blue seas acr ??

[jmvotto]

If I have a dual battery switch plus the dual bank on board charger, do I really need and acr unit.

Boat sits on the lift with electrical access right there at the house.

Never had a problem this year, but liked the vsr in the old boat but I did not have the on board charger.

I assume when I run the boat with switch on 2 while under way, the alternator will top both batteres off.

Any thoughts..

[lewisb13]

I'm with you on this one. I'm about to sell my blue sea system. When you have a shore charger you don't really need this. Not to mention its more shit that can break and it adds complexity to your setup.

[EarmarkMarine]

There are two real benefits to an ACR/VSR.
One, is pure convenience because it is automatic.
Two, is that it can keep your alternator from being suddenly introduced into an inordinate load of combined boat operations, a large audio system draw plus a large and depleted battery bank.
Nothing that you can't manage with a manual dual battery switch if you are so inclined.
The behaviors of an ACR/VSR can also vary and are circumstantial. And ACR/VSR can also increase your dependency on AC shore charging.

David
Earmark Marine

[MLA]

I would not approach this as a "I have one, I dont need the other" as they perform entirely different functions at entirely different points of the boat outing. An ACR does nothing for you when off the water and back at the dock and a shore charger does nothing for your house bank while on the water.

As Ive mentioned on a few other forums and maybe here, alternators make for a poor battery charger, therefore, the need for shore charging grows as the stereo loads and battery bank grows. With a larger, high-draw system relying on the alternator to recharge the depleted house bank will leave you with undercharged batteries with a short life. So, a shore charger can be a benefit on almost any boat with dual batteries and some house loads, and a must on those with a sizable stereo and house bank.

A simple description of an ACR is that its just an automatic battery switch. It takes away some of the manual work involved in isolating your house loads from the main starting battery and combining your house bank to the alternator once the engine is running.

Does every boat need an ACR...no. Does every boat need shore charging....no. Does every boat need both...again, no. But take the whole stereo, battery bank and intended use into account and decide if either is needed based on their own merits, rather then a one or the other.

[EarmarkMarine]

^^^Very good post Mike.
There is such a wide discrepancy from system to system and usage habits to usage habits. When it comes to charging systems and all the considerations that must be included, one size and one prescription can't possibly fit all systems/boaters.

David
Earmark Marine

[jmvotto]

Thanks for the info David and Mike.

my decion is clear as mud.....LOL

[EarmarkMarine]

Joe,
The decision is one of pure convenience with zero down side when/if you have a moderate to large audio system. Now, if you have a multi-killa-watt system, low efficiency, with 500 amp/hours of battery reserves and you play the system at rest for extended periods then there is much more you need to analyze. At this point, I wouldn't look past the convenience aspect.

David
Earmark Marine