another charging question

[dogdoc]

After 2 years of searching we finally found a used small pontoon boat for our camp upstate NY. 16ft tracker bass buggy. Has new single 12 v battery, 40hp merc with 18amp charging output. I have an Blue Sea ACR and several 1-2-both switches. I cannot seem to see how to use what I have to set up system so in and emergency both batteries can be combined. I really do not want to buy the dual circuit switch they sell with the add a battery kit.
thanks

 

[seasick]

The 1-both-2 switch should be all you need. Here is a simple diagram from BlueSeas

http://assets.bluesea.com/files/resources/reference/all-switches.pdf

One comment about your comment on combining both batteries if the primary fails or runs down: In that case you probably do not want to combine the batteries (BOTH) since the bad battery will drain the good one.
Sometimes if both batteries are weak, using BOTH may get you going.
Charging is another story and there are several approaches to that with or without the ACR

 

[dogdoc]

thanks but those diagrams do not show where to put acr, the only blue sea diagram i have seen with switch and acr uses the dual circuit plus switch

how about this set up


but move panel red wire from output on switch and place directly on pos house terminal. typical running would be switch in position one, but could be two or both. I would add a ground switch to disable acr if needed

 

[seasick]

Let's start over. What functionality are you trying to provision? If it is just having a backup battery, you don't really need the ACR. It can be wired but all you need to do is run on a different battery, 1 or 2, on different trips so that the battery selected gets charged.

Fully charged decent condition batteries will hold a significant amount of charge for a fairly long time.
I don't know what you mean by adding a ground disconnect to 'disable'. What are you disabling?

 

[SkunkBoat]

thanks but those diagrams do not show where to put acr, the only blue sea diagram i have seen with switch and acr uses the dual circuit plus switch

how about this set up

View attachment 21337
but move panel red wire from output on switch and place directly on pos house terminal. typical running would be switch in position one, but could be two or both. I would add a ground switch to disable acr if needed

This is all you need mini add a battery kit for outboards
Simple....

if you have an old 1-both-2_off switch that you want to use then put an ACR btween positive terminals of batteries, 1 to a battery(call it START battery), 2 to a battery(call it House), and Feed(common switch terminal) to motor starter cable. The fuse panel feed to pos terminal of House Battery. You need properly sized wire and breaker between that and the fuse panel.
The switch would be in position 1 when operating the boat and OFF when not. Never use 2 or BOTH unless it won't start on 1. The ACR will charge both batteries when the motor is running.
I don't imagine you are going to have a lot of electronics so you shouldn't need a Start-Interupt (SI) ACR

 

[seasick]

I believe that the ACR also has a ground connection.

 

[SkunkBoat]

I believe that the ACR also has a ground connection.

yep so do the batteries and the motor but I got lazy.... its more of a block diagram....

 

[seasick]

Just busting them a little
I do wonder if there is a real need for an ACR on a vessel of that size and motor HP.

 

[SkunkBoat]

probably would put on an electric trolling motor with a 27Deep cycle (or 2) and charge it from an AC powered charger after each trip. Keep it separate from starting battery. You can probably pull start that 40 horse. I had a 16' Sylvan with that setup...no start battery!

 

[dogdoc]

yes it is all about a trolling motor addition at some point this summer, with possible remote camping on islands on the lake. i had everything but the acr on hand and got a good deal on that. cleaned things up in the battery compartment, added neg buss ran new 14 ga to helm, and cleaned up that as well. now i know where everything goes and what it does, bubba had been there

have read mixed views on the charging of multiple banks with an acr, cycling due to insufficient voltage levels, to play it safe i put a switch in the acr ground wire to disable when charging
used skunks diagram with addition of neg ground switch for acr