Almost:) connect the alternator directly to your house battery and make that 
battery 1. 

Rich

> On May 5, 2014, at 16:28, Edd Schillay via CnC-List <[email protected]> 
> wrote:
> 
> Rich,
> 
>       I think I get it now. If I have my starter battery as #2, I start the 
> engine with #2 only (not ALL). This echo-charger could take the Alternator 
> charge going into #2 and also charge #1. 
> 
>       Do I have that right? 
> 
>       If so, I gots me some wiring to do…. 
>       
> 
> 
>       All the best,
> 
>       Edd
> 
> 
>       Edd M. Schillay
>       Starship Enterprise
>       C&C 37+ | Sail No: NCC-1701-B
>       City Island, NY 
>       Starship Enterprise's Captain's Log
> 
>> On May 5, 2014, at 2:52 PM, Rich Knowles <[email protected]> wrote:
>> 
>> In short, an Echo Charge is a simple regulator that derives it's input 
>> voltage from a battery connected to a charging source. It's output is 
>> connected to a secondary battery such as an engine start or windlass 
>> battery. If the input voltage rises above 3.4 volts, as I recall, the 
>> 
>> Rich
>> 
>>> On May 5, 2014, at 14:10, Edd Schillay via CnC-List <[email protected]> 
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Marek,
>>> 
>>>     Very interesting. What exactly is an echo charger and how would I 
>>> connect it? 
>>> 
>>>     The previous owner had two house bank 31s and a starter battery hooked 
>>> up parallel to one of them. That starter battery turned out to be dead and 
>>> was dragging the other down. 
>>> 
>>>     I replaced all with two new 31s about 4 years ago. Now one of those two 
>>> is dead and I don’t feel like dumping $300 on a replacement when I’m not 
>>> running on batteries for more than a few hours on any given day. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>     All the best,
>>> 
>>>     Edd
>>> 
>>> 
>>>     Edd M. Schillay
>>>     Starship Enterprise
>>>     C&C 37+ | Sail No: NCC-1701-B
>>>     City Island, NY 
>>>     Starship Enterprise's Captain's Log
>>> 
>>>> On May 5, 2014, at 1:01 PM, Marek Dziedzic <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Edd,
>>>>  
>>>> I don’t want to start a discussion on how to charge the batteries (as this 
>>>> would be off topic), but starting from the ALL position has some major 
>>>> disadvantages. One is that you might be hiding a problem with your 
>>>> starting battery; two is that if one battery is weak, you would be 
>>>> charging that weak battery from the strong one (you risk that if one is 
>>>> nearly dead, the other would not start the engine, either, but instead 
>>>> would discharge to equalise the voltage with the weak one).
>>>>  
>>>> No question (in my mind),  the best way is to start from the starting 
>>>> battery (hence the name) and have the echo charger making sure that both 
>>>> batteries are charged properly.
>>>>  
>>>> Some advocate to have the batteries split into “main” and “spare”. Many 
>>>> good marine batteries can be used as dual purpose. If you design your 
>>>> system this way, you start on the “main”, it gets charged by the 
>>>> alternator and the echo charger maintains the “spare”.
>>>>  
>>>> If I remember correctly, you have a solar system, as well. Many charge 
>>>> controllers have a dual battery option and they can be setup to charge the 
>>>> “main” battery first and then charge the “spare” (mine has a selectable 
>>>> 50/50 or 90/10 split).
>>>>  
>>>> If you are interested, you can check some of Main Sail’s articles on that 
>>>> topic at Sailboat Owners or at his web site 
>>>> (http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/).
>>>>  
>>>> Marek (in Ottawa)
>>>>  
>>>> PS. Would “may the Force (May the 4th) be with you” apply, even if it is a 
>>>> day late? I know it is mixing the references...
>>>>  
>>>> From: Edd Schillay via CnC-List
>>>> Sent: Monday, May 05, 2014 10:58 AM
>>>> To: [email protected]
>>>> Subject: Re: Stus-List Mixed batteries
>>>>  
>>>> Rich,
>>>>  
>>>> Please do send around a diagram. I’m planning to do something similar — a 
>>>> 27 starting battery (as battery #2) and a 31 house bank (as battery#1).
>>>>  
>>>> When I want to start and run the engine, I will do so on ALL. That way the 
>>>> alternator will charge both batteries. When sailing and “hanging out”, I 
>>>> would switch to 1 only.
>>>>  
>>>> I have a solar panel and a dual battery regulator, which would connect to 
>>>> both.
>>>>  
>>>> Two weeks to launch and still much to do…..
>>>>  
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> All the best,
>>>>  
>>>> Edd
>>>>  
>>>>  
>>>> Edd M. Schillay
>>>> Starship Enterprise
>>>> C&C 37+ | Sail No: NCC-1701-B
>>>> City Island, NY
>>>> Starship Enterprise's Captain's Log
>>>>  
>>>>> On May 5, 2014, at 10:38 AM, Rich Knowles via CnC-List 
>>>>> <[email protected]>  wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> The best method I have found and the least problematic from all points of 
>>>>> view is to have a dedicated starting battery that does nothing else but 
>>>>> start the engine, and a house battery that can be several batteries in 
>>>>> parallel. Ideally the house batteries will all be identical. I feed the 
>>>>> alternator directly to the house battery and use a device such as a 
>>>>> Xantrex EchoCharge, a small regulator, to keep the start battery charged. 
>>>>> A simple 1/both/2 off switch feeds the house load from either battery and 
>>>>> acts as a combiner switch if needed. I have a diagram I can send you if 
>>>>> you wish.
>>>>>  
>>>>> I have wired many boats this way with no complaints or incidents.    
>>>>> 
>>>>> Rich Knowles
>>>>> Indigo. LF38
>>>>> Halifax. NS
>>>>> 
>>>>>> On May 5, 2014, at 10:47, via CnC-List <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> In a pinch, I recently bought a 'starting' battery (Group 27) per my 
>>>>>> earlier post (no marine stores open after 6 on Saturdays)
>>>>>>  
>>>>>> Then I decided to get a replacement for my dead Lifeline AGM battery.
>>>>>>  
>>>>>> Of course, Murphy lurking about, I realized that my Zantrex Truecharge 
>>>>>> 40 wants all the batteries it charges to be the same since
>>>>>> its charging schemes apply to all three outputs to the batteries.
>>>>>>  
>>>>>> Before I pull the 'rope-a-dope' of returning the starting battery, I 
>>>>>> need some list advice:
>>>>>>  
>>>>>> A lot of sailors suggest using a 'starting' battery exclusively for 
>>>>>> starting and using the house batteries for the house. I am aware that
>>>>>> an AGM can be used for starting as well.
>>>>>>  
>>>>>> However, if a 'starting' battery is better for this job (CCA, etc.) and 
>>>>>> the AGM is better for its job, how does one use a single charger like 
>>>>>> mine
>>>>>> to satisfy different charging schemes? 
>>>>>>  
>>>>>> 2 chargers, a smarter charger that has outputs for different battery 
>>>>>> characteristics, or 'forgetaboutit" and charge both batteries as though
>>>>>> the were both AGMs?
>>>>>>  
>>>>>> Charlie Nelson
>>>>>> Water Phantom
>>>>>> C&C 36 XL/kcb
>>>>>>  
>>>>>> [email protected]
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