Charging batteries without shore power?

[MilesPrower]

I'm liking @ilangtry 's solution. It's definitely the easiest to implement. Plus, with onboard chargers iinstalled inside your boat, you can charge from dock or trailer-side AC power when it's available.

Also, you can take your powerpack with you camping, or use it during a power outage -- lots of other uses for it.

Of course, the engineer in me thinks that this may not be the most efficient solution, due to more components in the total system... but again, it's an easy solution, with many other benefits too.

Awesome!

 

[MilesPrower]

Also, Jackery Day is May 12. Maybe Jackery will offer discounts (or price drops on older models) alongside the promised new product announcements?

Jackery Day 2022 - New Product Launch Event

On this year's Jackery Day, on May 12th 8 P.M. PDT, Jackery is launching something incredibly powerful, enhancing your outdoor solar experience to a whole new level.

www.jackery.com

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

so basically add a 3rd lithium battery in a to-go container? I do like this idea.

If I did fry my house battery should I replace that one with a lithium also? If so what size? Would I still need a 3rd battery?

And to add a 3rd battery you suggest an sae plug for quick disconnect. Would I just run the red to positive and the black to negative on my house battery or should I add another battery switch and have the sae coming out of that?
Also looking around at the sae plugs the largest I see is 10awg, is that big enough to send the power to the boat systems?

You cannot just replace your house battery with a lithium without modifying your DVSR to manual operation or hooking it to an ignition hot. The DVSR close threshold of 13.4 volts to close the switch will be activated by the LiFePO’s higher rating voltage of 13.6 volts.

Check my post #43 in this thread. https://jetboaters.net/threads/conversion-to-lifepo-batteries.35834/page-3



You may want to read through the whole thread on lithium batteries that I posted and the input from fellow boaters. The short story on them is buy the more reputable battery like a ReLion or Battle Born. If you are a fair weather boater go with the Tracker branded ReLion batteries that you can get at Bass Pro / Cabela’s. I think the Battle Born is the best but both the ReLion and Battle Born have the best BMS that I could find with Battle Bon taking the win here as it’s BMS will keep you from doing anything to it that would damage it.

As far as your lead acid house battery goes, get a good quality smart charger with a minimum of 10A of charging power, and has a manual equalize charger setting, pull your house battery out, take it home and charge it, then run a manual equalize charge on it and this should restore a lot of its capacity.

Our boats just don’t have a lot of left over charging power, perhaps 5-7 Amps per engine. So with everything off except what’s necessary on your 30 min run you could maybe put 7 amp hours back into your house battery.

Also, don’t leave your boat idling at the sand bar to try and keep the battery charged while people are hanging out on the swim deck, the engine exhaust is right there and the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning is real. Same goes for slow cruising… it’s fine just no one hanging out on the swim deck while slow cruising.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I'm liking @ilangtry 's solution. It's definitely the easiest to implement. Plus, with onboard chargers iinstalled inside your boat, you can charge from dock or trailer-side AC power when it's available.

Also, you can take your powerpack with you camping, or use it during a power outage -- lots of other uses for it.

Of course, the engineer in me thinks that this may not be the most efficient solution, due to more components in the total system... but again, it's an easy solution, with many other benefits too.

Awesome!

Im liking this solution for you! It’s the simplest !

I’ll have to run the numbers and see if that would be a solution for my longer off grid trips I have planned.

 

[snowman_audio]

I went with the noco and jackery setup. Should be here by Wednesday. Throwing a birthday party on the boat this weekend so I couldn’t wait till the 12th to order it

 

[The Canuck]

what size Jackery did you go with? Or how did you calculate the size to go with?

