Battery linking solenoid switch

[tico]

You know.... the one that allows you to start an engine from the other engine's battery bank if the dedicated battery is flat.

Sunday morning..... yes, dead battery on stbd engine, port starts fine. Try the linking solenoid but distinct absence of 'click' from linking solenoid switch.
Close observation reveals its well corroded and past it's 'use by' date.

Any suggestions for getting a replacement... google doesn't seem to help or am i asking it the wrong question?
TIA

 

[BartW]

in our Karnic I have the Victron Cyrix battery combiner,
this is a relay with a intelligent controller, that places the battery's in parallel when one battery voltage is >13.x Volt.
fe when you have a battery charger, with just one output
the cyrix also has a switch input for manual parallel switching

before that we had a pair of Starter cables in the boat, (we still have ) these have helped us to save the day in a few occasions,
these have also helped a few other boaters to save their day in other occasions ;-)

 

[prv]

Both our boats have had (fitted by me) a Smartguage / Smartbank system which uses a standard Albright contactor to link the two batteries. This is beefy enough to handle starter currents if required.

They do a sealed one which might help with the corrosion issue.

Pete

 

[aquapower]

in our Karnic I have the Victron Cyrix battery combiner,
this is a relay with a intelligent controller, that places the battery's in parallel when one battery voltage is >13.x Volt.
fe when you have a battery charger, with just one output
the cyrix also has a switch input for manual parallel switching

before that we had a pair of Starter cables in the boat, (we still have ) these have helped us to save the day in a few occasions,
these have also helped a few other boaters to save their day in other occasions ;-)

I have fitted quite a few of them but never tried to use the emergency start switch, with only a 120a fuse I would expect it will blow if starter battery very low or will It work?

 

[jfm]

You know.... the one that allows you to start an engine from the other engine's battery bank if the dedicated battery is flat.

Sunday morning..... yes, dead battery on stbd engine, port starts fine. Try the linking solenoid but distinct absence of 'click' from linking solenoid switch.
Close observation reveals its well corroded and past it's 'use by' date.

Any suggestions for getting a replacement... google doesn't seem to help or am i asking it the wrong question?
TIA

Many of these link switches have one coil on the relay and therefore you have a 50/50 chance that the relay is powered by the dead battery. If that is your problem (unless you've ruled it out by being convinced it is corroded to the point of death) then you cure it by installing a SPDT switch in the circuit that powers the link relay coil, so that either battery can be used to power the coil of the link relay

If that doesn't cure things and the relay is properly dead, then you need a simple non latching relay that all the major manufacturers provide eg https://www.bluesea.com/products/9012/L_Solenoid_-_12_24V_DC_250A

 

[annageek]

If that is your problem (unless you've ruled it out by being convinced it is corroded to the point of death) then you cure it by installing a SPDT switch in the circuit that powers the link relay coil

Or use a couple of small diodes to 'diode OR' the batteries together into the switch - purely for the purposes of powering the relay coil - 100% stealth, so no need to change / find a matching switch if this is likely to be a problem.

 

[jfm]

Or use a couple of small diodes to 'diode OR' the batteries together into the switch - purely for the purposes of powering the relay coil - 100% stealth, so no need to change / find a matching switch if this is likely to be a problem.

Yup , that is exactly how my own boat is wired up! I was keeping it simple though, and to that end I had in mind a nice nickelly looking SPDT toggle sw with the thin nut and plenty of black plastic M10 thread showing on the front

 

[tico]

' a nice nickelly looking SPDT toggle sw with the thin nut and plenty of black plastic M10 thread showing on the front'

Cor...almost had heart failure until i saw the irony smily..

Thanks to all for the suggestions. There is enough juice in the 'flat' battery to pull in the solenoid so my conclusion is that it's kaput anyway.
The existing unit is a bit cheap & nasty pressed item and as we deal a fair bit with Albright, i'll see what they can offer.

 

[BartW]

I have fitted quite a few of them but never tried to use the emergency start switch, with only a 120a fuse I would expect it will blow if starter battery very low or will It work?

there is no fuse in the Cyrix, but yes you should have the strong enough version.
I have the 400A version , and the battery's are 120Ah on each side

 

[burgundyben]

I had this, crossover didn't work when I needed it too.

Ripped it all out and carry a chunky set of jump leads. (I am somewhat over fanatical about keeping the boat simple).

 

[aquapower]

there is no fuse in the Cyrix, but yes you should have the strong enough version.
I have the 400A version , and the battery's are 120Ah on each side

I was referring to the 120a Cyrix, when fitting you will need to fit a 120a fuse inline, that I cant see starting an engine without blowing fuse.

 

[PCUK]

A simple battery master switch to replace the current dead solenoid. Totally reliable and much cheaper than all those solenoids.

 

[annageek]

Totally reliable

Bold quote

 

[jfm]

A simple battery master switch to replace the current dead solenoid. Totally reliable and much cheaper than all those solenoids.

Er, with latching or momentary action? Worth thinking about...

 

[halcyon]

Or use a couple of small diodes to 'diode OR' the batteries together into the switch - purely for the purposes of powering the relay coil - 100% stealth, so no need to change / find a matching switch if this is likely to be a problem.

May well already have feed from both batteries. Sealine fitted them from around 1990.

Brian

 

[tico]

Halcyon has very kindly pointed me in the direction of a unit that is the dead ringer for the original, and since its not a lot of cost i'll get one, and in the mean time investigate Albright's offering.
Anna's tip worthwhile, I'll check and if not wire in the replacement in this way.

 

[BartW]

A simple battery master switch ...

thats what I have in Blue Angel,
it is a latching model with a big red plastic key
and it was in the "on" position when the boat was handed over to us, without me knowing about the existance of that switch,
until summer first season, at a Anchorage, long night with halogene under platform lights on, imagine what happened ....

luckyly I had / have a independent 12V supply / battery for the genny's "only"

whas thinking to replace that switch by a solonoid, but this very low on the todo list,
as it is only used in that extremely rare occasion...

 

[PCUK]

But now you know it's there you'll never need to switch it on unless you need it and it will always work. It doesn't need to be in the engine compartment. Run heavy cables up to the helm and mount the switch out of sight there if that's more convenient.

 

[tico]

Of course!..... Law of Sod and all that.