Mounting battery tray in 2021 195S

[mpecoraro]

I'm in the process of adding a second battery to my 195S. Picked up a group 31 X2 Power. Had planned on an Odyssey extreme group 31, but those are nowhere to be found. I've heard good things about the NorthStars and these X2s, so hopefully I'll have good luck.

I wanted to check in to see how most are mounting their battery trays on their 195S or similar boats. Searching the site, it seems 3/4 - 1" screws should do the trick. I'd prefer to mount it out of the way in the port side battery area, along with my Minn Kota 220PC. Any concerns with screws of that length or screws in the floor in that area?

I'm looking at a basic 2 battery setup as mentioned often on this site. Likely with a Blue Sea 9001e four position switch. Plan to use the flooded started generally and then switch to the X2 when floating, anchored, etc. Still using stock audio, but plan to upgrade down the road. I considered the m-Series 6007 switch, but again wasn't as easily available. I like the smaller size of the 6007 over the 9001e. Any concerns with either switch?

Thanks for your comments!

 

[marcham]

I'm pretty sure I used 5/8" stainless screws. There's lots of hull in this location, so I had no concerns obout going though the outer hull in this location, but I probably hit a stringer or reinforcement. In some of the holes, it was just empty space below. I think I have 2 or 3 screws with a solid bight into more than just then thin floor layer. I used all 8 screw holes.

Initially I had a 1-both-2-off switch.... I got tired of having to select both while underway and switching to 1 or 2 while listening to music or fishing.... so I upgraded my setup to a Blue Sea Add a battery mini. More than once I went to restart the engine when I realized I had spent several hours drawing down both batteries as the switch was still in the "both" position.

Mini Add-A-Battery Kit - 65A - Blue Sea Systems

Simplifies switching and automates charging for a complete two battery bank solution.

www.bluesea.com

Starter is linked to the starter battery. Radio, downrigger and accessories are linked to the house battery. The bilge pump is always connected to the house battery (bypasses the switch).

Interesting was the fact that the Connext screen shows the house battery voltage, not the starting battery voltage. After about 1 min of the engine running, the ACR does it job and I see the house battery voltage come up to 13.8-14.5V while underway, so I know I have charge voltage on both sides and the ACR works.

I wired the ACR on the load side of the switch instead of the battery side. This way, when my 2 channel shore charger is used, each battery is charged independently and the ACR doesn't kick-in.

I would have installed the 2nd battery further aft, but I just wasn't able to contort myself into position to drill the holes and install the screws further back so I kept it next to the starting battery, in an easily accessible location.

I noticed that your 2nd battery is an AGM. Is your starting battery AGM as well? Generally speaking, it's best to avoid mixing chemistry on the same charging system (single stator/rectifier), as both batteries tend to suffer from shorter lifespan due to different charging profiles.

Can I Connect Dissimilar Batteries in Parallel?

www.optimabatteries.com

 

[gallobg]

I just installed a battery tray in that area on my 2019 195. You need to go slow and pre-drill each hole, then use something as a depth gauge to make sure there’s enough clearance under the floor for your screw. I drilled 8 holes and 7 were good for a 3/4” screw, but one hole hit something (maybe a stringer or something else) so I didn’t install a screw there. I used part of a metal coat hanger as my feeler.

 

[mpecoraro]

@marcham thank you for your feedback.

It's my hope to locate the battery that far back, but as you mentioned it is going to be a challenge to perform most tasks in that area. We'll see how it goes. ?

My "starter" is currently a wet/flooded. I plan to replace it at some point, but not immediately. I don't plan to ever leave the switch in the 1+2 position, instead for now I'll keep the two batteries generally isolated. While underway I plan to set to position 1 and when floating position 2. A manual process which may get annoying quickly. I'll see how it goes. It sounds like the stator won't do a great job at charging my AGM anyway, so I'll rely on the on-board charger for keeping both batteries fully charged. The charger has two banks and can handle both battery types. Is this plan seriously flawed?

