Wiring Question

[mbd]

And here you've been making us all think you've been slacking off on the maintenance and sailing all the time!  

Top notch C'Pete - Grace is looking fantanstic! Here's hoping that you'll treat us to a nice glamor shot photo shoot soon - just your boat please.     I hate having to hunt through all the different posts to find pics...

[commanderpete]

I think I need to add a second battery and battery switch. Trying to figure out how to wire it.

The outboard engine has an electric start/regulator, but I mostly pull-start the engine.

Don't really need a "house" battery and "starting" battery. Just want to be able to switch to the other battery if one runs low.

I think the picture below shows how to run the positive cables.

How about the negative cables?

Battery #1 Neg post to Battery #2 Neg post to ? (Negative Bus???)

Engine Neg cable to Negative Bus?

Trickle charge solar panel wired the same as the engine?

How would you charge both batteries with one solar panel (don't want to combine different vintage batteries)

Not sure if I want to permanently mount a large solar panel and get a charge controller. Do I have a choice? Maybe 2 small panels?.

Would I have to reconfigure everything if I added a charge controller later?

This is the battery I bought 2 years ago. I've treated it well, but it just doesn't have enough capacity.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02827582000P?vName=Automotive&cName=Batteries+%26+Chargers&sName=Marine+Batteries


http://bluesea.com/viewresource/70

[bill@ariel231]

Pete

I'm running a house and start battery with a switch like you have shown. my battery grounds all tie back directly to the negative bus bar.

the only down side of running the negative leads in series from battery 2 to battery 1 and then to the panel is that a loose connection where all the leads collect on battery 1 can shake loose. One boat i race with did that... until we rewired the battery system (two house batteries and one start), the battery terminal being used to gang the negative leads together tended to get very hot on engine start (not good).

cheers,
Bill:)

[Tim D.]

Pete,
I'm just finishing up rewiring "Che" and I too would have liked the option of using my battery switch to "save" a battery, but with only one solar charger it won't work. Whether it's the engine charger or solar, controller or not, as soon as you tie the batteries together with a lead you will be having them run parallel. Now if you were to hook the engine to one and the solar to the other it would work, but it might be tough on your system. No matter what you do, you will be much better off if you have matching batteries.

Tim

[commanderpete]

I wonder if installing an "ACR" would work, but with a regular battery switch.

http://www.askjackrabbit.com/2008/03/adding-a-batter.html

http://bluesea.com/viewresource/69

[bill@ariel231]

this whole thread gets to arguments over belief systems pretty quickly.

These isolation systems can take the headache out of worrying if one or both systems is charging (both are connected to the alternator at all times).

the boat i race with uses an older battery isolation system (with a 0.7 volt drop across the isolator). That system works although the batteries never see a full 13.5V charge off of the alternator. Yes, we could run the regulator a little hotter but it hasn't been an issue.

On my boat i avoided this complication by using a pair of identical group 24 batteries. since they charge at the same rate, i avoided the need for an isolator or combiner. As a rule both batteries are full up and charged on the "both" position. On the few occasions when one is drained and needs a charge, i start the good battery and switch over to the other for a full charge. The downside of this arraingement is that both batteries are of the same capacity and behavior. If you really want/need a deep cycle house battery separate from the start battery go with a battery of each type and add an isolator.

good luck... curious to see how this will workout

[Lucky Dawg]

Six white wires come down from the switch panel to the terminal strip. On the other side of the terminal strip are all the positive wires for the various lights, etc.. Some of the cicuits are connected by jumpers.

Above:  From your post #27 in this thread.
 
Hey Pete,
I know it has been a couple years, but do you happen to remember how much wire you used for this whole job? Found 14ga marine duplex online at 59 cents a foot with shipping.  I would think their 100 foot minimum would be enough...
http://marineengineparts.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/page140.html#1422
 
Beats 1.19 a foot at West, of course.

[ebb]

"The boat owner simply turns the battery switch to the ON position when arriving at the boat,
and turns it to the OFF position when leaving."

Is there anything simpler then this?
"Boaters no longer have to worry about which batteries are charging or discharging."

Remembering to switch the batteries to OFF when leaving requires a circuit activated mechanical foot that kicks you in the butt as you are leaving - if you even think of forgetting.

[mrgnstrn]

I wonder if installing an "ACR" would work, but with a regular battery switch.

http://www.askjackrabbit.com/2008/03/adding-a-batter.html

http://bluesea.com/viewresource/69

C/Pete,

I almost have this setup on my C&C.  The only difference is that instead of the ACR, I have a Xantrex/Heart Interface version called the PAthMaker.
link: http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/104/p/1/pt/8/product.asp

As to whether it would work for you with a "regular 1,2,All,off" switch, I think that the ACR may work, but reading the installation instructions shows that it's really important to set it up to sense "charging voltage" from both battery banks.  Otherwise, it wouldn't be able to deal with the battery switch aligned to the "house" side and charging the "house" side.

The xantrex unit that I have does this automatically.  it always senses all battery banks attached to it and combines them when the voltage from anyone is above xxx vdc.  and that setpoint is adjustable.

I really dig it because I got it on sale for 50% off!  

-Keith

[commanderpete]

Hey Kyle

100 feet should be plenty. I believe Pearson switched from 14 ga to 12 ga at some point, not sure why. The wire runs are pretty short. I figured 14 ga was fine.

The steaming light might require 12 ga, on paper, but I wasn't too worried about that.

Didn't make any real progress on the second battery project. I'm going to look into the Xantrex.

Still mulling over where to put the batteries.
 
I only work on the boat in April/May. Have to wait till next year. Just did a little grinding back there so far

Nothing to see here....move along

[Lucky Dawg]

I only work on the boat in April/May. Have to wait till next year.

Thanks Pete. I hear you. With our limited sailing season, I'd rather be sailing than toiling. As much of an old salt as I'd like to be, working belowdecks whilst bobbing in the marina makes me green around the gills. Sadie can sail belowdecks all day when we sail, but I'm good for about 5 minutes before I start feeling crosseyed. Just buying for fall - If I have the materials on hand, it is 100% more likely to happen.