Charging Different Battery Types on a Refurbished Boat?

Question:

I’ve enjoyed and learned a ton from your videos, thanks for putting them out there.  I am refurbing a 1988 Luhrs 342 with a pair of Detroit Diesels with the original alternators.  I have a flooded bank for start, and a gel bank for house.  When I bought the boat there was no house bank, house was all run off one of the cranking batteries with a deep cycle on board.  In the refurb, I’ve added a pair of Vmax AGMs to provide a few hundred amp hours, and ganged the two flooded for starting the two diesels.  Given the age of the alternators, I’m loathe to hook one (or both) to the gels directly, but am struggling to find a reasonable way to bring the alternators and banks together optimally charging both the flooded and AGM from both alternators.  Is there a decent solution for this that won’t cost more than my old hull did? - Kevin

Answer:

You should consider using a DC to DC charging converter like the Victron Orion. You could have a AGM battery recharge a GEL battery, as the DC to DC converter can be customized to the correct charge profile of the battery. - Jeff