommendations.

https://www.promariner.com/en/63130

[jen1722terry]

Hi John,

We have 3 Odyssey AGMs and we have used the Odyssey charger for several years. No programming required and they automatically recondition each time we charge. The charger is not programable so you might have to look up the tech info and call LifeLine to see if the charger is a good choice.

Note that to run through the entire program takes about 8 hours for each battery. We run the program on each battery in the fall and mid-summer to keep down the sulfation.

Our two house batteries are due for replacement in the spring after 6 seasons, a shorter lifespan than we had hoped for but that is our fault, for we had an incorrect type of solar controller on the boat for 2 seasons that was apparently set to the incorrect absorption voltage.

Happy Holidays and stay safe until the vaccine comes!

[John Stone]

John, here is what we use. We are happy with it and it allows you to program voltages to match the battery recommendations.

https://www.promariner.com/en/63130

Thanks Tim. I’ll check it out.

[John Stone]

Hi John,

We have 3 Odyssey AGMs and we have used the Odyssey charger for several years. No programming required and they automatically recondition each time we charge. The charger is not programable so you might have to look up the tech info and call LifeLine to see if the charger is a good choice.

Note that to run through the entire program takes about 8 hours for each battery. We run the program on each battery in the fall and mid-summer to keep down the sulfation.

Our two house batteries are due for replacement in the spring after 6 seasons, a shorter lifespan than we had hoped for but that is our fault, for we had an incorrect type of solar controller on the boat for 2 seasons that was apparently set to the incorrect absorption voltage.

Happy Holidays and stay safe until the vaccine comes!

Thanks. Copy all. I did call Lifeline. They are the ones that suggested the CTEK but the reviews were just marginal. I’ll think on it some.

[Paul D.]

John,

I would focus on a programmable charger that can be set to your specific battery charging schedule. I would consider that more important than brand as long as the brand/model you are looking at seems to have good reliability. One marine electrical place I have found good for advice and any possible purchase is Ferris Power Products. They should listen to you on how you would actually use the system and what it needs to do.

[John Stone]

John,

I would focus on a programmable charger that can be set to your specific battery charging schedule. I would consider that more important than brand as long as the brand/model you are looking at seems to have good reliability. One marine electrical place I have found good for advice and any possible purchase is Ferris Power Products. They should listen to you on how you would actually use the system and what it needs to do.

Thanks for suggesting that Paul. I have chatted with Hamilton Ferris in the past. He seemed like a thoughtful person. I might do that.

[fmueller]

John,

Not sure why you’d elect to take batteries out of your boat unless it will be many months unattended with no ability to charge in place in the interim. Topped off healthy lead acid batteries will hold charge for months especially in cold weather. My two group 27 AGMs dropped from 12.87/12.85 to 12.76/12.74 from November to early April last year at which point I hooked them back up and charged. I’ve got one that measures a shade lower always. But even that was unnecessary. Launched in late April. You just disconnect the leads after topping off. Very important to disconnect from parasitic loads.

Just asking

Cheers

[Paul D.]

I too leave our T-105's aboard all winter, topped off, and charging by the permanently mounted 60W solar panel, tipped away from the sun, through a Ferris solar regulator (Old school PWM type, not MPPT) and left all the long northern winter - basically trickle charging. The panel normally produces 2.5A during the season and almost covers the draw of the old fridge. In 17 seasons I've replaced batteries once, but may be due again in the next few years as I noticed a little faster draw down time. I chose this over several other significantly more complex DC power system suggestions. While I could always use more solar wattage and maybe a newer MPPT type charge regulator, this set up was suggested to me by Ham Ferris and it has worked superbly for Femme).

[John Stone]

John,

Not sure why you’d elect to take batteries out of your boat unless it will be many months unattended with no ability to charge in place in the interim. Topped off healthy lead acid batteries will hold charge for months especially in cold weather. My two group 27 AGMs dropped from 12.87/12.85 to 12.76/12.74 from November to early April last year at which point I hooked them back up and charged. I’ve got one that measures a shade lower always. But even that was unnecessary. Launched in late April. You just disconnect the leads after topping off. Very important to disconnect from parasitic loads.

Just asking

Cheers

Fred, I apologize for being unclear. I meant to imply I would bring the charger to the boat and charge them there. Then bring the charger back home. I want to avoid wiring it permanently into the boat adding further complexity. Plus, I can probably use the charger at home on my AGM Jeep batteries.

[John Stone]

I too leave our T-105's aboard all winter, topped off, and charging by the permanently mounted 60W solar panel, tipped away from the sun, through a Ferris solar regulator (Old school PWM type, not MPPT) and left all the long northern winter - basically trickle charging. The panel normally produces 2.5A during the season and almost covers the draw of the old fridge. In 17 seasons I've replaced batteries once, but may be due again in the next few years as I noticed a little faster draw down time. I chose this over several other significantly more complex DC power system suggestions. While I could always use more solar wattage and maybe a newer MPPT type charge regulator, this set up was suggested to me by Ham Ferris and it has worked superbly for Femme).

Paul, copy all. My battery had been fine for four years. No issues. I normally have a 30 watt panel charging it through a MPPT controller year round. All programmed for the puket blah blah blah. But for the last year I have had the electrical system apart on the boat so no charging. AGMs like to be charged pretty high. My solar system provided and excellent float/maintenance charge. Normally my resting AGM is about about 13.4 volts. Remember I sail without an engine or any system. So my system was perfectly balanced and never drawn down below 85-90 percent.

Anyway, I’m just looking for a way to condition them and maintain them a couple times a year. This I am looking for a good charger that is programmed for my Lifeline AGM.

This whole thing begs discussion on a larger issue about the slippery slope of needlessly complicating our boat And dramatically adding to their maintenance and operational costs. But that’s a conversation for another day....

[Paul D.]

John. I agree, I think electrical is the A #1 system to complicate things. You can go nuts with it. That's why I like a simple solar deal I have so much. I have had zero maintenance on the system since I installed it in 2003. And with LED lights now in every light over the years I am able to keep up with the kids' devices charging! DC amps are like money, you just trade one expense for another.