Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich
yes.. this is the simple and less expensive method!  Don't forget to switch to 1 or 2 when hanging out on the water without the engine running. And then don't forget to switch to 'both' when the engine is running to charge them.
People have been doing this for years! |
Have been using the two battery set-up since the mid eighties. I can honestly say I have some experience with them in a number of different boats. Have had both inboards and outboards with this set up. Any boat I've ever had in the past has had this and any boat I get in the future would have this option, it's worth the investment. It's the first thing that was done on my sons new (to him) used boat last year.
They are not that difficult to install, but that kinda depends on your skill set and if your confidence doing projects like this. I have always wired them up myself and never had any problems.
One word of caution
never ever ever ever ever turn the switch from one battery to another while the engine is running. It will fry the electronics in a spit second that there is no battery connected to the system.
Some manufactures offer versions of these switches that claim you can, but it's not worth the risk of damaging (with today's new engines) a thousand dollars worth of electrical components.
Some four cycle engines/ automobile engines can survive the switch over, but it's almost always fatal on a 2 cycle outboard.
Usually the engine will keep running and you won't think anything happened, but there is a good chance the charging system has been damaged or will be damaged in the future.
In most charging systems the battery is the regulator, and without it for even for a split second there is the risk of damage to the delicate electrical components.
If anyone is interested, I'd be willing to post some best practices when using one of these switches, its a simple device but there are some do's and don'ts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfeboro_Baja
I was always under the impression that running on both batteries would fry the alternator.
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Not usually a problem do it all the time on all my boats. The danger is if you are running on one battery and then do the switch to two batteries. Many folks think that adding the second battery to the system caused the problem, more often than not it's when you made the switch and for that micro/split second there was no battery connected at all.