Setup - boat has two hybrid batteries connected with a blue sea systems switch and VSR. Even though weather can be ok year around because of work boat use can be sporadic. I used to take the batteries out to keep trickle charged but I’m getting lazy. I have a small 40w solar panel and suitable charger so my new plan is to leave the batteries in and hook up the solar charger when it is parked, the boat has a cover over it so a fixed panel isn’t suitable but the batteries and charger have Anderson plugs on them so it is easy to plug in and put the panel on the roof on the cover.
To connect the charger I could
1 - plug the charger into one of the batteries and let the installed VSR put them in parallel when the solar is working however, so that I can isolate the batteries the VSR I connected after the switch so for this to work I would need to turn the main power switch on. All the accessories are individually switched so the only thing with power (I think) would be the trim tilt on the outboard.
2 - make a parallel plug into the solar charger and hook it directly into both batteries, the down side to this is that they would be in parallel whenever they are plugged in without the VSR separating them when not being charged, my concern with this is that if one battery starts to go it will drain the other.
Questions
1 - what is the best way to connect to both batteries to charge?
2 - is there an issue leaving the main switch on and power to the trim/tilt circuit?
3 - is there an issue leaving the batterie connected in parallel when the boat is parked?
To connect the charger I could
1 - plug the charger into one of the batteries and let the installed VSR put them in parallel when the solar is working however, so that I can isolate the batteries the VSR I connected after the switch so for this to work I would need to turn the main power switch on. All the accessories are individually switched so the only thing with power (I think) would be the trim tilt on the outboard.
2 - make a parallel plug into the solar charger and hook it directly into both batteries, the down side to this is that they would be in parallel whenever they are plugged in without the VSR separating them when not being charged, my concern with this is that if one battery starts to go it will drain the other.
Questions
1 - what is the best way to connect to both batteries to charge?
2 - is there an issue leaving the main switch on and power to the trim/tilt circuit?
3 - is there an issue leaving the batterie connected in parallel when the boat is parked?