Wanting to add a second battery but have no idea how - any step by step tutorials?

[bleudyno]

I've been wanting to add a second battery to my 2020 AR190 but I am a little nervous about doing it myself and I don't know of any boat shops close to me to assist. I've been reading a lot of threads but its mostly just pictures of the setup already installed and I can't tell which wire are supposed to connect where. Being that I have NO IDEA what I would be doing, is there any sort of step by step tutorial on how to do it? I'm pretty handy and can follow instructions so I'm hoping someone can help. I don't have any audio mods nor do I plan to add anything crazy. Just want a second back up battery in case the primary one takes a dump. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

 

[jdkaeser]

I would be interested in this as well. I could probably figure it out but I am getting lazy in my old age! Maybe @Hoyt could share his set up. He documents things pretty well.

 

[RightStuff]

I did this install a number of years ago and followed another post and the instructions with the Blue Seas add-a-battery kit. Wasn't that hard after walking it thru.
Not sure if you have seen these posts, but one is my install (and the parts I needed/used) and the other has the wiring diagrams and discussion I followed.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/blue-seas-add-a-battery-kit-questions.1645/

https://jetboaters.net/threads/another-stereo-upgrade-and-dual-battery-upgrade-w-pics.5354/#post-91862

Above that let us know if you have more questions, I'm sure the collective brain trust here can help you thru it!

 

[watdog]

It can be super simple. Buy a 2 battery switch, battery, and battery cable. You already have a battery switch, a 2 battery switch just has an extra post to connect the second battery. Wire the existing battery to the battery 1 post, second battery to the battery 2 post and your existing outputs to the output post and your done. You can alternate the batteries on outings or get a shore charger which is what I did. The blue seas add a battery is nice and I was going that route until an electrical engineer friend pointed out it was a possible dual failure to charge. So I kept it simple and hopefully safe. Quality Copper Battery Cables Made in the USA! - BatteryCablesUSA has excellent made in the USA custom cables. My two videos I did on it.

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[HangOutdoors]

@bleudyno Go with the Blue Seas Add A Battery Kit and Get it with the ACR. This will alternate charge between the batteries depending on state. This way you don't need to screw with switching between them to charge which is annoying.

If you watch the video's linked and decide you are going to go a step further with a buss bar, please don't leave the exposed, get covers for them.

But to keep it simple, I recommend this. Members here or I can get you through it. There are plenty of posts on here as well. This is the one that I have and just installed over a month ago.

BLUE SEA SYSTEMS "Add-A-Battery" Dual Circuit System | West Marine

Fyi, the install that @RightStuff did in his pic's and other thread mentioned above is pretty simple, straight forward and clean. Excellent example to follow.

 

[marcham]

You'll need a hydraulic crimper to make the wire, or check with a local auto parts store to see if they can make custom lengths.

Amazon.com : Hydraulic Crimper

 

[HangOutdoors]

You can also use a crimping tool that works just fine. If you are going to crimp your own wires, make sure you drop a bit of glue sealant and then heat shrink tube at the connection. Very easy to do.

Battery Cable Lug Crimper - Hammer Crimping Tool with Storage Pouch - - Amazon.com

If you live near a West Marine they usually have a crimper you can use for free. Lastly you can order custom lengths.

 

[Hoyt]

If your just looking to add a second battery for insurance then it's simple. Just wire it in parallel to the existing battery. Done. So positive to positive and negative to negative. No need for battery switches, or anything else. You'll be draining both batteries equally. So basically same voltage, but longer life

 

[TJP027]

I have been looking into this as well. Just got a 2016 212x.

Been looking at the BEP switch or the Blue Seas

 

[Gonzalo]

I did this install a number of years ago and followed another post and the instructions with the Blue Seas add-a-battery kit. Wasn't that hard after walking it thru.
Not sure if you have seen these posts, but one is my install (and the parts I needed/used) and the other has the wiring diagrams and discussion I followed.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/blue-seas-add-a-battery-kit-questions.1645/

https://jetboaters.net/threads/another-stereo-upgrade-and-dual-battery-upgrade-w-pics.5354/#post-91862

Above that let us know if you have more questions, I'm sure the collective brain trust here can help you thru it!

Resurrecting thread a year later
So ... RightStuff ... I took a look at your install and the circuit diagrams. It seems you decided to connect the ACR to the load side of the switch (to avoid current draw) , and in contrast to the official Blue Seas recommendation.
I'm thinking of doing the same thing. Did you have any issues with this setup?

