[C320-list] Battery Bank - how to go from 2 to 1

[Warren Updike]

Alan, what year/hull is your boat?  I'm surprised that the battery location
is split.

The value of making the upgrade may, in part, depend on how you use the
boat. If you are a short-trip guy or weekender, you might postpone the
upgrade unless other factors apply.

Having done this upgrade I offer the following:
---We retired and began to use the boat often on extended cruises. The
original setup with 50A alt. just didn't cut it.
---Don't add more battery cables if you can avoid it. More runs, more
connections equal more potential problems. Longer runs may mean heaver
cables.
---You can make the changes on the switch by combining the #1 and #2 cables
on the same post. See the two approaches on the web site.
---On our #62, the alt. charge current went to the pos post on the starter.
That cable needed to go to the new starting battery. Since I wanted the alt.
charge current to go to the house bank, I had to run a new pos cable from
the alt. to the switch (better to go directly to the starting battery; but,
I was too lazy and cheap.) The original cable from the alt. to the starter
was eliminated. However, the charge circuit is not switched as I connected
it to the battery side of the switch. Now there are two separate circuits at
the switch: house bank and start bank.
---I highly recommend replacing the 1-2-Off-Both switch with a dual circuit
switch like the Blue Sea e-Series. It's a direct replacement, and the least
costly and easiest part of the whole project. It removes all decisions re.
the switch. Both circuits are either on or off. The current paths are thus
based on wire connections not decisions someone has to make at the switch.
---You need to consider circuit protection (fusing.) I make no
recommendations there.

We can now anchor for 2+ days with refer, radio, and TV going without
running the engine, and not drop our house bank even to 50%.  The start bank
remains there, fully charged, ready to do its job when needed.

I have a nice wire diagram of the project courtesy of, now defunct, Jack
Rabbit Marine. Let me know if you want a copy. If I get a chance, I'll post
it on the web site.

Warren & Pattie Updike
Catalina 320, #62, "Warr De Mar"
Middle River, Chesapeake Bay

-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Goodman [mailto:goodmanalanlee at hotmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 6:18 PM
To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] Battery Bank - how to go from 2 to 1

Having followed the ongoing discussion about house batteries, I am
considering combining my two banks into one.  Since the 4D batteries are on
opposite sides of the boat, how have people done this?  Some of the options
would be to combine the leads for the batteries at the back of the
1-2-off-both switch or run wire under the sole to tie the batteries together
while removing one lead at the back of the 1-2-off-both switch.  Also, I
have a 10 year old Pro Mariner charger which people do not seem to be too
fond of.  It is a three bank charger, so I could add a dedicated start
battery, but given it is so much smaller than the 4D batteries, will that
cause a problem when the charger operates?  I'm spending a ton of money on
other stuff this winter and from what I can tell the current setup works OK,
so maybe I should leave well enough alone until I need to replace the
batteries.  Thoughts?  Alan, hull 67, Holland Michigan
 		 	   		  
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-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Goodman [mailto:goodmanalanlee at hotmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 6:18 PM
To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] Battery Bank - how to go from 2 to 1



Having followed the ongoing discussion about house batteries, I am
considering combining my two banks into one.  Since the 4D batteries are on
opposite sides of the boat, how have people done this?  Some of the options
would be to combine the leads for the batteries at the back of the
1-2-off-both switch or run wire under the sole to tie the batteries together
while removing one lead at the back of the 1-2-off-both switch.  Also, I
have a 10 year old Pro Mariner charger which people do not seem to be too
fond of.  It is a three bank charger, so I could add a dedicated start
battery, but given it is so much smaller than the 4D batteries, will that
cause a problem when the charger operates?  I'm spending a ton of money on
other stuff this winter and from what I can tell the current setup works OK,
so maybe I should leave well enough alone until I need to replace the
batteries.  Thoughts?  Alan, hull 67, Holland Michigan
 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft.
http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/196390710/direct/01/