[C320-list] Battery Isolation

[Jon Vez]

Julian,

I have the exact setup you describe. I used a battery combiner from West
Marine. It's a simple device that you simply wire to each pole on the back
of your current switch--one wire to the '1' and the other to the '2'. It's
about the size of a match box and takes a couple of minutes to install. It
will combine the batteries when motoring via the alternator and isolate them
when not receiving a charge. Is the 'easy' solution to this problem....

Regards,

Jon Vez
Solstice #582

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of
jelliott at landspring.net
Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 10:59 AM
To: C320-List at catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] Battery Isolation

I am in the process of modifying my electrical system, and am curious as
to how others electrically isolate the house bank from the starting
battery.

I have two 4D's under the settee paralleled as my house bank, and a
separate  starting battery located in the port lazarrette.  Both are
connected to independent channels of a Xantrax Truecharge 20.   The house
bank is monitored with a Link 10.

The banks are still not electrically isolated; I assume this is a result
of a common connection to the alternator?  How do others handled this?  I
understand there are battery isolators that do this?  Any advice on how to
"break" this return circuit (if that's the cause) would be appreciated.  I
am not very interested in adding a second switch which I know some have
done.

Thanks,

Julian
Polaris #340