Battery Switches & Setups Demistified

[383s10tim]

Re: Battery Switches & Setups Demistified

ttt

 

[achris]

Re: Battery Switches & Setups Demistified

Ok I have read through this whole thread and have a question that wasnt covered, I have a single inboard with a 3 battery setup, I have 2 dual purpose for my 1800 watt sound system and a separate dual purpose for starting.

The 2 for the sounds are on a perko switch and the 1 for starting is hooked up in the stock configuration, why is it that I cant start the boat with the switch in the off position? My starting battery isnt hooked up to the switch its hooked up as if the other 2 batteries never exsisted. I want to be able to isolate the starting battery from the other 2 so it doesnt get drained when I am anchored and so when I turn the switch off I know all the charging is going straight to the starting battery.

Aside from the fact that 1800 watts is just insane (and totally inconsiderate of other water users) you will probably find that the instruments (and the ignition key) are powered by the 2 batteries you have the noise works hooked up to.... Hence when they are OFF you have no power to the key...

 

[383s10tim]

Re: Battery Switches & Setups Demistified

Aside from the fact that 1800 watts is just insane (and totally inconsiderate of other water users) you will probably find that the instruments (and the ignition key) are powered by the 2 batteries you have the noise works hooked up to.... Hence when they are OFF you have no power to the key...

Seriously? I asked a tech question and you're going to critisize me on the sound system I have in my boat? Not that I need to entertain that but I'm not a child and know when its the appropiate time to run my "noise works" so inconsiderate I'm not. However with that said I'm assuming that in YOUR eyes I'm equally as inconsiderate because I'm one of those boaters that parties on the water so I must not appreciate the water for what it is right? Save your judgements cause you know nothing about me

As for your actual response to the tech question, I'm not a moron and ran an independant harness powering the radio and amp to the other 2 batteries eliminating any draw from the starting battery, hence why the switch is only hooked up to the 2 that run the "noise works". So in theory when I turn the switch to off the starting battery should be the only thing accepting a charge.

 

[nofuss]

Re: Battery Switches & Setups Demistified

Hey guys i have wired boats from scratch before and this is the first time i have ever been confused by this battery switch thing.
my boat has 2 batteries 2 engines and one switch, (1,2,both,off)which i think is a 3 pole switch. but I have to wait until i go back down to the boat to check this out. Its a cruiser so it also has a large house load.
I plan to add a separate house battery bank of two batteries in parallel, and I presently have as spare two 1,2, both , off switches, however i am now confused as to how i should hook up the system.
Guess i need to restart my design.

No Fuss

 

[dlaxdal]

Re: Battery Switches & Setups Demistified

Ok i read all the posts and am really confused. Can some one post a diagram for this set up. 175 mariner outboard, 1 crank battery to motor and 1 battery for running trolling motor and everything else. I would like to try and set everything up together . Not sure to do ACR or isolator, thanks for the help

 

[proaudioguy]

Re: Battery Switches & Setups Demistified

I thought I'd tack on here since someone else just posted 5 days ago.

I have an outboard (currently rewiring the entire boat). I have 2 start batteries on a battery switch OFF 1 Both 2. From the switch, the large cable goes to the engine solenoid. From there is will hit my ignition system, key switch etc. I also have a single (perhaps dual eventually) "house" battery. This is a deep cycle 12V battery. I'd like to power everything except the engine and gauges from the deep cycle battery.

Should I wire the dash (gauge) and lights navigation lights to the starting battery system or the house battery (which might be dead by the time we head home) or use a switch to choose? My thoughts were to use a SPDT switch (basically a battery switch without the BOTH or OFF setting) with the common being connected to the house system and the 2 other connections being the house battery and the main battery. If the house battery is dead when it's time to go home, I could switch the dash, GPS, lighting and radios over to the main batteries. Alternatively a RELAY switching between start and house batteries could be triggered by the ON key. If the engine is running, the entire boat would run from the start batteries, but if the key is OFF everything is powered by the house battery. I would charge the house battery at home on the battery charger. At no time would the POS terminal of the HOUSE and the START batteries be tied together unless through some instrument that shares the 2 systems which brings me to my other question. Is there any danger of powering the gauge lights with the house battery even though the gauge itself is powered by the engine start battery?

One more question, and the main reason I was inspired to research this, should all 3 or 4 batteries have the NEG terminals tied together?

Here's a picture.

 

[drewpster]

Re: Battery Switches & Setups Demistified

There is a simple answere.

Wire your batteries to the battery switch with on battery (or bank of batteries) to the post marked 1. Wire your second battery (or bank) to post marked number 2 on the switch.

Put all of your loads, engine, house, stereos, radars, sirens, rocket launchers, depth finders, fish sounders and everything else on the post marked COM.

Wired this way, when you turn the switch to number 1, everything runs off 1. When you turn the switch to 2, everything runs off 2.
When you select BOTH everything runs off both and when the engine is running it charges both.

The trick is to remember to switch the switch. As long as you stay on 1 or 2 you will never run the batts dead. Forget, and leave it on BOTH, and you kill both.


enjoy
drewp

 

[Don S]

Re: Battery Switches & Setups Demistified

I'm going to close this old thead.
If you have problems or questions, please start your own thread. this one is getting long, with several hijacks to the point no one knows who is answering who, and previous questions are lost unless the reader reads all the replies.