CTEK Marine Range
For safer and more convenient boating
Most people associate boating with holidays, pleasure and relaxation. However, as any boat owner knows, a vast number of things need to run smoothly for expectations to be met. Electrical equipment needs to be installed and work after a long winter and it must also be reliable when at sea.
There is usually limited space onboard so making compact instruments offering practical solutions that can be handled easily and safely is a must. CTEK offers all this – with an eye-catching design and an attractive price.
Åsa answers questions frequently asked by boat owners.
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What should be considered when choosing a battery charger for a boat?
You should consider 2 things:
1- The charger should be safe i.e. safe for you as a user, (CTEK’s chargers are non-sparking, reverse-polarity protected and short-circuit proof). It should also be safe for the battery (no risk of over charging and have safe maintenance charging). Last but not least, the charger should pose no risk of damaging the electronics in the boat. It is incredibly unfortunate to have to replace an expensive starter battery just because the battery has been shock charged with too high a voltage.
2- The size of the charger. If you consider this: What sizes are your batteries, how much do you drain them and how quickly do you need them fully charged again? Your needs and requirements will be the decisive factor when choosing the size of your charger.
It is easy to calculate how quick you can recharge a battery up to 80% of full capacity. The remaining 20% depends on the battery’s age and condition. If you take the size of the battery bank, for example 200 Ah and then calculate 80% of that (200 x 0.8 = 160 Ah). Divide 160 with the number of A the charger is supplying (25A for M300) (160/25 = approx. 6.5). This means that it will take up to 6.5 hours to charge from fully discharged to 80% of full capacity. It will take between 1 and 6.5 hours to charge the remaining 20% depending on the battery's age and condition.
All in all, it will take up to 13 hours to charge from fully discharged to fully charged. If you do the calculation in this manner, you will get a maximum charging time. The battery will rarely be fully discharged, but the calculation will give you a good idea of whether the charger is of the right size or not.
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Some CTEK chargers are a lot cheaper than CTEK’s marine chargers. Is there any difference between marine chargers and other chargers?
As I mentioned earlier, CTEK works with many different platforms (sizes, power, charging steps, features, models for different applications) which, depending on the model, can vary in price. The quality of the charger and the charging is, however, just as good. Some chargers can be more expensive than others depending on the model and its requirements.
I don’t think that you can find an “unbelievably cheap” CTEK charger at any serious dealer. CTEK is doing its best in trying to maintain fair pricing regardless of industry.
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CTEK has a DC/DC charger that seems really good, but how does it work and when do I need one?
DC/DC means direct current to direct current and it charges from 12V to 12V.
The idea is that you should be able to use the current from the generator in the boat or from the solar cell more efficiently. There are some problems that the DC/DC charger can solve easily:
For example, a generator in a boat gives 14V. The battery does, however, really need 14.4V (depending on type and temperature but we are generalising a little here). This means that you are charging the battery, but not much or very efficiently.
The second problem is that when the voltage in the battery reaches the same level as the one in the generator, there will not be much current flow. The generator may be providing 60A, but when the voltage in the battery reaches 14V (may take a few minutes) the charging will only be a few A. It doesn't matter if you drive until you're out of petrol and don't use any at all, the battery will NEVER be fully charged!
How does CTEK think? Imagine if you charge 14V via the IN connector and discharge 14.4V via the OUT button! And not just a few A but 20A. This would give you a fully charged battery. To this, we add CTEK’s intelligent charging steps and charge on full speed up to 80% of full capacity and then reduce the speed until it is fully charged. This means that you can spend more time out at sea, have a battery that is better charged when you get back and reduce the amount of time the boat has to be on shore power before the battery is fully charged again.
You can also connect a solar cell to get a more efficient charging without causing any damage to the battery.
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Are there any more tips that you can give boat owners looking for a hassle-free summer when it comes to battery charging?
Get a charger of the right size. It is better that it is too big rather than too small. Connect the charger when you leave the boat to ensure that it will be fully charged for your next trip. If possible, leave the battery on charge for the entire winter! If you have normal wet batteries (not GEL or AGM) remember to RECOND both when you take the boat out of water and put it back in. This will improve your chances of having a summer with working batteries so that you can enjoy your boat rather than worry about whether the batteries will last or not.