Thanks
Gonza

 

[RightStuff]

Resurrecting thread a year later
So ... RightStuff ... I took a look at your install and the circuit diagrams. It seems you decided to connect the ACR to the load side of the switch (to avoid current draw) , and in contrast to the official Blue Seas recommendation.
I'm thinking of doing the same thing. Did you have any issues with this setup?

Thanks
Gonza

Not a single issue or a change to anything from when I installed that setup. Crazy that it's been 7 years!

 

[Gonzalo]

Not a single issue or a change to anything from when I installed that setup. Crazy that it's been 7 years!

Thanks! I'm gonna go the same route, with the ACR on the load side. Cheers!

 

[platinum00]

Since this is the lastest thread on this topic, asking here. If you switch to combined, should the LED status be Solid ON? Mine stays in Single Flash for Isolated/Standby and wanted to confirm that is correct.

 

[lazergeek]

Since this is the lastest thread on this topic, asking here. If you switch to combined, should the LED status be Solid ON? Mine stays in Single Flash for Isolated/Standby and wanted to confirm that is correct.

The Parallel switch is seperate from the DVSR so the light should not be lit unless its charging, even if the switch is in parallel position.

 

[platinum00]

Thank you for the confirmation. Will be testing the charging this weekend !

 

[ellj]

@bleudyno Go with the Blue Seas Add A Battery Kit and Get it with the ACR. This will alternate charge between the batteries depending on state. This way you don't need to screw with switching between them to charge which is annoying.

If you watch the video's linked and decide you are going to go a step further with a buss bar, please don't leave the exposed, get covers for them.

But to keep it simple, I recommend this. Members here or I can get you through it. There are plenty of posts on here as well. This is the one that I have and just installed over a month ago.

BLUE SEA SYSTEMS "Add-A-Battery" Dual Circuit System | West Marine

Fyi, the install that @RightStuff did in his pic's and other thread mentioned above is pretty simple, straight forward and clean. Excellent example to follow.

This is the way

 

[jocolo21]

The easiest way would be to add the sencond battery to your existing battery since your battery is already powering the whole boat you will have more capacity while atill ataying at 12 v .
Just buy buy a second battery and pos and neg cables, connect the + to the + and negative to negative, do e. Now the harder way will be to install a dual switch so you can shut one battery and use the other as other have suggested.

 

[CaptRedbeard]

The easiest way would be to add the sencond battery to your existing battery since your battery is already powering the whole boat you will have more capacity while atill ataying at 12 v .
Just buy buy a second battery and pos and neg cables, connect the + to the + and negative to negative, do e. Now the harder way will be to install a dual switch so you can shut one battery and use the other as other have suggested.

Downside of the "easiest way" is that both of your batteries would be draining equally when anchored and listening to music. In theory, you could drain the starter battery too much using this method. The point of the switch is to isolate the "house" battery to power only the helm and stereo while the "starter" battery is delegated to exclusively starting the engines. This way the starter battery is never depleted past the point of being able to crank the engine. The ACR is essentially a smart device that connects the batteries only when the engines are running so both battery banks will charge when underway.

 

[jocolo21]

Downside of the "easiest way" is that both of your batteries would be draining equally when anchored and listening to music. In theory, you could drain the starter battery too much using this method. The point of the switch is to isolate the "house" battery to power only the helm and stereo while the "starter" battery is delegated to exclusively starting the engines. This way the starter battery is never depleted past the point of being able to crank the engine. The ACR is essentially a smart device that connects the batteries only when the engines are running so both battery banks will charge when underway.

Yes to all that but better than havin just one battery, anyway i have 4 battery on a massive stereo system, he probably dont and probably can get away with doubling the capacity, unless one battery is bad you wont run down the battery listening to music all day with the stock radio.lots of ways to skin a cat this would be the easiest, wantted complicated theres other ways. Or just pay someone to do it for you.
Now just so you know on the 2021 252 se everything is connected to the connex, GUESS what? You want to jam at the sandbar all switxhes must be on which means all batteries drain. I isolated the Connex with a wet sound head unit now i can turn off the boat and isolate the start batt like on my old 2019 242.

 

[HangOutdoors]

You want to jam at the sandbar all switxhes must be on which means all batteries drain.

Wow that has to be the dumbest thing every.... Why would they do that?