Float or maintenance mode is great for maximizing lifespan of regular lead acid car batteries, but not so good for conventional deep cycle or AGM types.
Depends on who you talk to. Odyssey strongly recommends multi-stage charging at just about the highest amperage you can muster, and then floating their batteries in pulse mode when they are are not in regular use. All Odyssey batteries are AGM deep cycle. Any 12V automotive battery that is powering a target thrower will easily be partially or deeply discharged every week that the club is operating. Depending on frequency and intensity of use, even a pretty big solar panel may not be able to keep up on shoot days, so a good controller is important.
