Newbie question. Need your advice.

[BNG]

The time is coming for "Drift Inn" 2002 Mac 26x to hit the water. I can't seem to get enough of this website. It has answered so many of my questions. Thanks to all. Two questions if I may. Does installing a Nicro solar vent in the head window dangerous if the boat gets knocked down on the starboard side? I would think water would just pour in by the gallons. Not sure.

The other question is, my boat is equiped with shore power with two batteries, charger, inverter and a dial switch with off, 1,2 both. When I plug the boat in to shore power and close up the boat , what position do I leave the switch on to charge the batteries? I hope this is not a stupid question.

Thanks _)
BNG

[Russ]

The time is coming for "Drift Inn" 2002 Mac 26x to hit the water. I can't seem to get enough of this website. It has answered so many of my questions. Thanks to all. Two questions if I may. Does installing a Nicro solar vent in the head window dangerous if the boat gets knocked down on the starboard side? I would think water would just pour in by the gallons. Not sure.

Do you mean on the side or on top? I wouldn't put it on the side, but many have installed vents on the top of the deck where it is high off the water. Some people have installed side opening port holes. You are right, forget to close them and you could have a situation.

The other question is, my boat is equiped with shore power with two batteries, charger, inverter and a dial switch with off, 1,2 both. When I plug the boat in to shore power and close up the boat , what position do I leave the switch on to charge the batteries? I hope this is not a stupid question.

Short answer, probably "Both" to charge both batteries.

There are some factors at work here.
What kind of batteries? If they are are dissimilar batteries types of batteries (Lead acid/Gel) they might need to be charged separately. This is probably not the case, however.
What kind of battery charger do you have? Some will charge both simultaneously if connected properly. I also assume it will automatically drop to "float" to maintain full charge and not keep cooking your battery. Most permanently mounted charges are designed for constant use, like when you leave for the week.

I have a battery combiner that will connect both batteries when charging is taking place. This is the same as your 1,2 both switch does in the both position.



--Russ

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Actually I wouldn't hesitate to install the vent in the head window. It is quite high, well above the waist line. I've seen some installed there and that is where I will put mine if I ever get around to it. Deck space above the head is at a premium and I would not want a vent up there where it will get stepped on. Sure it might let water in if the boat is on it's side, but that is a big rare knock down and the boat won't be there long.

The battery question depends on the type of charger. Many marine chargers are dual output. Just wire one output to each battery and you are set. If your charger is only a single output model, hook it up to one battery and then set the red switch to "Both" for charging. Make sure you have the switch in the correct setting before you turn on and off the charger. Ditto for when charging from your motor. Set it to both before starting the motor, leave it there while the motor is running. Move it to "1" or "2" after the motor is off to use one battery for house loads and preserve the other for starting the motor later. Turning the switch while the motor is running can fry the diodes in your alternator.

These days the big red "off" "1" "Both" "2" switch is outdated, there are far better ways to set up an electrical system that eliminate the possibility of switching errors. They use automatic sensors that combine the batteries whenever they sense charging voltage from any source and separate them automatically when the voltage drops.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... Relays.htm

Be sure you use a true mutli stage charger that goes through the three standard phases, bulk charging, absorption charging, and finally float charging. If it doesn't end up in a float mode you cannot leave it connected all the time as you will cook the battery dry.

[dxg68]

As far as batteries it depends on what kind of charger you have and how your charger is connected to your batteries. I have dual output charger connected directly to both batteries bypassing the switch. So I live the switch in OFF position when charging the batteries. You need to see how your charger is connected.

