On Nov 17, 2:41 pm, " JimH" ask wrote:

I have never had a problem just disconnecting the batteries on my boat
(fully charged) and leaving them in place during the winter lay-up.

I have bought 4 batteries in 4 years now.

The battery will not be strong enough to start the PWC (even when the
battery charge ways the battery is full).

wrote in message
...
On Nov 17, 10:29 am, HK wrote:
wrote:
It is my understanding that a battery needs "exercised". Long periods
of non-usage (over the fall/winter/spring months) will result in the
battery loosing its charge and not be able to accept a charge.

With that said, is it possible that if I wired my battery (in
parallel) to my Ford truck battery, will it be "exercised" and be
ready for another full year of boating, or will it damage the PWC
battery?

I'm trying to avoid the cost of trading in the old battery and
purchasing a new battery each summer.

Thanks in advanced,

Dizouglas

Take the battery out of the boat, clean it off, fill it with distilled
water if it needs it, and carry down to your basement or storage room.
Give it a trickle charge and trickle charge it once a month.

Do not hook it up to your truck.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Why not?

Because carrying the extra weight will contribute to global warming.

wrote:
On Nov 17, 2:41 pm, " JimH" ask wrote:
I have never had a problem just disconnecting the batteries on my boat
(fully charged) and leaving them in place during the winter lay-up.

I have bought 4 batteries in 4 years now.

The battery will not be strong enough to start the PWC (even when the
battery charge ways the battery is full).

What kind of batteries are you buying, what are you paying for them, and
where are you buying them?

JimH wrote:
wrote in message
...
On Nov 17, 2:41 pm, " JimH" ask wrote:
I have never had a problem just disconnecting the batteries on my boat
(fully charged) and leaving them in place during the winter lay-up.
I have bought 4 batteries in 4 years now.

The battery will not be strong enough to start the PWC (even when the
battery charge ways the battery is full).


What did you previously do with the battery over the winter lay-up?



Batteries will self discharge over the winter, especially in colder
areas. A discharged battery will have definitely have a shortened life.

When I had a trailered boat, I was told to bring the battery home to
keep it in the basement and keep a trickle charger on it. Many people
who don't want to bring the battery home, will use a solar panel trickle
charger to keep the battery fully charged.

Reginald Smithers III wrote:
JimH wrote:
wrote in message
...
On Nov 17, 2:41 pm, " JimH" ask wrote:
I have never had a problem just disconnecting the batteries on my boat
(fully charged) and leaving them in place during the winter lay-up.
I have bought 4 batteries in 4 years now.

The battery will not be strong enough to start the PWC (even when the
battery charge ways the battery is full).


What did you previously do with the battery over the winter lay-up?


Batteries will self discharge over the winter, especially in colder
areas. A discharged battery will have definitely have a shortened life.

When I had a trailered boat, I was told to bring the battery home to
keep it in the basement and keep a trickle charger on it. Many people
who don't want to bring the battery home, will use a solar panel trickle
charger to keep the battery fully charged.



ps - Before I took the battery back to the boat, I would always bring
the battery by my mechanic and have him charge the battery and then run
a load test on the battery. If it was showing a marginal test, I would
replace it at that time, and not wait till it would not start the boat.

Somebody wrote:


When I had a trailered boat, I was told to bring the battery home to keep
it in the basement and keep a trickle charger on it. Many people who
don't want to bring the battery home, will use a solar panel trickle
charger to keep the battery fully charged.




I'd recommend a float type battery maintainer rather than a trickle charger.
The old trickle chargers can still overcharge or boil off a battery over a
long period.

The newer, "smart" battery maintainers keep the float charge voltage below
14.4 volts.
I use them for my motorcycle batteries during winter storage. The work
great and are not expensive. Plug 'em in and forget them until spring.

http://www.boatandrvaccessories.com/VEC-080.htm

Eisboch

Eisboch wrote:

I'd recommend a float type battery maintainer rather than a trickle charger.
The old trickle chargers can still overcharge or boil off a battery over a
long period.

