Blue Seas Add a battery kit Questions

[txav8r]

It isn't too complex @msavold . A single
bank charger will charge the batteries. If you have the ACR load side, just leave the battery switch on to charge them. You don't need to put the switch in combine. With the switch on, both batteries are on and from the load side, any appropriate charge on either will close the relay. On the battery side, the need to turn on the battery switch is eliminated. I currently still have my single pulse tech charger and it charges both banks as I also still have my ACR on the battery side of the switches. Hope this helps.

 

[msavold]

@txav8r , @jetboater4life, meant to get back to you on the week end to say thanks - I really was over thinking it! As I put it together, it made perfect sense and was quite simple having measured and ordered the wires from www.tinnedmarinewire.com beforehand (except for the 4 inch gash I gave myself from the edge of the fiberglass in one careless move...). The only real pain in the ass part (and one reason for the bad scratch - the other was that it was hot and I was thirsty!) was anchoring the strap for the back (house) battery which I wanted to tuck as far back as possible.
In any case, it works perfectly well.

 

[0627Devildog]

So. . . . I have had the Blue Seas Add a Battery Kit with ACR since last season. . . . . My goal is to build a Slide Out Dual Battery Tray to slide back (and then Lock) into position as far back on the Port Side as possible. I also do NOT have shore power (https://jetboaters.net/threads/solar-panel-mounting-project.6933/) and use a tower mounted solar panel (which I am either upgrading to 2-5W panels or a single 10W). . . . . . . What should my materials list look like for making the terminations? (i.e. Guage of wire, connectors, etc. . . .) This is what I have so far. . . . .

(2) POS Battery Cables (from batteries to Switch/ACR)
(2) Negative Cables (from batteries to Switch/ACR)
(4) Crimps for above
(4) Heat Shrinks for above

The existing POS/NEG cables from the boat go to the switch right? Do I need a FUSE setup or BUSS Bar? I do not currently have any accessories other they the factory installed options on the boat. However, I will likely add (2) Cockpit Speakers and an AMP next Season and plan on automating my ballast with 2-3 Pumps in the future.

 

[0627Devildog]

So. . . . I have had the Blue Seas Add a Battery Kit with ACR since last season. . . . . My goal is to build a Slide Out Dual Battery Tray to slide back (and then Lock) into position as far back on the Port Side as possible. I also do NOT have shore power (https://jetboaters.net/threads/solar-panel-mounting-project.6933/) and use a tower mounted solar panel (which I am either upgrading to 2-5W panels or a single 10W). . . . . . . What should my materials list look like for making the terminations? (i.e. Guage of wire, connectors, etc. . . .) This is what I have so far. . . . .

(2) POS Battery Cables (from batteries to Switch/ACR)
(2) Negative Cables (from batteries to Switch/ACR)
(4) Crimps for above
(4) Heat Shrinks for above

The existing POS/NEG cables from the boat go to the switch right? Do I need a FUSE setup or BUSS Bar? I do not currently have any accessories other they the factory installed options on the boat. However, I will likely add (2) Cockpit Speakers and an AMP next Season and plan on automating my ballast with 2-3 Pumps in the future.

No one huh?

 

[0627Devildog]

Dual battery install under way. . . . . Mother Yamaha put a ridiculous amount of extra cable in here.. . . . I could relocate the battery to the anchor locker with factory cables. (Almost)

 

[0627Devildog]

Shortening the massive quadruple loops left in there and pinning these higher to get them up out of the way of the sliding battery rack.

 

[0627Devildog]

Some people use starboard. . . . I used left over Corian counter top.



Added the handle and making fitment adjustments



Getting everything set to mark it out



Marking everything out for drilling



Battery tray completed

 

[0627Devildog]

Battery tray is complete. . . .batteries are mounted. Time for measuring the wire lengths needed. Question: For all the connections to the ACR & Switch should I be using 4ga considering that is what's there already? I have some 0ga already, but it seems huge in comparison and not sure the big 0ga lugs will all fit together on the switch/ACE.

 

[0627Devildog]

Video of fitment check

 

[0627Devildog]

This is how my old boat was set up, with a Blue Sea 4 switch/fuse panel and my busses, stereo system, along with the X2 dual pulsetech charger.
View attachment 5161

All the diagrams at the beginning of this thread (and the tension between them) are confusing . . . . and I am not sure a consensus is easily discernible.

