Very Happy With my Batteries, Chargers, etc

[Pat Dilling]

I wanted to share this with you, it is a little long.

I believe I finally have our Nitro Z-19 well sorted as far as batteries and chargers are concerned. I replaced Interstate Group 31 AGM that came with the boat with an Odyssey Group 31 AGM. The original Interstate wet cell group 31 trolling batteries were getting tired after 3 plus years and 250+ cycles. I have a 24v Minnkota Ultrex. I decded to bite the bullet and got two 50Ah Ionic Lithium batteries. The cost was not that much more than AGMs and the long life seemed like a good value. Bonus is they only weigh 12 pounds each and take up half the space. I love the blue tooth connection to monitor their state of charge. I have 2 chargers. The previous generation NOCO Genius 3 bank 30 amp charger that came on the boat and a Stealth 1 DC Charger. I have two banks of the NOCO going to my cranking battery for 20 amps of full and fast charging. The 3rd bank is unused and taped off. The Stealth 1 charger is a DC charger powered by the cranking battery. It charges my two Ionic Lithium trolling motor batteries. It charges the batteries via the starting battery whether I have the NOCO plugged in or via the gas motor alternator when I am driving down the lake. It only charges if the cranking battery has sufficient charge. This combination is awesome. I just got back from a 4 day fishing trip where I fished from 6 to 10 hours per day. I never plugged my NOCO charger in to charge the batteries and just relied on the Stealth 1. When I got home, I checked the batteries state of charge. Trolling motor battery #1 had 86% charge and #2 had 84%. That is after four days of fishing! I ran the Mercury 200 4 stroke around the lake enough to burn 18 gallons of gas. With a set up like this, I never have to worry about where I will be able to plug in on a trip. And if I do ever run the batteries down in the wind or current, I can fire up the gas motor and run around the lake some to give them a charge. When the Odyssey gives up, I will probably go back to Ionic for their 125 Ah cranking battery.

[Topwater All Day]

Hey Pat, glad to hear you have everything ironed out and working well now! My question is how did you know your starting AGM had enough juice to not need to be charged in the 4 days?

I have been thinking of adding another lithium just for electronics, but can't seem to justify it. I have the Impulse Lithium 105 ah cranking and single Impulse 60 ah 24v for the Ultrex and even after a full day of fishing they are both usually in the 60+% range. If I run around the lake with the big motor, the charge on the run helps boost them even more. Really hard to beat this technology...and everything charges up in 3-4 hours using a single bank charger!

[Pat Dilling]

Rob, I have a voltage gauge from Stealth 1 that monitors my starting battery and my trolling motor batteries. I can also see the voltage from my starting battery on my Humminbird Helix. How is your big motor doing the "charge on the run" for your 24v Lithium?

[Topwater All Day]

Ah, that makes sense then...

The Impulse "charge on the run" is also a converter, so when I run the big motor at a certain RPM or higher, it converts that over to 24v to charge the trolling battery. Here is what it says on the Impulse site, I don't see the 24v listed anymore though:

"The DC Charge system connects to the Starting and Trolling Batteries and utilizes your existing bank on your starting battery charger. This system is a Charge on the Run system, when you operate your outboard motor this system will charge your trolling batteries."

[Pat Dilling]

Your charge on the run system works like my Stealth 1. Mine has a jumper so it can charge either 24 or 36 volts. I think it's the way of the future.

[tunamann]

Your charge on the run system works like my Stealth 1. Mine has a jumper so it can charge either 24 or 36 volts. I think it's the way of the future.

You must be young… I had a Stealth charger on my Z20 since about 2008…

[Pat Dilling]

You must be young… I had a Stealth charger on my Z20 since about 2008…

Ha ha, or just slow to adapt.