[Love MACs]

Hopefully you have answered BNG's questions so let me hijack his thread a little with a question that has been bugging me. I have two lead cell batteries, with a 1,2,Both,Off switch. Batteries are connected thru Negative posts. My charger is plugged into my interior shore power outlets and is connected directly to both batteries, not thru the combiner, and yes the charger has a battery maintain function, it is a ProMarinier Sport 20. But there is also a "single battery charger" wired to the combiner (a ProMarinier6) Any guess as to what that is for

And even more confusing to me, is that all my electrical, everything, I mean everything is connected to one battery (labeled #2), the engine, the lights, chartplotter, 12v outlets, stereo radio, VHF, everything With shore power unplugged I can run everything from combiner setting of battery #1 or battery #2 or Both Is this normal I had the idea(seemed rational to me) that the motor should be connected to say the #1 battery and all the other stuff to the #2 battery. And done this way, battery #1 would only start the engine and battery #2 would only run the electrical stuff? Pardon my ignorance but I am confused as Hull


Allan

[c130king]

Allan,

My set-up is similar. Everything electrical is hooked to the "common" terminal on the 1-2-Both-Off switch. Thus I power everything with either battery 1 or battery 2 depending on which I choose. And I choose Battery 1 on odd days of the month and Battery 2 on even days. I also have the Yandina combiner thus whichever battery I have selected both batteries get charged when the motor (and thus the alternator) is running. And if I seem to have low battery power I can select Both to hopefully get enough juice to crank the motor. And if that fails I hope I can figure out my rope pull...have only tried that once and gave up after about 5 pulls.

I don't have shorepower or a built in charger just yet. Maybe someday.

I got the idea for the odd/even plan from one of the experienced Admirals on this site a couple of years ago. Works fine for me.

But truth in advertising...both of my batteries are probably deader than a doornail or soon will be. Boat was last used in December 09 and won't be touched again until probably late July this year at the earliest. The boat is sitting in storage with no power going to it.

I think I will buy the solar trickle charger next.

Does anyone think my Interstate Group 24 batteries (purchased in Aug 09) can survive sitting untouched in my boat on the hard for 7-8 months?

Thanks,
Jim

[Russ]

And even more confusing to me, is that all my electrical, everything, I mean everything is connected to one battery (labeled #2), the engine, the lights, chartplotter, 12v outlets, stereo radio, VHF, everything With shore power unplugged I can run everything from combiner setting of battery #1 or battery #2 or Both Is this normal I had the idea(seemed rational to me) that the motor should be connected to say the #1 battery and all the other stuff to the #2 battery. And done this way, battery #1 would only start the engine and battery #2 would only run the electrical stuff? Pardon my ignorance but I am confused as Hull

Now you have me confused.

How do you run everything from #1 or #2 if everything is wired to #2? I'm assuming you mean all the negative grounds are going to #2 which is shared with #1 and the positive leads connect to the 1/2/all switch. If this is the case, as Jim said, it is a common method of switching between batteries.
Unless you have a combiner or dual charger, both batteries will be kept isolated from each other. You can use Jim's method of trading off each battery as long as you keep one fully charged for emergency starting in case you run the current working battery down.

I have 2 batts without a switch. #1 is dedicated to the engine and that's it, nothing else is connected. #2 runs everything else. I have a combiner that during charging of the engine battery will connect the house battery and charge it as well. It's pretty simple and fool proof. However if #1 (dedicated engine battery) were to go flat somehow, I would have to jump the two manually or use a jumper pack that I keep onboard.

On my old boat I used the 1/2/All switch and would put it on All to charge both when the engine was running. Most of the time I'd forget to put it back to one battery to run house stuff and would drain both down.

Does anyone think my Interstate Group 24 batteries (purchased in Aug 09) can survive sitting untouched in my boat on the hard for 7-8 months?

Well, they are basically new batteries, so unless you have something pulling them down or they might have been exposed to extreme cold temps, I would charge them up and see what happens. I bet they are okay.


--Russ

[Love MACs]

Now you have me confused.

How do you run everything from #1 or #2 if everything is wired to #2? I'm assuming you mean all the negative grounds are going to #2 which is shared with #1 and the positive leads connect to the 1/2/all switch. If this is the case, as Jim said, it is a common method of switching between batteries.
Unless you have a combiner or dual charger, both batteries will be kept isolated from each other. You can use Jim's method of trading off each battery as long as you keep one fully charged for emergency starting in case you run the current working battery down.

