Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

[Don S]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

This shows the wiring using buss bars (which you should use)

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

Awesome thread guys, a ton of good info here. Thanks!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

Here are some Bus Bars in case you need to know what they look like.

http://bluesea.com/category/9/35

Think of bus bars as a power strip where you can attach multiple loads with one feed.

 

[mschmidt33]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

Thank you... can't really mess this up now, just quite a bit of work, to do it right. One last question, that I touched on earlier.

What if I use the trolling motor all day and absolutely fully drain the house battery? With the setup you sketched for me, is it true that I won't have any juice to even power my gauges or nav lights, etc. when I first turn over the engine?

In the literature, it say it takes ACR takes 2 minutes to combine and start charging the house battery. Is this true or am I missing something? If true, I can just hook up the main fuse panel with the trim pump?

Mike

 

[Don S]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

What if I use the trolling motor all day and absolutely fully drain the house battery?

For one thing, that is a bad thing to do on any battery. Even if you did, if you just shut the trolling motor off, the nav lights will work with what is left in the battery, at least for the couple minutes it may take for the battery to combine and start charging.
Besides, if you are out trolling, and it's dark, you should have the nav lights already on. PAY ATTENTION.

If you start putting things on the engine side, you take more chances of leaving something on and killing the starting battery.
You can also start the engine and turn the switch to combine, then you won't have to wait for 2 minutes.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

The most you should ever discharge a deep discharge battery is to its 50% point which is around 12.0V. Any more than that and you severely reduce its capacity.

Also, I believe if the voltage of one of the batterries is below a threshold, it won't even allow it to combine due to the fact that it would exceed the current rating of the fuses and/or ACR with the inrush current.

 

[mschmidt33]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

OK, pn7650 is on its way. I also decided I will move the house battery next two the starting battery. Two questions:

1) Can I still eliminate the need for the common buss bar now that the batteries are next two each other? The switch and ACR will mount right next to them.
2) What do I do with all the cables currently going to the negatives on the batteries? I understand I can run a positive buss bar over to where the house battery used to be, but what about negatives? Perhaps I still need the common buss bar and a 2nd one for the other side of the boat?

Mike

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

I understand I can run a positive buss bar over to where the house battery used to be, but what about negatives?

If you are running a positive cable for more than a couple feet to a bus bar, make sure it is protected with a circuit breaker. That is why it is better to have the positive bus bar close to the switch if possible.

 

[mschmidt33]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

OK, I could also just extend the cables over to the batteries I suppose, correct?

 

[mschmidt33]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

Should I be concerned about hooking my smart charger direct to the batteries? Won't the wall charge tell the ACR that same thing as if the engine was running? Is this ok with one starting and one deep cycle?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

Good question!

It will combine the two batteries. If this is not desired, you can put a small switch in the ground connection to the ACR or wire up the start override to a positive voltage to turn it off when charging. I just let mine combine but both of my bateries are deep discharge.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

OK, I could also just extend the cables over to the batteries I suppose, correct?

Yes...to a bus bar near the batteries.

 

[mschmidt33]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

Can someone still answer this? I assume I can eliminate adding a common buss bar and that I can keep the negatives hooked up direct to each battery.

OK, pn7650 is on its way. I also decided I will move the house battery next two the starting battery. Two questions:

1) Can I still eliminate the need for the common buss bar now that the batteries are next two each other? The switch and ACR will mount right next to them.
2) What do I do with all the cables currently going to the negatives on the batteries? I understand I can run a positive buss bar over to where the house battery used to be, but what about negatives? Perhaps I still need the common buss bar and a 2nd one for the other side of the boat?

Mike

 

[mschmidt33]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

I also read, that since my batteries will be inches from eachother that I can eliminate needing the high amp inline fuses for the ACR and switch. Is this true?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

Personally, I have the identical situation as you and I didn't put them in there. The only drawback is that if there was a high enough current draw to go over 120A continuous current, the ACR could be damaged. That's actually highly doubtful as the ACR will only combine when one battery is over 13.6V and the other battery is over 10.8V.

 

[mschmidt33]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

Well I have a "cranking" and "deep cycle". What do you think I should do.

1) Leave it alone and let charger not be smart anymore? I planned on keeping it plugged in all winter as it has a maintnance mode that woudl be nice.
2) A simple toggle on the 16awg ground for the ACR? I think I could remember to switch this off, but would prefer for everything to be automatic... kind of the reason I'm doing this vs. a switch only.
3) Or "wire up the start override to a positive voltage" which I will need some clarification on.

Good question!

It will combine the two batteries. If this is not desired, you can put a small switch in the ground connection to the ACR or wire up the start override to a positive voltage to turn it off when charging. I just let mine combine but both of my bateries are deep discharge.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

Can someone still answer this? I assume I can eliminate adding a common buss bar and that I can keep the negatives hooked up direct to each battery.

That's fine if you want...not as clean. The ABYC standard is no more than 4 connections on a post.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

Well I have a "cranking" and "deep cycle". What do you think I should do.

1) Leave it alone and let charger not be smart anymore? I planned on keeping it plugged in all winter as it has a maintnance mode that woudl be nice.
2) A simple toggle on the 16awg ground for the ACR? I think I could remember to switch this off, but would prefer for everything to be automatic... kind of the reason I'm doing this vs. a switch only.
3) Or "wire up the start override to a positive voltage" which I will need some clarification on.

The only time you could have a problem is when the deep discharge battery is deeply discharged and the start battery is full. There would be some current flowing from the start battery to the deep discharge but would quickly equilize. As far as long time storage is concerned, it won't be a problem as both batteries are going to be just getting a float charge.

 

[mschmidt33]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

So you think just keep it hooked up direct (i.e. option 1)? What is the issue with the problem you mention? Battery life? I can tell you after using the trolling motor all day I may deeply discharge the house battery. Man I wish there was an easier way.

The only time you could have a problem is when the deep discharge battery is deeply discharged and the start battery is full. There would be some current flowing from the start battery to the deep discharge but would quickly equilize. As far as long time storage is concerned, it won't be a problem as both batteries are going to be just getting a float charge.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Do I want a VSR, Isolator, ACR, or Switch... Help Please.

What I would do is do an experiment where you run down your deep discharge to 12.0V which is the 50% point and then plug in the charger. Monitor the voltage at the starter battery when the ACR clicks in and if the voltage on the start battery never dips below 12.6V, you are fine. If it goes below that, you may want to have a way to keep them isolated when you know the one battery is very discharged.