[C320-list] Starting Battery Installation

Fri May 19 10:41:07 PDT 2006

Here is a prior post about a jumpstarter that works:

I have an "Ever Start" Maxx, Heavy Duty Jump Starter I bought at Walmart
for about $50.  Its rated at 600 Amps Starting power with a capacity of 20
AMP/HRS. I was wrong: it only weights 20Lbs.  It has 2-12VDC outputs  but
no built in light or air pump.  It's also the only power pack that has an
override switch that allows the jumper cables to be powered on even if
there is no load.  This is a handy feature for directly connecting to
higher amp devices such as high volume air pumps etc. on deck or away from
the boat. The other power pacts require you to be connected to a battery
before power is applied to the cables.  CAUTION...I would never use this
feature to directly connect the power pack to the engine cables with no
batteries in the circuit.  That would most likely damage the alternator
and/or power pack.

Its power source is an AGM battery so it's sealed and can be placed in any
position.  It can be recharged by an AC adapter or 12V cigarette lighter.
I had it sitting on the boat for 2 months without charging and it still was
almost fully charged when I used it to jump start my YANMAR.

I found out about it from Practical Sailor magazine (don't remember what
issue) that compared it to other pacts and highly recommended it.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Culbertson" <billculb_a2 at yahoo.com>
To: "C320-List" <C320-List at catalina320.com>
Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 1:09 PM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Starting Battery Installation

I did the same thing with the same negative result.  Difference for me was 
that I'd been carrying the thing in the boat for a year assuming it would do 
the job.  Finally decided to see by doing as you did - disconnect the boat's 
batteries and connected the jumpstarter.  Nope.

  So I've got the starting battery project on my projects list.

   -bill

"McCullough, Kirk" <kirk.mccullough at btg.com> wrote:
  I bought the biggest one I could get on the condition it would start my
engine; if it didn't work I could take it back.

I disconnected the boats batteries and clipped on the jumpers leads. No
way it would turn over the engine, so I took it back.

Kirk L. McCullough
Analytical Sales Mgr

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-List-bounces at catalina320.com
[mailto:C320-List-bounces at catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Scott Thompson
Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 9:12 AM
To: C320-List
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Starting Battery Installation

Russell: Have you actually started the engine using your jumper/starter

when the house bank is run down enough to make this necessary? If so,
how does this work? Do you jump to the house bank or directly to the
engine? If you jump to the house bank, doesn't this absorb most of the
power in your jumper unit? I've had very bad luck starting cars with
these units in cold weather when connecting to a thoroughly dead
battery, but maybe the ones I've tried weren't really good units.

Also, how heavy and bulky is the jumper? Where do you store it on
board, and would it be practical for me to take it home and back in the
dinghy? My boat lives on a mooring so I do not have ready access to
110v on board.

Scott Thompson
Surprise, 653

Russell Monaco wrote:
> I'm certain this is a good appraoch to the problem, but I will tell
you what i did, i think it cost less, and gets the same job done:
> 1-replaced both house batteries with 4D AGM's cost about $650
including shipping.
> 2-Bought a real good emergency jumper/starter from Walmart it is an
AGM battery in a box with handle and 110 charger built-in, about $50
> 3-The jumper has a meter on it that tells you its level of charge,
when it goes down i will plug it into my 110 outlet on the boat/with its
built-in charger/wire.
> 4-I will keep using my 2 new house batteries for all functions, in the
event they can't turn over the Yanmar, I will simply whip out the jumper
which has plenty of juice to crank the Yanmar.
> TOTAL cost $700, but I got 2 brand new House 4D AGMS, and an AGM
jumper and I didn't have to wire anything, or change any parts or
anything to the boat.
> russ monaco
> Escape #621
> Stamford, CT
> Quentin Murphy wrote: I'm going to heed the
advice of many on this group and install a Starting
> Battery, as my original 4Ds are showing their age. I will then
replace the
> 4Ds with Deep Cycle type. I'm staying with flooded batteries
> throughout...cost. But I have a few questions.
>
> Will a Group 27 battery fit forward of the two 4Ds or should I go with
a
> Group 24 (automotive size)? I understand a Group 24 is plenty to
start my
> Yanmar engine. How have others supported this extra battery? Have
they
> used plywood alone or plywood covered with fibreglass?
>
> I going to use a separate Perko ON/OFF switch for the starting bank
and
> leave the original OFF/ONE/TWO/BOTH battery switch for the House Bank.
In
> addition I was going to install a key-switch to use as an emergency
combiner
> in case the starting battery will not start the engine. My original
battery
> switch and two battery circuit breakers are mounted on the starboard
side
> teak panel with an engraved plastic laminate dress-panel. It looks
like
> this dress-panel is screwed into the Perko switch with four screws.
Where
> have others located the additional two switches? I was thinking of
having a
> new larger laminate dress-panel made with new lettering to house all
these
> switches. There's plenty of room on the teak panel to go higher.
>
> Then there are the chargers. I have a Charles 20-Amp which can handle
a
> third bank, so I suppose I just run one #10 red wire with an in-line
fuse
> for that. Does anyone know the length required as it seems to take an
> interesting route? For the Alternator, I was going to use an Echo
Charger
> which I understand will allow me to tie into the alternator, but keep
the
> banks separate and not overcharge either bank. Where does the
existing wire
> come from the alternator to the battery bank, so I can determine where
to
> locate this Echo Charger?
>
> Any suggestions from those who have gone through this would be greatly
> appreciated.
>
> Quentin Murphy
> Celtic Knot #667
>
>
> !!- _______________________________________
> !!- C320-List at catalina320.com mailing list
> !!- Archives Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/archives
> !!- Change Subscription Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/change
> !!- Subscribe Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/join
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> New Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC and
save big.
> !!- _______________________________________
> !!- C320-List at catalina320.com mailing list
> !!- Archives Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/archives
> !!- Change Subscription Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/change
> !!- Subscribe Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/join

!!- _______________________________________
!!- C320-List at catalina320.com mailing list
!!- Archives Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/archives
!!- Change Subscription Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/change
!!- Subscribe Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/join

This electronic message contains information from BTG Americas Inc. which 
may be confidential, privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure. The 
information is intended to be used solely by the recipient(s) named. If you 
are not an intended recipient, be aware that any review, disclosure, 
copying, distributing or use of this transmission or its content is 
prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please delete 
it and notify us immediately.

!!- _______________________________________
!!- C320-List at catalina320.com mailing list
!!- Archives Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/archives
!!- Change Subscription Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/change
!!- Subscribe Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/join

---------------------------------
Love cheap thrills? Enjoy PC-to-Phone  calls to 30+ countries for just 
2¢/min with Yahoo! Messenger with Voice.
!!- _______________________________________
!!- C320-List at catalina320.com mailing list
!!- Archives Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/archives
!!- Change Subscription Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/change
!!- Subscribe Here: http://www.catalina320.com/list/join