4 Bank on Board Battery Charger???
 

Looking to finally invest in a 4 Bank Onboard Charger, didn't know if anyone else has used one and has any thoughts, or recommendations on brands to use or stay away from?? APPRECIATE THE HELP!

Zach,
A 4 bank charger would have its use on a fishing boat. Why do you need a 4 bank charger in your application?

David
Earmark Marine

My business carries Noco and they just came out with a line called the "Genius Line" I think they have 4 bank chargers that are 10 amps per. here is a link to they charger. We have not sold any so don't have any feedback. The list price is 359 but I think I can sell for closer to 300. I would do some research on them though first.

http://www.geniuschargers.com/GEN4

Brett,

i appreciate it, I will definitely take a look at them this weekend and let you know.

Dave- I have been told that is one way to extend the life of my 4 bank batteries inside of my Moomba XLV. I am running 4 deep cycle batteries and a back up battery as well, but all were shot at the end of the year and am needing to replace them. I do not know/understand a lot of how exactly they work, but if you have any knowledge or suggestions on them i am open ears! I appreciate all the help i can get!

Zach, David is really good with this stuff. Just make sure if he spends a bunch of time helping you that you support his business.

Really, we need need to know what your battery/charging setup is now, what your stereo setup is and how you plan on using it all together.

Just as a reference though if you have 4 batteries for your stereo that are wired in parallel then it is like have one big battery. They should be able to charge just fine off a single charger or dual bank if you have a starting battery separate from your stereo battery. Also, just so we a clear having 4 batteries all in parallel is not a 4 bank system. 4 batteries all in parallel is one bank.

Zach,
There are many applications for a 4-bank charger. For example, you may have a 36 volt trolling motor bank consisting of three 12 volt batteries in series. You could have one bank wired to each individual battery and still have total battery to battery isolation since the seriesed circuit isn't closed with the trolling motor off line. That leaves you a fourth bank available for the starting battery.
However, just as Brett mentioned above, with multiple batteries in parallel they become one large battery as viewed by the charger which serves to circumvent the multi-bank multi-phase charger isolation/operation. Thus, there is no benefit beyond a 2-bank charger in this application. You may need to go with a 3-bank charger but only because the capacity dictates that a charger that large is not available in a 2-bank model.
What you want is a 2-bank charger that is the right current capacity to match up with the total battery reserves. And, you want a charger that is distribute on demand so that it will deliver a large percentage of its overall current capacity to the bank most in need.
It would be helpful to know what chemistry all your batteries are plus the specific amp/hour capacity of the batteries. From there, Brett, myself or others can tell you the exact type and size of charger you need. This charger should be available from a number of good manufacturers.

David
Earmark Marine