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Posts: 322
| Well my pro mariner 20 sport bit the dust right at 2 years old.
I need a three bank charger. 2 trolling and 1 engine start.
Has anyone had good luck with any onboard charger at all??
Please let me know I will be buying one in about a week
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Posts: 633
Location: S.W. WI | Interesting, I get about 2 years out of mine also (same brand) on my 3rd 2bank in 5 yrs. would like one to last a little longer. first one covered under warranty.
-Jon |
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | I have a Guest 3 bank charger in my boat. Bought it in 2002. Last year one bank quit working. So I've been running a stand alone charger on one of the trolling motor batteries until I bite the bullet on a new one. But it worked great for 8 years.
Aaron |
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | You might be well served to plug your charger into a surge suppressor/protector.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surge_protector
I also don't leave home without one! But maybe I'm just overly cautious because of my electrical engineering background/day job.
http://www.apc.com/site/apc/index.cfm
Have fun!
Al
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Posts: 582
| Buy a dual pro or guest charger and be done with it. On board is the only way to go in my opin. |
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Posts: 322
| Thanks moderator for not deleting my charger post. I have decided to purchase a SS3 dual pro sportsman series charger.
http://www.basspro.com/Pro-Charging-Systems-Sportsman-Series-Onboar...
I appreciate every ones input and I will never buy a Pro Mariner Charger again unless they get their quality control in check and make a quality lasting product.
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | muskymandan - 2/12/2011 3:23 PM
Thanks moderator for not deleting my charger post. I have decided to purchase a SS3 dual pro sportsman series charger.
http://www.basspro.com/Pro-Charging-Systems-Sportsman-Series-Onboar...
I appreciate every ones input and I will never buy a Pro Mariner Charger again unless they get their quality control in check and make a quality lasting product.
So, that's cool. But, have you considered that your electrical supply may have contributed to the early demise? You would be very surprised at how many pieces of power electronics (chargers) or electronic systems (computers/TV's/ Audio gear, etc.) are sent to an early demise by a poor AC power supply.
How's the quality of connection at the outlet where you plug in the extension cord? Has the outlet in the garage been there since 1905? What gauge is the wire in your extension cord ( I'll bet its 16 AWG or smaller). What condition is the cord cap (receptacle that you plug the charger into) on the extension cord? Crappy power connections can eat your power electronics! Think of it as electrical rust! Eventually your charger will give up the ghost- just like your truck. Poor power quality just hasten's the failure.
How many light bulb's burn out when you turn on the switch? Right! What ate the bulb was the power surge. You get the same thing when you plug in your charger- there's predictable electrical arcing of the contact connections and resultant power surges when you do that. Put a surge surpressor on your charger - as Martha says: "It's a good thing!".
Have fun!
Al |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | You will be happy with that charger. I had two of the same chargers you had, before switching to the dual pro in my river rig 10 years ago, and it is still going strong....err, knock on wood... |
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Posts: 322
| At $320 for this charger I am going to invest in a new extension cord. I am guilty of using an older extension cord 15-20'. The outlet is in good shape though.
I have looked at a ton of reviews and the pro mariner sport 20 is know for failure at or before 2 years of use. So honestly I don't think it was all the extension cord.
Thanks |
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | muskymandan- My point was your onboard charger is a pretty fair investment to charge a couple of hundred dollars of batteries and facilitate your muskie fishing fix, and you definitely want the boat batteries ready to go muskie fishing when you are. The surge supressor is like an insurance policy, a fairly economical one I might add. Garage outlets/receptacles typically get used a lot, as do extension cords, they get damaged or just plain wear out from hard use. Yes, some of them may have been around since the early 1900's, especially the garage wiring! Have you ever seen knob & tube wiring? What's the quality of power at the resort dock? Faulty extension cords etc. can also be hazardous when mixed with water/wet environment. If you have an aluminum boat be especially careful.
Re, Extension cords - the larger the wire gauge the better- #12AWG is the best, however also most expensive. I use a 100' #12AWG that has a translucent plug cap/repectacle with an LED that allows me to clearly see that there is power present. A GFI (ground fault interrupting feature) is another good feature to have in an extension cord- to protect yourself. These are most commonly required for construction sites, etc. and usually can be found at Home Depot, Menards, etc.
Have fun!
Al
Edited by ESOX Maniac 2/13/2011 10:14 AM
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| I am using a dual pro 3 bank for 4 years now and very satisfied. I bought one off of their website that was reconditioned- considerable difference in price-but not the full warranty- i think one year. I thought with the savings, if it did burn out after warranty I could buy another one and still be even money at full retail price. May want to check it out.
pmv |
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Posts: 158
| Are the companies willing to do repairs? Has anyone checked or are you guys just trashing them?
I bought one for my brother that quit working, and told him to call the company but he never did. Wondering if it can be fixed. |
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Virtually every reputable electronics company/charger manufacturer has a repair/service center for their products. Call them!
http://www.pmariner.com/contact_us.php
Have fun!
Al
Edited by ESOX Maniac 2/18/2011 8:42 PM
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My onboard charger bit the dust and I need some advice