Pearson Boats - Common Systems > Electrical Systems & Electronics

Battery Switch

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Dulcinea:
I've been looking at something BlueSea makes called Add A Battery.  It automatically isolates house and starting battery at the appropriate times.  Has three positions: On-Off- and Manual Combine.  Looks like might solve a potential problem that has always concerned me. 

Dolce_Vita:
Defender has it for $129:

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|328|51495|299265&id=750169

Wholesale Marine for $118:

http://www.wholesalemarine.com/p/BSS-7650/?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google&gclid=CJnh0s3F9bYCFSJlMgoduCkADw

Go2Marine for $113:

http://www.go2marine.com/product/167731F/blue-sea-system-add-a-battery-7650.html?WT.mc_id=gb1&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=productfeed&utm_campaign=googleshopping&gclid=CJDhnuXF9bYCFTSVMgodSUgAPQ

Libations Too:
At the risk of hijacking my own thread, I'll ask another question:

In my original post I based my question on the assumption that the battery switch controls not only which battery is being used but also which battery is being charged while the engine is running? Is that assumption valid? Could it be that since the 323s were built with two battery banks the regulator for the engine-driven charging circuit was chosen to charge both batteries simultaneously?

I ask because having recently installed a solar panel I went through a considerable effort to understand how a single controller can or cannot charge two batteries. It turned out that charging two batteries simply required selecting the right controller...and the battery switch has nothing to do with the charging circuit. Is it the same with engine-driven charging circuits?

selene:
As always, your mileage may vary...but on Selene the engine charges whichever battery the switch is set to. I'll check again next time I am there, but I have a Xantrex monitor, and as I recall with the engine running the voltage on the battery selected by the switch is higher than that of the other battery (I still have 2 G27 batteries, but want to add a starter battery one of these days...)

The AC battery charger charges both batteries, irrespective of switch position.

As you said, with the right controller, the solar can also charge both.  With the wrong controller, as you so eloquently described, it is less easy!

You can also set up an ACR (like AddABattery), Duo Charge or Echo Charger - that way generally the alternator is always wired to the house battery,  and the charge automatically shifts to the other battery when needed.  I have not looked into this for a while, but as I recall these also protect frying of diodes.....

Added 9/5/13: I confirmed yesterday that on Selene when the switch is to "2", the engine charges battery "2" only.

Sea Haven:
I've retrofitted with, and used the BlueSea Systems "Add A Battery" on my last 3 sailboats. Haven't looked back since.

The latest unopened package is sitting on Sea Haven and will be installed as soon as she's hauled. This will be my 4th installation.

Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!

Is that a valid recommendation?

FWIW, since I'm on a mooring, I use 2 PowerFilm R-14 Rollable Solar Panel Battery Charges, one for the house battery and one for the starter battery. They, along with the bilge pump and Main feeds to the Power Switch, are the only items connected directly to the Batteries. Yes, they are fused as well. They lay flat, athwart ships across the  Dodger, one to port, one to stbd, and and are merely held in place by bungees.  They are bungeed together with both of their respective electrical connections inboard. outboard they're bungeed at the fore and aft corners each to the nearest stanchions. The electrical connections  continue aft on the dodger to the main-sheet to which they are strapped to using velcro-wraps. Down to the fwd drain opening of the port sea locker into the battery space. It's important to have them rest somewhat the cockpit floor then back up to the locker forming a "drip loop" so rain water doesn't follow them in. To keep them from getting pinched by the locker hatch as I open or close it in-port, they are simply held in place at the fwd locker drain with a piece of "Egg-crate" packing foam rubber stuffed above them.

Prior to starting the engine, I unplug the harness up by the Panels, roll the harness up neatly and hang them from a dedicated hook in the very same port locker (female connectors so they WON'T short). The panels are quickly removed, rolled and stored to port as well.
Original Panel installation time: 10-15 minutes mostly sizing the bungees
Setup and take down time: < 2 minutes.
Laying forward while they're setup may seem like a PITA at first, but you quickly get use to unhooking one, then the next bungee as you move past them.

I've had NO charging issues as the R14 seems to float charge Group 24-31 batteries adequately w/o regulation.

If anyone is interested I'll post pictures

"Sub" (no battery worries) Ed

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