'98 Nitro 185 Sport SF - Does it have a battery charger?

[Eric R]

Hi All, I don't have a manual and this is my first Nitro boat. I hear about people buying "3-bank chargers" (I think that's what they are called), which I assume charges the "accessory" batteries. I have 3 batteries, two of which look like run the electronic accessories (trolling motor, radio, etc.). My question is, how can I tell if my '98 Nitro Sport 185 SF has a charger?



If not, do I need to charge these batteries manually every so often? How often do you guys charge yours?



Thanks for helping out a rookie!

 

[Terry Rittenhouse]

Eric,

Best way for a "rookie" to tell if he has an on-board "3-bank charger" is to look in the Bass Pro/Cabelas catalogs or on line to see what they look like. Several different models exist. It will be mounted somewhere in the battery/bilge compartment and have wires running to each battery. It will also have a 120 volt plug to plug into a wall outlet.

If it doesn't have one, I would charge the batteries after each use with a portable charger. I would also recommend buying an on-board charger, how many banks depends on the total number of batteries you have.

That is a good boat. I had a 92 model 180 sport. I sure enjoyed that windshield on cold spring and fall mornings.

Your best source of information is right here. Good luck.

 

[Eric R]

After searching, I definitely do not have one. So maybe I thought of these wrong... an on-board charger doesn't charge the batteries from the alternator, you still have to plug it in to charge the batteries, right? I guess I was assuming the alternator could charge them. So it's just an easier way to charge multiple batteries from a 120v outlet, correct?



And yes, so far it's been a great boat, just trying to figure it out still!

 

[Mike Clayton]

Eric..... you are correct, the bank charger works off 120 v , your starting motor battery is the only one that will charge off of the alternator on your motor. While these bank chargers are very convenient I don't rely on them when I'm home, I use a larger 10 amp charger and always charge both trolling motor batteries as soon as I return from using them.....

 

[Eric Aasen]

I have a 4 bank charger on my Triton. Many will say the motor will charge the starter battery enough to not need it hooked up to a charger. But with electronics, lights, and livewells all running and fishing on the trolling motor most of the day, I've found my starter gets pretty discharged. So all 4 of my batteries are hooked up to a 10 amp charger as soon as I get home from each fishing trip. I just replaced my original with a new Dual Pro and it will charge all four batteries after a day of fishing in about 4-5 hours.



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