Re: battery question
This post belongs in the "Electrical" area. However, depending on where you boat, how long you are out on any given trip, the size (capacity) of the battery you have, and the power requirements of the sound system will determine how long the battery holds up. A high power sound system can suck the life out of a battery in very little time. A standard automotive type radio will not place a significant drain on a battery in a couple of hours. But the key point here is size and condition of the battery. Most folks do one of two things in this situation. 1) They carry a jump start unit or 2) they install a second battery along with a battery switch or isolator. The jump start box (a small battery with jumper cables in a small package) is used to simply jump start the engine. A battery switch and isolator along with the second battery provides protection from having a dead starting battery. My preference is the versatility offered from a dual battery switch which allows manual selection of BAT 1, BAT 2, BOTH or OFF. Many people get confused as to how to use this switch so they opt for an isolator but one does lose some of the versatility of the switch.
