A-ha!!!! That’s the piece of the puzzle I wasn’t getting.
OK… time to rewire.
Rich Knowles?? I don’t think so, From now on you’ll be Rich Knowmore to me.
Hot damn, I love this list. Thanks to Stu, too.
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 4:00 PM, Rich Knowles <[email protected]> wrote:
> No. On most factory supplied engines, the alternator output is tied to the
> large + battery connector on the starter or solenoid. Disconnect the wire in
> the back of the alternator and run a new cable from the alternator output
> terminal to the house bank positive terminal. The cable should be sized for
> the expected current and distance. Usually a #4 or #6 should be adequate.
>
> Rich
>
> On May 5, 2014, at 16:50, Edd Schillay <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I think my alternator is set up to charge whatever batteries I have on my
>> selector switch… Any way to do this without running new wires from my
>> alternator?
>>
>>
>> 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 3:44 PM, Rich Knowles <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> 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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>>>>>>>
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