[Rhodes22-list] Dead Battery (Again)

[Leland]

I seem to ask the same question around this time every year and I hate to
beat a dead horse, but I am about ready to start beating my dead battery.

I have two batteries and two solar panels.  

The cabin battery is for everything but the motor and has both solar panels
attached to it.  For three years it has been fully charged, although it is
rare that it operates much aside from my depth/fish finder.

The motor battery is only for the motor and is hard-wired to the motor--it
gets charged by the motor.  All three years it has lost its charge during
the winter.  It is also connected to the cabin battery.  Last year there was
a charge coming from the cabin battery to the motor battery, but I suspect
that it is too low to keep the motor battery charged.

I haven't checked the batteries' charges yet nor have I cleaned/checked the
connections, but I certainly will.

I own a trickle charger that connects to a 110 outlet and I own an AC/DC
convertor.

I think my new marina only has 220 electrical and I haven't yet purchased an
expensive 220 cord nor have I had a need to do so.

1.  Should I re-run the solar panels so that one charges the motor battery
and one charges the cabin battery?  I assume there is no danger with the
motor battery being hard-wired to the motor.  I don't want to do this if one
solar panel won't be strong enough to keep the motor battery charged or if I
will risk not being able to keep the cabin battery charged with only one
solar panel connected to it instead of two.

2.  Should I break down and buy a 220 cord and use my AC/DC converter and
trickle charger to charge the motor battery?  Any dangers to the trickle
charger, converter, or battery?

3.  Should I buy one of those rechargeable jumping battery panels to start
the motor when the battery is dead?  I was thinking about getting one for my
motorcycle anyway.  I hate it when I want to go for a ride or a sail and
have to wait for the trickle charger to do its thing.

4.  Any other recommendations?

Thanks for your advice.  Just want to make sure the electrical juice is
worth the economic squeeze.

Lee
1986 Rhodes22  At Ease
Kent Island, MD
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