If you hook up the ACR to the LOAD side and NOT between the batteries as shown in the Blue Seas diagram wouldn't the battery switch have to be on "COMBINE" for the ACR to have any impact and allow charging to the house battery? (unless I am missing something). Does this not defeat the purpose of the ACR?

Trying to lay out my cables using this thread as a reference and I am more confused then when I started. Can anyone chime in here?

 

[txav8r]

No, the acr load side creates the ability to turn off the ACR as well as batteries. If it is on the battery side, it is always going to close and combine batteries when an acceptable charge is present on "either" battery. This isn't optimal when you use a dual bank charger. It isn't actually optimal in any external charge situation. This is especially important when you have different sized battery banks. Look at the diagrams again. There is a difference and ACR load side has as much desire as does ACR battery side, your just doing or trying to do, two different operations.

 

[txav8r]

The sliding tray looks great. Sent you a PM with phone number to chat if you want me to help clarify the different ways to hook up an ACR.

 

[0627Devildog]

The sliding tray looks great. Sent you a PM with phone number to chat if you want me to help clarify the different ways to hook up an ACR.

After an enlightening clarifying discussion with Mel I think I am good to go.

Here's my hasty, hand drawn diagram. I will have the ACR on the battery side to accommodate my solar charger.

 

[txav8r]

I just got a chance to sit down and study your electrical schematic @0627Devildog . It looks like a good layout. The only thing you could do, if you haven't yet cut all your cables, and only as a way to shorten runs and save both cable and room, is to change up the battery to ground buss connection. You are doing the same thing, by just connecting the two battery negative posts to each other, and then running only one cable from the closest battery negative post to the ground buss. Its kind of like the cable you saved by connecting the ACR to the two battery + posts on the switch vs connecting directly to the batteries + posts. It is the same, just a shorter run. I don't think I could find the picture as I am still banned from the unmentioned site, but I once saw a pic a guy posted having mounted his ACR to the battery box, with a cable running to each battery + post. I asked why and he said to save cable run. I asked how he got both batteries out together to check them, he said he disconnected all the connections. If you saw the connections on the motorhomes, you would really raise an eyebrow. They are not any different but they are complex due to what they use and keeping it simple, at least as simple as you can, will save you hooking up something wrong in the future. So I like the single cable to each battery post approach, with exception to the charger leads.

 

[0627Devildog]

The only thing you could do, if you haven't yet cut all your cables, and only as a way to shorten runs and save both cable and room, is to change up the battery to ground buss connection. You are doing the same thing, by just connecting the two battery negative posts to each other, and then running only one cable from the closest battery negative post to the ground buss.

I contemplated this, for a moment and not entirely sure why I dismissed it initially. Something to do with having equal length runs I recon (the OCD in me)

I have not yet cut the cables and think I'll take your suggestion of keeping it simple.

 

[Art Traver]

I installed the BlueSeas switch and ACR this spring. I wanted to completely isolate my batteries when the switch was in the OFF position. I contacted BlueSeas and they sent me this diagram. It seemed that their 'normal' schematic had both batteries positively connected thru the ACR even with the switch off. Also, since you are running the positive cables from the switch to ACR and not back the battery you save on a lot of cable. I'll try and remember to get some pics of the install next time I am out.

 

[addisonm06]

@0627Devildog
With the ACR on the Battery side, are you using a Dual Bank charger to maintain your batteries?

Or are you using a Single bank charger? As the ACR will close and combine both batteries when a single bank charger is plugged in.

 

[0627Devildog]

@0627Devildog
With the ACR on the Battery side, are you using a Dual Bank charger to maintain your batteries?

Or are you using a Single bank charger? As the ACR will close and combine both batteries when a single bank charger is plugged in.

Neither. . . .I have a 3 Amp solar trickle charger as there is no shore power.

 

[0627Devildog]

Working on putting the diagram into practice now. . . .

 

[Art Traver]

@0627Devildog
With the ACR on the Battery side, are you using a Dual Bank charger to maintain your batteries?

Or are you using a Single bank charger? As the ACR will close and combine both batteries when a single bank charger is plugged in.

I don't have shore power, so the only charging occurs when the engines are running. I wanted to completely isolate or turn off my batteries as I am using an "in-out" or valet service where the boat is pulled from the water and racked after each use. What I didn't want to happen is have the batteries connected while sitting on the rack and balancing themselves out.