Battery charger recommendation???

[scook]

Thanks for the responses - I just spent a bunch of $ getting a new kicker motor, so I'm not excited about spending on a new alternator but I need the batteries in good shape - planning to start hitting the ocean and don't need any problems.

Spare - did you find the trouble shooting chart for the regulator? I do have the Merc factory shop manual but haven't had time to dig into it. About what is a reasonable cost for a kit, if I need to go that way and can I buy it from you and get it drop shipped to me on the left coast?

[bradford]

I'm with Garbubba, 12.2 is gonna leave you stranded. Check the voltage at the batteries with the engine running, don't trust your dash gauge. A good charging system is money in the bank in my opinion.

[scook]

I agree - stranded is in a car by the road - dead engine in boat is being carried by the current or blown by the wind toward the rocks. Just hoping I can find and fix the problem without having to buy all new, however unlikely that is.

[spareparts]

page 151
http://boatinfo.no/lib/mercruiser/ma...ser8.html#/150

Usually I do a visual on the balancer. Look to see if there are magnet pieces or whats left of the stator laying around the front of the engine. If the balancer is bad, it usually takes the stator out, if the stator shorts, it fries the regulator. Its been a while since I worked on one, but it used to be $200 per item(balancer, stator, regulator). If its just the regulator, get the CDI brand.

[steplift20]

The best charger I still have my son took out of the garbage in Atlantic highlands about 20 years ago, I changed the clips and been using it ever since! Really. It has 2 settings. 2 or 6 amps and 6 or 12 volts. I keep it on 12 volts and 2 amps and use that to charge and maintain my battery's. The only thing that just broke the year is the meter to tell you what it's putting out so I use a multimeter to check it. Still works great after 20 years and might even be longer that that. And cost me nothing. Just two clips so I wouldn't get anything to complicated just a reg charger with different settings will work fine. That's what I would get

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by steplift20

The best charger I still have my son took out of the garbage in Atlantic highlands about 20 years ago, I changed the clips and been using it ever since! Really. It has 2 settings. 2 or 6 amps and 6 or 12 volts. I keep it on 12 volts and 2 amps and use that to charge and maintain my battery's. The only thing that just broke this year is the meter to tell you what it's putting out so I use a multimeter to check it. Still works great after 20 years and might even be longer that that. And cost me nothing. Just two clips so I wouldn't get anything to complicated just a reg charger with different settings will work fine. That's what I would get

That's funny, because I have a backup charger with just those settings. Made by Schumacher I think. Came out of my dad's cellar when he passed away, but that thing is at least 20 years old... (more like 30-40) and it still works when I plug it in.... and yes, the plastic cover to the meter broke last year. I taped a piece of Lexan plastic over the meter to protect it. Just gotta remember that even @ 2 amps you can cook a battery. So I set my wife"s cooking timer and check the battery every 2 hours.

[cfelton]

As for the alternator on the motor Id change ot over to a one wire external marine charger that mounts over the water pump and runs with a belt. I bought a new one for 60.00 in the box. Works great! I put my trusty old Shumacher 2/10 amp charger on my batteries about once a month for a couple days on each battery. It charges them up and cuts off automatically.