Dual Battery Switches
 

I have a 32 Fountain Fever with 2 batteries and 2 switches . How do you guys use your switches while running , and while anchored. I have been setting the starb. motor on starb switch to 1, and setting port motor on port switch to 2. Does anybody with a Fountain or set up like mine have any suggestions.

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

That works... that is how I did mine... except mine was wired that #1 went to port... #2 to starboard.... but you can switch them either way. I have always felt it is best to have one battery switched to one motor and the other battery switched to the other motor... That way you will have one alternator charging only one battery. Sometimes when they are always connected to "both"... one alternator will fool the other alternator that the battery is charged and it will shut down charging. The only time to have the switch on "both" .. is when the batteries are low and you need the extra power of both batteries to start the engines.

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

While anchored.... switch one battery to "off".. that way you will always have one battery fully charged to start both motors. I had my boat wired that the cabin power came off the starboard battery. So I switched the port battery to the "off" position. That way I could run down the one battery only. But... BUT.... you better make sure that there aren't any stray connections to the battery after it is in the off position... or you will run down both batteries and will need a jump to get started. If the boat had been properly wired... then only one battery is connected to cabin and accessories.

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

One other thing.... you might make sure that there is a ground cable connecting the two engine blocks together... Or you may not be able to get one battery to start the other motor.

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

stupid question, but does the switch determine the battery or the motor that is being selected?

twin engine, 2 batteries, 2 switches

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

Never have gotten a straight answer on this.

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

US1 Fountain, Sydwayz it depends on how they are wired but for the most part the switch determines which battery you are useing to start that particular engine the switch is wired to. So lates take a typical 2 switch boat....you have the port side switch abd battry that starts the port motor and you have the starboard switch and battery that starts that motor......now if you happen to kill the port side battery you can switch over and use the starboard side battery to start the port side motor.
So if that makes sense then the switches are used to select what battery you want to start the motor its wired to....... :)

Now on my old Scarab.....i had 4 onboard batterys and 4 switches that i could switch in all sorts of combinations. each motor had its dedicated battery.....the i had a sepperate battery for the stereo system and another dedicated abttery for all the acc's on the boat. And i could switch things around to run what ever i wanted from what ever battery. I could even switch all 4 battery's to start one engine if need be :)

Hope i didnt confuse ya

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

Thanks! No wonder I was having trouble troubleshooting at times. I was back azwards in my thinking.

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

Not sure if all boats with dual batteries are wired the same, but had the exact same question I just posted in the Cig section about my Bullet. :)

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

It all depends on how the switch was wired. I finally took my switches off the bulkhead and made a simple wiring diagram.

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

here...maybe this pic will help better explain how they are wired. This way you can see how the batts are connected on the back side of the switch....and how the battery is being selected when you switch between 1/2/all :D

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

i cropped out the alternators for less confusion......

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

Great!
Picture is worth a 1000 words.

So if it were hooked up in reverse, it would still do the same functions. Just gotta think of pushing instead of pulling.
If both switches are in the same position,(on either situation) that would mean both motors are trying to charge that 1 battery???? Is that a bad thing?
I always keep 1 switch set on '1', other on '2', unless I have a dead battery, then put both on 'both', then switch back afterstarted.

Thanks

EDITED>>>>>>>>>>
I GOT IT. Days off work create too much freee time. ;)

Using the above picture with Port Engine1, Switch1 in #1 Postion(1P), and Battery1 and then same for other side, E2, S2,B2, ... except switch in #2 position (2P).

If B1 fails to start E1, you just change S1 to P2
BUT, if wired the other way and B1 doesn't start E1, you have to change the OTHER SWITCH,... S2 to P1

Right?

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

Good job Wally.... USA... I suggest even if you have a dead battery... the only time to have the switch on "both" is when the batteries are low and you need energy from both to start the motors. The charging systems work best when one alternator is charging one battery. The regulators get "confused" when there is a higher voltage coming back at them. If you have both alternators connected... one will override the weaker and that alternator will "sense" that the battery is charged and will not put out any power. Accessory batteries that aren't used for starting but are used for cabin lighting and other things are usually seperated from the other batteries by a big diode that only lets the electricity flow one way.

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

Yes....now you got it......but.....(theres always a but right! :D ) it onloy works if its wired the way its pictured.........you can also have it wired were B1 is wired to P1 on engine1 and on the second switch it will be B2 wired to P1 for engine2 and then the wires go from P1 on each switch to P2 on opposite switch......in that case you would run each switch in #1 position for each engine......then if you need to get power from the other battery you switch to position #2

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

I like the way mine is set up. Three batteries, one starts Port, two starts stbd, everything else is hooked to #3. Three way isolator means any engine charges all batteries. No switches (which freaked me at first). Never have a dead battery and if you kill the house battery, just start an engine.

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

Just be careful and check with the manufacturer of your boat. Cigarettes are set up so that each switch controls that battery for that engine. Hence, on my boat, both switches are to be set to "1". That way, one battery and one alternator per engine. Running one switch on 1 and the other on 2 (on my boat) is using one battery for both engines. Setting the switches on "both" will potentially fry your alternators!!!

Craig

Re: Dual Battery Switches
 

What the civil servant said! On Cig's anyway. :D:D:D