[C320-list] Charger/Battery Wiring

Tue Oct 24 12:07:59 PDT 2006

"That way, your shore power will charge both batteries with no regard to
the position of the battery selector switch."

I just got off the phone with a tech at Xantrex so I thought I'd pass this 
along. The switch position doesn't matter with our OEM chargers, but newer 
multiplex chargers like the Xantrex XC3012, the Charles 9000, and most of 
the ProMariners are a bit more (too?) sophisticated. They sense and charge 
each battery independently. If the battery switch is in the Both position 
while charging, that feature is defeated because you have paralleled the 
batteries and the charger sees them as a single bank.

Jeff

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Magennis" <magenns at yahoo.com>
To: "C320-List" <c320-list at catalina320.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 1:29 PM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Charger/Battery Wiring

> Your batteries are NOT wired in parallel until you select "Both" at
> your battery switch.  The current wiring has the negatives wired
> together and to the ground while the positive terminals are wired to
> their respective posts on the battery switch.  From this, you can
> select Battery #1, Both, Battery 2, or OFF with the switch completing
> the paralleling of the batteries.
>
> You should hook the negative terminal of your new charger to the common
> ground, and the positive from one channel directly to the positive of
> Batery 1 with the positive from Channel 2 to the positive of Battery 2.
>
> That way, your shore power will charge both batteries with no regard to
> the position of the battery selector switch.
>
> On another note, your alternator charges through the battery selector
> switch, so it only charges the battery that is currently in use (or
> both if "Both" is selected.
>
> Your practice of using "Both" while under sail or at anchor can have a
> very bad side effect of running down your entire battery bank and
> leaving you unable to start the engine in the morning.  You are
> probably better off to leave the battery selector to one or the other
> battery when you are away from shore power, and recharge that batery
> with the engine when you are under power.
>
> Steve
> Alchemist #909
>
> --- badams3491 at aol.com wrote:
>
>> Bruce,
>>
>> Thanks for the reply.
>>
>> Maybe I did not make myself clear.  All I want to do is replace the
>> charger, wired the same as it is now.  My two 4 D batteries are fine.
>>  I don't have or need a starter battery.  I'm just not sure that my
>> current wiring is correct and/or that the system is wired in
>> parallel.  Agree that Calder's book is great, but is does not answer
>> the questions in my original post.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Bert
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: BruceHeyman at cox.net
>> To: c320-list at catalina320.com
>> Sent: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 10:07 PM
>> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Charger/Battery Wiring
>>
>>
>> Bert,
>> Based on your description you have two banks of batteries, 1 and 2.
>> When
>> you have your Off, 1, 2, both switch in the both position it is
>> making your
>> two batteries into one bank.
>>
>> Generally when you are running your motor you want to switch them to
>> both so
>> that they both get charged.  When you are sailing or on the hook you
>> want to
>> switch to 1 or 2.  That way if you accidentally run the battery down
>> too far
>> you will have the other one in reserve to allow you to start the
>> engine.
>>
>> There are ways to have it charge both batteries regardless of the
>> switch
>> position.  Also many 320's have been owner upgraded by adding a
>> starting
>> battery and then convert the two 12v batteries into a single bank
>> (like what
>> you read in Calder where both positives and negatives are connected).
>>
>>
>> On Somerset we have the two house batteries tied together into a
>> single bank
>> and then a 12 volt starting battery that is in a separate circuit but
>> charged from the main bank via an echo charger.
>>
>> You are right that putting the two batteries in parallel (two
>> positives
>> connected and two negatives connected) you maintain 12 volts but
>> double the
>> amp hour capacity.  Another option is to go with two "golf cart" 6
>> volt
>> batteries but connect them in series.  Circuit to negative 1,
>> positive 1 to
>> negative 2 and positive 2 to circuit.
>>
>> There are lots of options and quite a few choices available.  The
>> book you
>> are reading is IMHO the bible when it comes to boat energy and energy
>> management.
>> Bruce
>> Somerset 671 SoCal
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com
>> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com] On Behalf Of
>> BAdams3491 at aol.com
>> Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 6:38 PM
>> To: C320-List at catalina320.com
>> Subject: [C320-list] Charger/Battery Wiring
>>
>> My charger died and I am in the process of figuring out how to wire
>> the new
>>
>> one when it arrives.  According to Nigel Calder's book, our
>> batteries,
>> wired
>> in parallel, should have the negative posts wired to each other and
>> the
>> positive posts wired to each other...thus keeping 12 volts, but
>> doubling the
>> amps.
>>  On my boat, the negatives are wired that way, but the positives are
>> not
>> connected.
>>
>> I sail on a lake, and spend lots of nights on the boat, but always
>> with
>> shore power.  When I'm away from the boat shore power is also always
>> on.
>> The
>> battery selector is always selected to:  "Both On."
>>
>> Since each battery has a positive wire to the four way battery
>> selector
>> switch, does that negate the requirement to have the two batteries
>> wired
>> together
>> by the positive terminals to be in parallel?   Or,  maybe my battery
>> is not
>> correctly wired to be in  parallel?
>>
>> Any suggestions would be welcomed.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Bert
>> At Ease
>> #442
>>
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