Battery Advice pls

[mjf]

Blimey - that's a brilliant idea.

Never thought of that ; I guess the easiest place to make the bridge would be behind the main switch board panel where the two sets are isolated.

Thanks

 

[DAKA]

Its a brilliant idea and perhaps while you are waiting for it to get to the top of the 'things to do list' you could carry a set of jump leads.


PS

Behind the main switch board panel probably only has the solenoid feeds 5mm cable.

The solenoids would normally be found not too far from the battery banks with 20mm cables.

 

[mjf]

I was thinking about the jump leads actually but discounted it as the distance between both banks is quite long . I expect its the same with you the domestics are hidden away right aft in the stbd laz whist the ME starts are on the ford ER bulkhead, but the bridge idea and using leads as the bridge across the isolators might be a temp solution.

I will look see.

 

[DAKA]

Mine are in separate boxes about 1 foot apart .
Make nice seats while working on the Impellers/fan belts.

I expect the earths are joined ???
might be worth checking the distance from the solenoids to see about a positive lead between the two.

 

[mjf]

Mine are in separate boxes about 1 foot apart .
Make nice seats while working on the Impellers/fan belts.

I expect the earths are joined ???
might be worth checking the distance from the solenoids to see about a positive lead between the two.

Yep good point will open the box next time O/B and see what can be done.

Its a get out of jail free card whatever!

 

[PaulGooch]

Negatives almost certain to be all joined together Pete.

If the isolator switches are operating relays/solenoids, you could fit an additional one. How about fitting a solenoid at a convenient location, near the batteries, and connecting to a switch at the helm ? You could make it a momentary on switch (like a horn switch), if an engine battery was flat, hold the "emergency button down", start engine, release button. Couldn't accidentally leave it on. Or just fit a simple switch near the batteries.

 

[mjf]

Negatives almost certain to be all joined together Pete.

If the isolator switches are operating relays/solenoids, you could fit an additional one. How about fitting a solenoid at a convenient location, near the batteries, and connecting to a switch at the helm ? You could make it a momentary on switch (like a horn switch), if an engine battery was flat, hold the "emergency button down", start engine, release button. Couldn't accidentally leave it on. Or just fit a simple switch near the batteries.

In the pix you can see the isolator rockers to the bottom right of the switchboard

A third there would be very neat.

 

[PaulGooch]

In the pix you can see the isolator rockers to the bottom right of the switchboard

A third there would be very neat.

Yes, you could fit a third switch there. You could fit a switch that just activated a solenoid, which in turn joined the two banks in parallel, you'd obviously have to remember to switch it off when the engine started, a warning lamp would be a good idea.

You could go one better and fit a momentary on switch, connected to one of these :

http://www.bepmarine.com/home-mainm...itch-500amps-with-emergency-parallel-function

You press the button and the batteries are paralleled, so you can start the engine. You can then reset the switch by holding the button for 5 seconds. But if you forget, it resets itself after 10 minutes. Can also be operated manually. Again, a warning light might be a good idea.

 

[Adrianwool]

Hi all
Been following this post with great interest as I believe I am near the time when I may need to change my batteries 4 domestic and two engine, which are seperately switched. The engine batteries do engines (obviously), anchor winch, and bowthruster. The domestics look after heating, lighting, fridge, navaids etc. I summise they are weak as engine cranking sounds a little low, with port engine starting being better than starboard, as the port engine seems to maintain a better charge, at the mo I run port engine for a few mins prior to starting starboard engine. Also charge indicator shows 'fully charged' status when first on board, the use of any domestic equipment causes the charge status to drop to about half, which is then recovered over time by the charger, suggests to me 'knackered' batteries.

For cranking should one fit the largest ah batteries possible to accommodate in the engine battery box?, or is there a more rational way of doing this?. With the domestics do similar rules apply or is it worth having a 'stab' at consumption requirement to avoid over or under batterying ones domestic supply.

For me the juries still out on whether to fit all leisure batteries or seperate into the two groups of starting and domestics. As far as I can see the forum seems to be evenly divided on this!

 

[PaulGooch]

Hi all
Been following this post with great interest as I believe I am near the time when I may need to change my batteries 4 domestic and two engine, which are seperately switched. The engine batteries do engines (obviously), anchor winch, and bowthruster. The domestics look after heating, lighting, fridge, navaids etc. I summise they are weak as engine cranking sounds a little low, with port engine starting being better than starboard, as the port engine seems to maintain a better charge, at the mo I run port engine for a few mins prior to starting starboard engine. Also charge indicator shows 'fully charged' status when first on board, the use of any domestic equipment causes the charge status to drop to about half, which is then recovered over time by the charger, suggests to me 'knackered' batteries.

For cranking should one fit the largest ah batteries possible to accommodate in the engine battery box?, or is there a more rational way of doing this?. With the domestics do similar rules apply or is it worth having a 'stab' at consumption requirement to avoid over or under batterying ones domestic supply.

For me the juries still out on whether to fit all leisure batteries or seperate into the two groups of starting and domestics. As far as I can see the forum seems to be evenly divided on this!

Engine batteries require enough CCA to start the engine, the more the merrier. For domestics, you need AH, the more the merrier.

You cannot have too big or too many batteries for domestics, you cannot overload anything by having too much capacity. Obviously, if you have insufficient capacity, you'll run out of power.

There is absolutely, categorically, nothing to be gained by fitted automotive batteries as starter batteries in preference to a modern leisure/marine battery that has sufficient CCA for your engine. In the previous posts, the leisure batteries recommended to Mike by Furneaux Riddall were rated higher in CCA than the heavy duty automotive batteries recommended by DAKA.

 

[mjf]

Hi all
Been following this post with great interest as I believe I am near the time when I may need to change my batteries 4 domestic and two engine, which are seperately switched. The engine batteries do engines (obviously), anchor winch, and bowthruster. The domestics look after heating, lighting, fridge, navaids etc. I summise they are weak as engine cranking sounds a little low, with port engine starting being better than starboard, as the port engine seems to maintain a better charge, at the mo I run port engine for a few mins prior to starting starboard engine. Also charge indicator shows 'fully charged' status when first on board, the use of any domestic equipment causes the charge status to drop to about half, which is then recovered over time by the charger, suggests to me 'knackered' batteries.

For cranking should one fit the largest ah batteries possible to accommodate in the engine battery box?, or is there a more rational way of doing this?. With the domestics do similar rules apply or is it worth having a 'stab' at consumption requirement to avoid over or under batterying ones domestic supply.

For me the juries still out on whether to fit all leisure batteries or seperate into the two groups of starting and domestics. As far as I can see the forum seems to be evenly divided on this!

FWIW - I seem to have 'fallen' onto the correct path.

Domestics are now big on aH which is calculated since 2009 by a common EC method.

Engine starts - yet to be ordered - will be high CCA units.


another issue I have learnt is the price difference for like for like,`local supply vs internet etc.