On-board charger 10 or 15 amps per bank?

[Hookmaster]

Getting a MinnKota Precision charger for my new boat, a 1875 Pro Guide. It will have a 24 volt Ulterra on the bow and 24 volt Vantage on the stern. The batteries are group 31 AGMs. I've always had 10 amp per bank chargers in the past. I will be spending more time on the water with this boat so draining the batteries down more. Is the 15 amp per bank better, worse or no difference? I am leaning towards the 15 amp for quicker charging. Getting a 3 bank so the starting battery will be topped off also.

Edited February 23, 2020 by Hookmaster

[papadarv]

Charging amps are a direct relation to amp hours. Group 31 batteries are 95 to 125 amp hour batteries. If you have 2ea 12v 100ah batteries wired in series you get 100ah on 24 volts. If you burn 80% of the available amp hours a 10 amp per bank charger will recharge your 24  volt bank in 8 hours & the 15 amp hour charger will take 5 1/2 hours. Only caution on charging is keep the battery temp below 50 deg C

[AlwaysFishing23]

I’d go as high of amperage you can afford and can get in a certain bank. 15 should suit you great. I got a 2 bank 12amp last spring but really wish I would have went with the 15 for a more faster recharge time between trips. 

[BobT]

Latest data that I have found indicates it is best to recharge deep-cycle batteries as soon as possible after each use and and quickly as possible without overheating the battery. One of the worst things we fishermen do is deep-cycle our batteries and then leave them set for long periods without recharging. This is very hard on batteries.

 

The Minn Kota Precision on-board charger is a good choice. It is a smart charger so it uses a multiple charging sequence so it will control both voltage and current output depending on the state of charge of the battery(s). Each bank can be set up for individual battery type and is individually controlled for optimum charger performance. 

 

I think you have made a great choice.

Edited February 24, 2020 by BobT

[Hookmaster]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I placed the order about an hour ago!!

[Rick]

14 hours ago, Hookmaster said:

Thanks for the feedback guys. I placed the order about an hour ago!!

Let us know how it goes HM.