 

[snowman_audio]

what size Jackery did you go with? Or how did you calculate the size to go with?

honestly I asked the same question but didn’t get a reply. Not 100% how to calculate it either. But I got the 1000w version. I figured if that can’t recharge my house battery along with all the cruising we do, I got other issuer. I cruised for 4 hours yesterday with nothing on and got the battery back to 13.9v from 11.4. I’m expecting I fried a few cells in it already and it may never hit 14.3v (while the engines are running) again, but with the boat off it is sitting at 12.1 so with this charger setup I’m hoping it will extend the life of the battery through the season at least

 

[snowman_audio]

Fast and simple remote chargingView attachment 177320

Did you have to alter your DVSR to allow for the dual charger to work? What happens if you forget reenable the DVSR while off shore power? Does that mean only the starting battery will be charged by the engine?

 

[ilangtry]

what size Jackery did you go with? Or how did you calculate the size to go with?

I have Jackery 1000.

Did you have to alter your DVSR to allow for the dual charger to work? What happens if you forget reenable the DVSR while off shore power? Does that mean only the starting battery will be charged by the engine?

yes I did the DVSR mod (4yrs ago) for proper triple battery charging. I don’t ‘re-enable’ anything when off shower power, sorry not sure what you mean here.

 

[snowman_audio]

I have Jackery 1000.

yes I did the DVSR mod (4yrs ago) for proper triple battery charging. I don’t ‘re-enable’ anything when off shower power, sorry not sure what you mean here.

Did you just put a switch on the ground wire or did you cut the red loop wire on the DVSR?

my comment was related to a switch on the ground wire and what happens if you forget to turn it back on when you switch over to engine power

 

[lazergeek]

Did you just put a switch on the ground wire or did you cut the red loop wire on the DVSR?

my comment was related to a switch on the ground wire and what happens if you forget to turn it back on when you switch over to engine power

With with the steps in this post the DVSR is only disabled when the battery switch is off if that is more what your looking for. https://jetboaters.net/threads/fsh-210-and-noco-5x2-charger.37059/post-598446

 

[snowman_audio]

With with the steps in this post the DVSR is only disabled when the battery switch is off if that is more what your looking for. https://jetboaters.net/threads/fsh-210-and-noco-5x2-charger.37059/post-598446

But if I want to charge while on a sandbar using an electric generator, then I couldn’t play music and charge at the same time. Since the connectx screen will not come on with either battery in the off position. Right?

 

[ilangtry]

But if I want to charge while on a sandbar using an electric generator, then I couldn’t play music and charge at the same time. Since the connectx screen will not come on with either battery in the off position. Right?

I can charge batteries with portable charger, while playing music (connectx powered up), just like I can when connected to shore power

 

[snowman_audio]

I can charge batteries with portable charger, while playing music (connectx powered up), just like I can when connected to shore power

Your connetx screen turns on with only the house battery on? Mine will only come on with both house and starter battery on

 

[ilangtry]

Your connetx screen turns on with only the house battery on? Mine will only come on with both house and starter battery on

@snowman_audio Not sure what year/ model you have. No my connectx does not immediately turn on with just the house battery. However it will turn on with if you push any button on the connectx screen (on just house battery). This is how I commonly use float-mode as well.

 

[snowman_audio]

@snowman_audio Not sure what year/ model you have. No my connectx does not immediately turn on with just the house battery. However it will turn on with if you push any button on the connectx screen (on just house battery). This is how I commonly use float-mode as well.

I’ll have to try that. I have a 2022 252SD and when the screen is black (off) there are no buttons to press. Only actual buttons are for the bilge, blower, acc and I think lights

 

[TimW451]

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[Seno]

I would tip the guy $20 who will be putting your boat away and tell him it needs to be plugged in for a few hours.....

 

[ilangtry]

I would tip the guy $20 who will be putting your boat away and tell him it needs to be plugged in for a few hours.....

That might work for rack storage. Mine stays on the water at my dock (with no shore power).

 

[212s]

That might work for rack storage. Mine stays on the water at my dock (with no shore power).

Is this your own private dock? If so, install an outlet on the dock and plug in.