Yes I do have a dual charger as mentioned, a ProMarinier20, no I don't have a combiner. Your question is the same as mine, how, or rather why, can I run everything from #1,#2 or both? All negative grounds are on battery #2. Through tracing positive lead wires back to their source, all that I have traced are attached to the positive post on Battery #2 Not directly wired to the 1,2,both switch. Everything works but I am concerned that the wiring is incorrect, which will lead to draining of the batteries. I know I can charge both back up with two hrs run time on the Merc 50 4 stroke, but worried that this wiring configuration will lead to both being drained when at anchor for more than a day or so.

Allan

[c130king]

Allan,

Don't know if this helps but this is the diagram I made when planning my second battery, 1-2-Both-Off Switch, and the Combiner.



Your description of your wiring doesn't sound right but I am far from an expert.

Good Luck,
Jim

[Russ]

Your question is the same as mine, how, or rather why, can I run everything from #1,#2 or both? All negative grounds are on battery #2. Through tracing positive lead wires back to their source, all that I have traced are attached to the positive post on Battery #2 Not directly wired to the 1,2,both switch.

So what is attached to the POS of Batt #1 ?
Then what is connected to the common terminal of the 1/2/All switch?

Something sounds very wrong. The NEG terminals are shared but each POS battery should go to 1 and 2 of the switch and all the load should go to the common terminal of the switch.


--Russ

[Love MACs]

It's night with heavy rain right now but I will check that tomorrow for sure. I thought this wiring set up looked wrong, but didn't and don't really know. It must have worked for the PO though. The question is to what extent



Allan

[BNG]

You guys really have my head spinning. . I think I need to draw my electrical system out on paper and hit the books. I consulted a marine repair shop and this is what they recommended. Wire the system so that the batteries can be charged from shore power with the combination switch off. The bildge pump should be connected to the battery directly and bypass the combination switch.

[Russ]

You guys really have my head spinning. . I think I need to draw my electrical system out on paper and hit the books. I consulted a marine repair shop and this is what they recommended. Wire the system so that the batteries can be charged from shore power with the combination switch off. The bildge pump should be connected to the battery directly and bypass the combination switch so that when you leave your boat with shore power connected all circuits off except the bildge pump.

Yea, try to draw a diagram of what you got going on.

Bilge pump? What is a bilge pump? : )
My Mac doesn't really have a bilge so I don't have a pump. Basically, the only way water is getting into a Mac is from topsides and so far (knock on wood) mine's been dry as a bone. However, on my Hunter I had a prop shaft and various other holes in the bottom, so yea, I'm all about the bilge pump and it was wired directly to a battery (with a fuse in between).

I can't disagree with the advise you were given. In a perfect world shutting off all power while you are away (sans bilge pump) can't be a bad thing. I never did on my Hunter because I left the refrigerator running and it needed 12v DC from the panel which needed it from the 1/2/All switch. The battery charger kept the batteries topped off. The danger of a short circuit (that doesn't blow a fuse) is minimal in my opinion and I therefore don't have a 1/2/All switch and keep the breaker panel hot to my house battery at all times (with a fuse at the battery terminal).

Now to charge both batteries with the switch off, you need a dual battery charger that can do 2 simultaneously.

--Russ

[Love MACs]

Russ you asked...the switch (1,2,Both,Off) is attached to the positive of both batteries. Both batteries are connected at the negative posts. Those are the only two wires leading out of the switch, don't know and doesn't appear to be a "common terminal" or I am misunderstanding what you are referring to. My Merc has a positive lead attached to the switch and the Merc neg lead attached to the negative of battery #2. All other electrical stuff is attaced to the pos and neg of battery #2.

To reiterate my Promarinier battery charge is attached to the pos and neg of both batteries. And there is nothing else attached to to battery #1. All electrical stuff will operate off of the selection of Bat #1 or #2 or both? Could it be, even though all electrical is attached to #2, that when I switch to #1 is is just drawing off that battery (#1)?

If Ignorance is bliss, as they say, then I must be happy as Hull

Allan

[Hamin' X]

There has to be at least three terminals on the switch.

• A. Battery #1
  B. Battery #2
  C. Common

Everything on the boat, except the bilge pump, should be connected to the common terminal. The battery grounds should be connected together at a negative buss and all negative wires from the boats systems, should be connected there. Battery charger should be rated for two batteries and connected to the batteries directly.

~Rich