Battery Set Up

[JJG]

Hi-

I was hoping for some advice on a topic that I know has been discussed on here in the past but I am still not totally clear on things (mainly because of my own ignorance- I am a first time boat owner and not so mechanically inclined). The question is about the battery set up.

I bought a used 1998 248 Voyager about 3 years ago. It has a single outboard- Yamaha 225 hp. It has 2 dual purpose batteries that were replaced this season with a control switch for 1, Both, 2 and Off. I use the boat mainly for fishing so tend to use the VHF, GPS, live well and stereo (and occasionally radar) and sometimes have these electronics on for a while drift fishing without running the motor. There is also a separate switch for a windlass that is operational but I have not used so leave it in the off position.

Here is what I noticed for the amp readings:
Switch on 1- 12.8 amp prior to getting underway and increases to 14.2 while traveling
Switch on Both- 12.8 amp prior to getting underway and increases to 14.2 while traveling
Switch on 2- 12.8 amp prior to getting underway and does not increase while traveling
When I start the motor in any of these positions, it does not seem to drain the energy to the electronics or reset the electronics.

Battery 1 is on Starboard side and Battery 2 is on Port side but I am not sure what is wired to each battery. It was previously the opposite but when the mechanic put in the new batteries he switched the set up so when you are looking at the switch, the battery lines up with the number on the switch- is this any issue since the batteries are both the same dual function batteries?

Should battery 2 be charging when the switch is set to 2 or is the only way to charge battery 2 with the switch on the Both position? I would like to run with the switch on 1 or 2 so it doesn’t get left on Both by accident and drain both batteries.

Is it okay to move the switch from 1 to 2 or Both while the engine is running? The switch has a warning to not turn it to the Off position while the engine is running but doesn’t say anything about moving between the other settings.

I appreciate any help people can provide.

Thanks,

John

 

[wahoo33417]

John: Welcome to the forum!

I'm no battery expert, but I'll share what I think I know. You can turn the switch selector from '1' or '2' to 'both' while underway because there is (or should be) a continuous connection in your switch. However, I never take that chance. Should you inadvertently lose that connection while engine is running you could do serious damage to charging system.

Always run with the selector on 1 or 2 but never 'both'. 'Both' is there only for when you do not have enough juice in either battery to start the engine on its own. Running on 'both' does not allow your charging system to 'see' and respond to the state of one battery. Instead, the charging system is fooled and does not provide an optimum charge. You certainly can run on 'both', but you'll almost certainly get better battery life by isolating the batteries for charging purposes.

I usually run out to the fishing grounds on '1', so by the time I get there I know one battery is well charged. Then I fish and run my electronics on '2' - maybe with the engine on for a bit to ensure a charge to start with. By the end of the fishing day, the motor is started with battery '2' and I run in on '2' to make sure it is fully charged. If I had run battery '2' down so far that it wouldn't start the engine, I know that battery '1' is sitting there fully charged from my run out.

And I alternate starting my day on 1 and on 2, as best as I can remember, anyway.

Not sure why your volts don't jump up on battery 2. But I'm sure that some smart person here will know the answer.

Good luck and welcome.

Rob

 

[BobP]

Welcome! Come back soon and often!

I believe you can go from 1 to 2 as long as you turn it to the "Both" position first to get there, not via the Off position, then you are not disconnecting your engine from any battery. I do it all the time. But as it was advised, running on both is not recommeded though some do it. To keep both batteries charged, alternate which battery you use each trip, if you go out infrequently, you may need a plug in 120V dual output battery changer. To maintain batteries for max life, they must remain fully charged instead of partially charged for extended periods.

Where is the ammeter reading being taken, is it handheld or an instrument ? Grady didn't equip the boat with an ammeter, is it a yamaha gauge or an aftermarket gauge? if it's a gauge.

That's a lot of current draw from the boat, for what you describe having on, that's why it's important to know where the shunt is connected for the ammeter to answer your question.

.

 

[jehines3]

I believe the numbers you posted were volts. It indicates your charging system is charging onle the one battery. My 225's had a charger output option that used to run to a 2in to 3out isolator. I've removed that whole system and the chargeing outputs and let the motors charge their respective batteries and ACR's to the house. You need to do allot more research about how your existing batteries are connected and if your motor is using an optional charge output wired to battery #1 before I can advise how to fix. jh

 

[BobP]

Whoa, I didn't think about that. So a "no response" is OK.

The Yamaha analog voltmeters are marked in increments of 1/10ths?

That's pretty good, I fgure paralax view is good for better than that!

 

[Barry Pugh]

I had the same problem with my 300 Marlin. Had a Yamaha tech check it out and he said I needed an isolatir for my second battery bank. Took care of the problem