The newer, "smart" battery maintainers keep the float charge voltage below
14.4 volts.
I use them for my motorcycle batteries during winter storage. The work
great and are not expensive. Plug 'em in and forget them until spring.

http://www.boatandrvaccessories.com/VEC-080.htm

Eisboch




I've got a larger "VEC" "marine" battery charger. I just hook it up once
a month on the boat batteries. I'm just not used to leaving a battery
charger hooked up all the time.

JimH wrote:
"Reginald Smithers III" wrote in message
...
JimH wrote:
wrote in message
...
On Nov 17, 2:41 pm, " JimH" ask wrote:
I have never had a problem just disconnecting the batteries on my boat
(fully charged) and leaving them in place during the winter lay-up.
I have bought 4 batteries in 4 years now.

The battery will not be strong enough to start the PWC (even when the
battery charge ways the battery is full).

What did you previously do with the battery over the winter lay-up?
Batteries will self discharge over the winter, especially in colder areas.
A discharged battery will have definitely have a shortened life.

When I had a trailered boat, I was told to bring the battery home to keep
it in the basement and keep a trickle charger on it. Many people who
don't want to bring the battery home, will use a solar panel trickle
charger to keep the battery fully charged.

As I said before, I never had a problem with this technique. Besides, as
you know, you are the last person I would take any sort of advice from.



Wow. "Reggie" claims to have had a "trailered boat." Right.

"HK" wrote in message
. ..
Eisboch wrote:

I'd recommend a float type battery maintainer rather than a trickle
charger.
The old trickle chargers can still overcharge or boil off a battery over
a long period.

The newer, "smart" battery maintainers keep the float charge voltage
below 14.4 volts.
I use them for my motorcycle batteries during winter storage. The work
great and are not expensive. Plug 'em in and forget them until spring.

http://www.boatandrvaccessories.com/VEC-080.htm

Eisboch




I've got a larger "VEC" "marine" battery charger. I just hook it up once a
month on the boat batteries. I'm just not used to leaving a battery
charger hooked up all the time.

That works, but the maintainers are really foolproof. They only put out 1.5
to 2 amps max. and then only if a full charge is required. They're designed
to be left on for extended periods .... like all winter. I've been using
them without a problem for several years on the bikes and classic cars.

Come to think of it, the Navigator's battery chargers have been on now 24/7
for about 3 years. The three 8D batteries are charged by a big, triple
output 90 amp ferroresonant type charger, so I have to routinely check and
add water as required. The two thruster batteries (next size down from an
8D) are charged by a newer, 30 amp, dual output "smart" charger with float
mode. I've never had to add water to the thruster batteries.

Eisboch

On Sat, 17 Nov 2007 07:13:38 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

It is my understanding that a battery needs "exercised". Long periods
of non-usage (over the fall/winter/spring months) will result in the
battery loosing its charge and not be able to accept a charge.

With that said, is it possible that if I wired my battery (in
parallel) to my Ford truck battery, will it be "exercised" and be
ready for another full year of boating, or will it damage the PWC
battery?

I'm trying to avoid the cost of trading in the old battery and
purchasing a new battery each summer.

First, I would suggest that something is wrong with the charging
system in the PWC if you are having to replace batteries every year.

Secondly, wiring it to the truck in parallel wouldn't be a good idea
for a variety of reasons including over charge, unequal charge, etc.

Third, get a "floating" charger rather than a constant "trickle"
charger. The floating charger will turn itself on and off as the
battery requires over winter. You don't really need to remove it from
the PWC - just unconnect it from the PWC (leave it in), hook the
charger to it and plug it in. Unless, of course, that isn't
convenient - in that case just remove it, put it somewhere you can
plug in the charger and let it sit over winter.

I use three floater units on my Ranger over winter and haven't had a
failure yet.

Unless you count the time I left the key and radio on, but that was
Scott's fault. :)