Is the battery charger the same as the AC converter?

[Mgrizer]

Apologies for the basic question...

i recently acquired a 98 330DA. All of the batteries were baked so before replacing I am going to send in the C-Charger for servicing to ensure that it doesn't ruin the replacements.

so my question...

if i remove the charger do I need to turn off all of the DC items on the Boat (e.g. frig)??? I'm not sure if the boat has a true AC converter that will keep these items running while on shore power or if it just runs off of the batteries and the charger keeps the batteries charged

i would appreciate any insight

[Quint4]

You are correct, turn all 12v stuff off. Remember your bilge pumps are wired direct, so if they tend to cycle every now and then, you may wind up with dead batteries without the charger.

[Jimmy Buoy]

Apologies for the basic question...

i recently acquired a 98 330DA. All of the batteries were baked so before replacing I am going to send in the C-Charger for servicing to ensure that it doesn't ruin the replacements.

so my question...

if i remove the charger do I need to turn off all of the DC items on the Boat (e.g. frig)??? I'm not sure if the boat has a true AC converter that will keep these items running while on shore power or if it just runs off of the batteries and the charger keeps the batteries charged

i would appreciate any insight

The charging unit is also operating as the AC converter, so if the batteries are left connected and the charger disconnected there is nothing to provide DC power to anything on the boat other than your batteries. Simply remove the negative connections from all batteries which will prevent them from being discharged.

[Happy Hour IV]

I suspect the boat is in the water. If the batteries are disconnected there is no bilge pump. I would feel more comfortable with a working bilge pump. Batteries can be recharged if not depleted for months on end. Just turn off all dc items and remove the charger.

If the batteries get low then just hook up a cheap portable charger for 24 hours if your not running the engines.

[Mgrizer]

Great info...

Very much appreciated

[Bob & Sue]

Are you sure the cost of getting that charger is worth it you may want to look at a new charger rather than spending money on an older charger.

[Mgrizer]

Valid question...and one that i pondered

i searched for the 80amp C-Chargers and saw that they ran from $1000-$1300. Charles Industries will do a complete rebuild for $330. I'm not sure of the warranty of the rebuild...but I figured that I could use the extra dough elsewhere (still many items on the to-do list)

[Captain Allen]

80 amp seems a bit much to me. I have a 370 with four batteries on three banks and I only have a 20 amp charger. I just replaced the original unit ('94 vintage 20 amp) with a new one from Pro Mariner (ProTech 1220i) at a Port Supply cost of $216.00 Works fine.

[Bob & Sue]

Technology has come a long way since the original charger was built I have dealt with both Charles and Promariners customer service unless you have a real need for 80 amps you should really consider a new charger over a rebuilt 14 year old charger. In my opinion after dealing with both companies Promariner will take care of any problem with no questions asked. I received great phone service from Charles but they are much harder to deal with after the purchase. I now have a spare Charles charger out of frustration waiting on them to return mine I purchased and installed the Promariner before I could even get an estimate for the return time on my Charles charger.

[JimFromMD]

Technology has come a long way since the original charger was built I have dealt with both Charles and Promariners customer service unless you have a real need for 80 amps you should really consider a new charger over a rebuilt 14 year old charger. In my opinion after dealing with both companies Promariner will take care of any problem with no questions asked. I received great phone service from Charles but they are much harder to deal with after the purchase. I now have a spare Charles charger out of frustration waiting on them to return mine I purchased and installed the Promariner before I could even get an estimate for the return time on my Charles charger.

Ditto on Promariner... I've had a great experience with them and their customer service from start to finish. I had a progressive dyn 2030 (12v 30 amp) which came with the boat charging 4 group 27 batteries in 2 banks. They recommended bumping up to 40 amp (pronautic 1240p) since I was upgrading the charger anyway, and also moving to group 31 batteries. They had a ratio they used to justify the recommendation (they can tell you) mathmatically, but the short answer is how fast it can get the batteries back up to full strength.

I also recently had a problem with the charger. They were top-notch to deal with, and were super quick in servcing the unit.

James