roykinch
Member
Can someone advise on a battery trickle charger to use on a Ocean 8.5M rib with no shore power input, but do have shore power on mooring at Hythe marina?
Battery Trickle Charger
- Thread starter roykinch
- Start date
aquapower
Well-Known Member
I have a c tek trickle charger and have a hard wired lead on all the things I want to charge so I can just plug it in and leave it, have had it for about 3 years now and have had no problems with it
www.ctek.com
www.ctek.com
VicS
Well-Known Member
The Ctek XS 4003 is rather more than a trickle charger. It is an automatic 8 step charger, but with maximum output of only 4 amps.
Presumably for a RIB a high level of waterproofness is required. The above Ctek is dust and water proof to IP 65. Good enough I guess but IP66 would be better and if likely to be subject to temporary immersion IP67 would be required.
Presumably for a RIB a high level of waterproofness is required. The above Ctek is dust and water proof to IP 65. Good enough I guess but IP66 would be better and if likely to be subject to temporary immersion IP67 would be required.
jfm
Well-Known Member
I agree the above, the c tek. It is very small but it's a fairly serious machine for the reasons VicS describes. And not cheap
Happy to be corrected but I doubt you can get one at any sensible price rated ip67. So, live with the ip65 and dont put it where immersion could occur. I've used a c-tek for years and it's been excellent. Its ip65-ness hasn't in practice been a prob: it's in a locker well above bilge level in my RIB
aquapower
Well-Known Member
IP 67 can be achieved by installing the charger in a suitable enclosure with glands, this of course depends if you plan on installing this permanantly or just plugging in when required
adey
Well-Known Member
Is it worth considering a small solar panel and forget shore power altogether?
roykinch
Member
Thank you
DavidJ
Well-Known Member
Agree, granted I'm in Northern Spain, but 2 12V 10W solar panels keep my 2 banks of batteries well topped up (3 batteries on one side, 2 on the other). I have no solar panel voltage regulation and have noticed no reduction of battery acid so conclude no significant overcharging. Even on dull days I get a good trickle coming through.
I prefer this to having mains connected to anything on the boat while I'm away for lengthy periods.
