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Old 03-26-2012, 01:24 PM   #13
JD
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City: New Bern NC
Vessel Name: Stella Di Mare
Vessel Model: Mainship 34t
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,702
RE: Comments on Changing by Battery arrangement

Quote:
skipperdude wrote:
I would get rid of the 1,2 both switch and go with 3 on*off switches.

So you don't have to worry about where the switch is set.

One on/ off switch for the start batteries.

One on /off switch for the house bank.

one on/ off switch to combine all banks (this one us usually off. Only needed when you have to combine the two)

use a battery combiner to rout power through both banks. It charges the start bank first then switches over to charge the house bank.

In this set up you never have to worry about running you start battery down because someone forgot to switch the switch.

It is what I use and has performed flawlessly until the cheap switch went bad. I replaced it with a good one now it's perfect.

SD

*
*I would not charge the start first.* I would send everything to the house from the Alt or the 110V charger.* Then use an Echo charge to charge the start.* After being on the hook for any length of time the house battery bank is down amperage not the start battery.* The start battery is still full up from*when you anchored.* The start of the engine doesn't take but a couple of Amps out of the start battery.* Think about it.* Lets say that the starter draws 100 amps for ten seconds. Which is doesn't but lets say it does.* That comes out to just a few amps actually out of the start battery per engine start.* So it won't take the Echo charger anytime at all to top up the start battery as the Alt feeds the house bank the full out put of the Alt.
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