alaska_av8r
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- May 28, 2007
- Messages
- 184
First thanks for everyones help and input this has been a steep learning curve. I wanted to design a system as efficient as possible with little user interaction required.
The boat is a twin engine, no onboard generator with older alternators that are internally regulated and do not have a dedicated sense terminal.
With the isolator that was installed I had four options to get optimum charging:
1. I would have had to place a diode in the alternator to offset the voltage loss to achieve fully charged batteries
2. get a new alternator with an external regulator to sense voltage from the battery, which can get tricky with multiple batteries
3. live with the voltage drop
4. remove the isolator
I chose to remove the isolator and wire the alternators back to the batteries, in doing so I don't have to deal with voltage drop and I also don't have to worry about blowing the circuits on the alternators with my battery selector switch.
I have four batteries total, 2 high CCA start batteries that remain isolated, with two deep cycle house batteries that stay paralleled.
Port engine alternator charges only the start batteries using a ACR between batt 1+2, this keeps the alternator charging similar batteries and avoids over/undercharging problems.
Starboard engine alternator charges only the deep cycle batteries and helps alleviate over/under charging as well.
I have only 1 battery selector switch and it only determines which start battery will start either engine, and can remain in position 1 until I store the boat.
I have 1 battery on/off switch.
The way it is set up, to charge the house batteries I only need to crank my starboard engine and get an added bonus of heating my hot water as well.
Running the port engine will charge the start batteries.
This seemed to be the least expensive most effective setup for my situation and hopefully others will find this useful.
http://www.hellzhoundz.net/crusadernewelect.pdf
The boat is a twin engine, no onboard generator with older alternators that are internally regulated and do not have a dedicated sense terminal.
With the isolator that was installed I had four options to get optimum charging:
1. I would have had to place a diode in the alternator to offset the voltage loss to achieve fully charged batteries
2. get a new alternator with an external regulator to sense voltage from the battery, which can get tricky with multiple batteries
3. live with the voltage drop
4. remove the isolator
I chose to remove the isolator and wire the alternators back to the batteries, in doing so I don't have to deal with voltage drop and I also don't have to worry about blowing the circuits on the alternators with my battery selector switch.
I have four batteries total, 2 high CCA start batteries that remain isolated, with two deep cycle house batteries that stay paralleled.
Port engine alternator charges only the start batteries using a ACR between batt 1+2, this keeps the alternator charging similar batteries and avoids over/undercharging problems.
Starboard engine alternator charges only the deep cycle batteries and helps alleviate over/under charging as well.
I have only 1 battery selector switch and it only determines which start battery will start either engine, and can remain in position 1 until I store the boat.
I have 1 battery on/off switch.
The way it is set up, to charge the house batteries I only need to crank my starboard engine and get an added bonus of heating my hot water as well.
Running the port engine will charge the start batteries.
This seemed to be the least expensive most effective setup for my situation and hopefully others will find this useful.
http://www.hellzhoundz.net/crusadernewelect.pdf
