Battery switch
 

I have a real stupid question. I have 2 batterys. What is the correct position to have the battery switch in? Do you alternate between 1 and 2? Do you use "all" I'm curious, because somtimes I use all and somtimes I alternate. And I don't really know the right way.

I alternate. That way I keep both batterys charged up. If you use both then if one battery gets an internal short or drained down, it will take the good battery down with it & you will be stranded with 2 dead battery.

It depends on the state of the batteries. For exampl. If you are out at the beach and you draw your #2 battery down with tunes and blenders and all that good stuff then you want to put it to Battery #1 to get it to start up. If you have two good batteries it is best to have it to Both as it will help start the boat faster. If you have two dead batteries you ALWAYS want to put it to One then the other to charge them. To put it to both with two dead batteries is bad!!!! If you have one dead battery it is best to put it on Both after you get her started. This method helps take the stress off the alternator. Make sure you switches stay on as you pass throught from the #1 to the Both to the #2 battery and NEVER pass through the Off possition with the engines running. This creates a spike for the alternator can can cause problems. Good luck.

Jon

I would take it one step further and never switch the the batteries when the engine is running. There is proably a dead spot between the positions. The spike could be enough to fry the alternator.

You can switch between batteries as long as the switch is a "make, before break" type. What that means is the switch makes one connection before breaking the other connection.
On my setup I have a starting battery and a "house" battery. The one for starting is just that, the other is a deep cycle type that I use for everthing else. I charge one at a time while running since most alternators don't have the capacity to charge two at once.

battery swiching
 

Iggy has got it nailed!:p I ran a Small Car Audio Shop for a while and that is how whe did all the boats and cars with BIG tunes. Sometimes whe took it one step further and put 2 deep cycles togethe with a battery isolator on the number 2 side of the swich for big long lasting power.:D

I have 2 deep cycle batterys. Actually they are both, Exide deep cycle and starting. So I should use 1 and then the next time out I would use 2? Next question, my amp meter in the boat somtimes drops to 12 then goes back to 14. Does this mean I'm near the end of my battery life? They are the originals in a 98 boat. I have them on trickle now and they don't seem to get past 1 on the charger. I'm thinking it's time for new batterys.

I assume you mean voltmeter not ammeter.
They're two different things.
An ammter will show total current draw from all operating circuits.
My voltmeter will at times show 12V with the engine running and then jump up to almost 14V and stay there. I think the voltage regulator is doing funny things or my alternator is going bad. Normal voltage output from alternator should be 13V-13.5V.

If you have two cranking rated batteries I would use one for a day then switch to the other next time.
I have only one cranking battery, the other isn't meant for that. Once the engine is started I'll charge that one first then switch to the other and top it off.
Don't know if your s agoing bad or not. Best way to check is with a load test meter or a hydrometer. Battery chargers will lower the output as battery capacity is reached. My charger will go from 8 amps to 1 as it charges. A trickle charger will only put out about 1 or 2 amps.

Doh, I did mean voltmeter:D Anyway mine does the same thing 12v then jumps to14 and stays there. Maybe I should pull the alternator and have it checked. I was thinking voltage reg. also. Could that cause a starter selenoid to hang up? I fried a starter in the boat 2 weeks ago. Does this stuff ever end?:( Is the regulater part of the alternator or separate?

I had 4 batterys and 4 switches in the Scarab. I ran the switches on all while under power to keep the batts charging. When i stopped i turned off all the batts except for the dedicated stereo battery. That way i always has good batterys to start up with.

By the way incase youre all wondering i had it wired up so each engine had its own battery and there was one battery for the stereo system and one for accessories. and i can switch from any one of the four batts to start either engine or give weither engine full juice from all 4 batts! :D

Your solenoid hang-up wasn't due to the alternator. Sounds like it needs replacing.

Did the starter continue to crank on it's own?
Or did the starter drive just hang up on the flywheel?

The regulator is mounted in/on the back of the alternator.
Any rebuild shop should be able to handle it.
Let me know what you find.

The starter just cranked on it's own. Even when I turned the key off! I had to turn off the battery switch. But it got fried! I still have the smell in the bilge. I put a new starter in. So you think I might need a new alternator? I will let you know what I find. I'm gonna go out on Saturday. I have the batterys charging so I should be OK. Then I'll pull the alternator and have it checked. I'd do it during the week but I've been working late every night.

Yandina.com
 

Check out Yandina.com. They make some unique high-quality marine battery accessories. In particular, check out one of their battery combiners. This thing charges two batteries from one alterantor and automatically disconnects the two batteries from each other when the engine shuts off. No diodes to burn out, either. Lot of good info on that site as well.

