Connection of VCR

[lumphammer]

I've just fitted a new battery isolator and Voltage Controlled Relay it is one of the comnined units with separate Start, House and Emergency parallel + VCR.

The instructions say that the connections to the VCR are made from the battery side of each switch, this doesn't seem right to me as I would have thought I should be able to isolate everything, including the electronics in the VCR by switching off the battery isolation.

Should I change this round to put the sense leads to the switched side of the isolator?

 

[pvb]

Ideally, you should follow the instructions. It's not clear whether you've got a VSR (voltage sensitive relay) or one of the newer VSS (voltage sensitive switch). There are wiring diagrams on the BEP website - the VSR diagram is here and the VSS diagram is here. If this doesn't help, tell us the make and model of your relay.

 

[halcyon]

Partly depends on the installation.
If you use it only for charging the service bank from the engine, it should be wired to the switched side of the isolator switch.
If you are using it to charge the engine battery as well from a solar panel / wind generator fitted to the service battery. If used when the boat is unattended, we recommend connecting before the isolator, this allows for isolating the boat, but charging all the batteries.

Brian

 

[lumphammer]

It is a BEP Marine 716-SQ-100AVSR battery master switches with VSR
as below: -

Richard

 

[pvb]

Wiring diagram...

If you look at BEP's web page for this cluster, you'll see the wiring diagram (shown below). The VSR isn't connected to the battery side of each switch, but goes to the engine side of the start battery switch. The diagram shows an outboard engine, but exactly the same wiring applies to an inboard engine.