battery question

[badasshybrid]

OK I have been thinking about this for a couple days now and it sounds like it will work (at least it does to me) but I am not 100% sure.

I have 2 batteries and a 2 bank charger that I just put in. I want to run it like this:

battery #1 - motor and whatever is on the boat electric panel (the alt in the boat should charge it enough to keep up with the boat itself)
battery #2 - amps, power inverter, leds, and everything else

Would I have to put one of those switches on the system and change things around or run it like I am thinking? The reason I ask is, on a bass boat you have 2 batteries that run the boat off of 1 and the trolling motor off of 1 then charge it when you get home.

[Razzman]

What your proposing is exactly how it is done. Here's mine

• House Battery - starting circuit and all factory accessories - as sent out from factory
• Stereo Battery - Powers 2 large Kicker ZX amps, Xantrex 1000 watt inverter.

That said i run the Blue Sea System 7650 ACR setup to automatically charge batteries from the alternator. I personally have yet to see the need for an onboard charger. I leave them in all season and remove off-season to trickle charge. BUT that's just my setup. Others have the same, others have onboard chargers.

You can hook the leds up to either as the current draw in LEDs is measured in milliamps/Ma which is so small it almost won't register.

If you're going to add an inverter I would highly suggest you add a thermal breaker of appropriate amps remote mounted inline before the battery. That way you can enable it when needed but disconnect when not, no chance of back flow or draw.

[badasshybrid]

Thanks razzman!!


Also if you have a componet in the boat that has a red+ a black- and a ground where does the ground wire go?????????

It says in a boat put the ground to the boats ground, but I dont know where that is. Any ideas????

[Razzman]

A boat doesn't have a chassis ground like a car so depending on what is or where it you can ground to either the battery negative or another ground like the twrmnial block under the dash.

[you da man]

I have 3 batteries: 1 for start and boat standard boat accessories/electrical and 2 strictly for stereo. I use a Perko switch and a 20amp onboard 2 bank charger. Our boats only have a 70 amp alternator for the 325 engine and 90 amp for the 340. I would never rely on the boats alternator to charge my stereo batteries. I thought about using isolators and other various electrical devices to decide which battery gets charged but I'd rather have the manual Perko switch. The Perko is not that bad as some people have suggested. Your 2 bank charger, if it's 20amps, will be more than enough to charge a drained battery.

[badasshybrid]

A boat doesn't have a chassis ground like a car so depending on what is or where it you can ground to either the battery negative or another ground like the twrmnial block under the dash.

Its a power inverter. I thought about putting the ground to the - on the battery, but it confused me when it had a - and a ground. I guess the ground is mainly for a vehicle.

I have 3 batteries: 1 for start and boat standard boat accessories/electrical and 2 strictly for stereo. I use a Perko switch and a 20amp onboard 2 bank charger. Our boats only have a 70 amp alternator for the 325 engine and 90 amp for the 340. I would never rely on the boats alternator to charge my stereo batteries. I thought about using isolators and other various electrical devices to decide which battery gets charged but I'd rather have the manual Perko switch. The Perko is not that bad as some people have suggested. Your 2 bank charger, if it's 20amps, will be more than enough to charge a drained battery.

I looked at the Perko switch but why would I need it? If both batteries have their own purpose why switch back and forth between the 2? I understand if your dead in the water and need the other to start up then hit the switch. But if the battery will keep up with the boat theres no need in the switch.

The boat is a 99 and only had 1 small battery and did not have a charger in it till now. Now I put in 2 large batteries and the 2 bank so I assume the boat alt will keep up with the motor and accessories just as it was stock and not drain the battery.

I put the system and power inverter on the other battery.

I put the 2 bank on there and it will decide which battery needs charged the most then charge both till full just like a bass boat does.

Does all of this make sense??

[Razzman]

The purpose of a Perko or other auto switching device is so that you can isolate the starting battery while floating and playing the stereo, that way you always have starting power.

[BWeber]

Thanks razzman!!


Also if you have a componet in the boat that has a red+ a black- and a ground where does the ground wire go?????????

It says in a boat put the ground to the boats ground, but I dont know where that is. Any ideas????

I could be wrong here, but a ground on the inverter is often times a gound for the chassis of the inverter if its metal. It just keeps the metal case from discharging a static shock when touched.

Not sure if thats correct, but sounds logical in my head.

[badasshybrid]

Let me start over.

There are no switches in the boat at all. All it had was 1 very small battery and it was running everything in the boat. I added a system and some other things in it so I know it would need 2 batteries.

I have 2 big batteries and a 2 bank for it, right now everything is just sitting in the floor of the boat. I didnt buy a switch because I was thinking about my bass boat electrical system and thought it would work the same. I dont know if it will or not thats why I was asking. This is my first ski boat so I am still learning how it works.


EarmarkMarine

If you're using an ACR/VSR then the scheme will definitely change according to the particular brand. And in most cases you'll have to add a supplemental switch for isolation during AC charging. A bass boat is a little different because the outboard motor has a very small alternator or stator comparatively, which cannot charge a depleted bank with a considerable amp/hour capacity. So the trolling motor bank remains in total isolation from the boat's electrical/charging system and is completely dependent on AC shore charging for restoration.

I assume that since there was only 1 battery in it from the factory it would not have an ACR/VSR. I understand the Perko or whatever so I could use both in case the system kills the boat. But I was thinking about both batteries being totally seperate from each other.
#1 for the boat
#2 for the system and power inverter

#1 would be just like it came from the factory and charge from the alt.
#2 of course would need to be charged by the 2 bank alone.

The 2 bank would be hooked to both batteries and charged when I get home.

Does this make any sense at all? It does to me as I am typing it, but I know reading it and typing it are not the same. Maybe I need to put the crack pipe down for a little bit.