Just installes a 2000 watt stero on the outlaw. It still has the single marine starting battery. I called the Yandina place from the above post and the gentleman says all I need to add a second battery is a 50 isolater ($50) and the New Deep cycle, No Switches? He says as long as I wire the stereo to the deep cycle it will not draw off the starting battery. Does this sound right?:confused:

If I understand their info the isolator will allow both batteries to charge then automatically disconnect them from each other when the engine shuts down.
Wonder what happens if one batt is weaker than the other, will the good battery discharge into the other when charging?

It is very unlikely that Gary C's alternator was damaged by the starter running wild. The best test is to see if it charges after replacing the starter.

Isolators will keep both batteries charged with the lowest battery drawing more current.

A rarely mentioned feature of isolators is that they protect the alternator output diodes from transients generated by inductive loads. Pumps for I/O trim cylinders and tabs are a major souce of transients in boats.

Doug Hess

Iggy-Battery Isolators are not like relays or switches that have both batteries tied together. Isolators keep the batters total seperate while charging & when not charging.

OG Outlaw 24 - I would put a switch in. If by chance your starting battery died you may still have enought power in your stereo battery to start your engine to get you back home.

Okay, after reading this entire post I'm more confused than before. Do I understad this right?

If you have a switch already installed, then ading an isolator or combiner would be useless?

An isolator and/or combiner would eliminate the need for a switch.

I like the idea of the diode protection, and the hardware automatically charging the battery most in need. But, I already have a switch installed.
I'M SOOOO CONFUSED!!! :confused:

A switch is used to tie two or more batteries together with the option to disconnect both from each other. There are 2 types make one is the simple on & off. The other has a off, both, battery 1, & battery 2 settings. With the ones made for 2 battery you can run off of 1 or the other battery or can run off both. If you only run with one if for some reason (bad cell, interior short or just ran it down) all you have to do is switch to the other battery. When you have it on "BOTH" both batteries are tied together thus when they are being charged both are being charged, also the same for discharge. If you are sitting running the stereo with switch on both then you will be running down both batteries at the same time.

What a isolator does is let you keep 2 or more batteries seperate, thus when you are sitting running stereo you are only running 1 battery down. You can run your stereo battery totally down. When you start your boat your other battery (starting) is used to get engine started. Once the engine is running the alt. will run to recharge both batterys, the engine starting battery & your stereo battery. The way an isolator is wired is the output from the alt. goes to isolator, the isolator then sending the charging current to both batteries. When the alt is not running the isolator keeps both batteries from being discharged by the other.

Isolators only deal with charging allowing the batteries to be used for different roles. They "isolate" or "separate" the battery use or loads.

Combiners deal with loads, connecting them together for bigger loads but some may have isolators built in,.

A dual battery switch and isolator is a simple setup which gives the best of both functions. You control which battery is being drained and do not have to worry about which battery is getting charged, they both are.

A low battery will pull down a good battery so when necessary the switch can be set to avoid that. When both are low and neither can start the engine separately, both together may do it.

The isolator along with protecting the alternator form transients will prevent a defective alternator from draining any battery connected to it.

Now I get it. Thanks for 'splaining' it to me! :cool:

I was out this weekend. Both batterys worked well. But the volt meter jumped around a little. I know when you trim or tab the meter goes down a little, that's normal. But when I'm running, it drops to 12 and goes up to 14. It actually went past 14 a little. I'm thinking my regulater is a little funny. It is charging so I don't think it's the alt. Maybe I'm just a little paranoid and the gauge is a little off. Anyway I'm gonna pull the alt. and have it tested to put my mind at ease. This has been an interesting thread, and I appreciate the input from everybody. I'll let you know what's up with my alt. and regulater.

A fully charged battery is at 13.6 volts. At high charge rates it can reach 15 volts.

Unless you are maintaining a classic boat why not up grade to the 21st century and get an alternator with built in regulator. The old electromechanical ones were constant trouble.

Doug,
So basically you're saying that it's normal? I shouldn't worry about it? Where do you get an Alt. with a built in charger? Hey, where do you boat. I see you're from the same place. I do my boating in the Peconics. Thanks for the advice!

What kind of engine and year do you have?

Perconics!! I am LIE Exit 36 you are in next world.

Doug,
It's a 1998 260 Powerquest. It has a 454Mag carb motor. Ah yes, we like to refer to it as gods country out here:D I've had a few weird things happen with it in the last couple weeks, so I'm probably just paranoid. Now I don't take my eyes off the gauges:eek:

Instead of "charger" I should have written "regulator". Anyway if you have a 1998 it should have a built in regulator. They have been made build for many years.