I'm pretty sure I used 5/8" stainless screws. There's lots of hull in this location, so I had no concerns obout going though the outer hull in this location, but I probably hit a stringer or reinforcement. In some of the holes, it was just empty space below. I think I have 2 or 3 screws with a solid bight into more than just then thin floor layer. I used all 8 screw holes.

Initially I had a 1-both-2-off switch.... I got tired of having to select both while underway and switching to 1 or 2 while listening to music or fishing.... so I upgraded my setup to a Blue Sea Add a battery mini. More than once I went to restart the engine when I realized I had spent several hours drawing down both batteries as the switch was still in the "both" position.

Mini Add-A-Battery Kit - 65A - Blue Sea Systems

Simplifies switching and automates charging for a complete two battery bank solution.

www.bluesea.com

Starter is linked to the starter battery. Radio, downrigger and accessories are linked to the house battery. The bilge pump is always connected to the house battery (bypasses the switch).

Interesting was the fact that the Connext screen shows the house battery voltage, not the starting battery voltage. After about 1 min of the engine running, the ACR does it job and I see the house battery voltage come up to 13.8-14.5V while underway, so I know I have charge voltage on both sides and the ACR works.

I wired the ACR on the load side of the switch instead of the battery side. This way, when my 2 channel shore charger is used, each battery is charged independently and the ACR doesn't kick-in.

I would have installed the 2nd battery further aft, but I just wasn't able to contort myself into position to drill the holes and install the screws further back so I kept it next to the starting battery, in an easily accessible location.

I noticed that your 2nd battery is an AGM. Is your starting battery AGM as well? Generally speaking, it's best to avoid mixing chemistry on the same charging system (single stator/rectifier), as both batteries tend to suffer from shorter lifespan due to different charging profiles.

https://www.optimabatteries.com/experience/blog/can-i-connect-dissimilar-batteries-in-paral

http://

 

[mpecoraro]

Thanks @gallobg. These will be the first holes I'm drilling in the boat, so I'll definitely take my time. Is there a need to seal or treat the holes in any way?

I just installed a battery tray in that area on my 2019 195. You need to go slow and pre-drill each hole, then use something as a depth gauge to make sure there’s enough clearance under the floor for your screw. I drilled 8 holes and 7 were good for a 3/4” screw, but one hole hit something (maybe a stringer or something else) so I didn’t install a screw there. I used part of a metal coat hanger as my feeler.

 

[gallobg]

Thanks @gallobg. These will be the first holes I'm drilling in the boat, so I'll definitely take my time. Is there a need to seal or treat the holes in any way?

I don’t think you need to seal them, at least I didn’t. I used stainless screws anyhow.

 

[gallobg]

One more suggestion. I didn’t cut away the carpet because it seemed to be glued down. But that made lining up the pre-drilled holes for the battery tray difficult (because the carpet hides the holes).

If I were to do it over again, I would drill one hole and then install a screw to hold down the battery tray. Then I would continue to drill the holes and install screws one at a time keeping the battery tray in place, and of course using the feeler gauge before driving the screw.

Good luck, it’s super tight in that port compartment. I had to completely remove the flip up seat so I could get back in there.

 

[marcham]

@marcham thank you for your feedback.

It's my hope to locate the battery that far back, but as you mentioned it is going to be a challenge to perform most tasks in that area. We'll see how it goes. ?

My "starter" is currently a wet/flooded. I plan to replace it at some point, but not immediately. I don't plan to ever leave the switch in the 1+2 position, instead for now I'll keep the two batteries generally isolated. While underway I plan to set to position 1 and when floating position 2. A manual process which may get annoying quickly. I'll see how it goes. It sounds like the stator won't do a great job at charging my AGM anyway, so I'll rely on the on-board charger for keeping both batteries fully charged. The charger has two banks and can handle both battery types. Is this plan seriously flawed?

http://

Totally reasonable ....

 

[mpecoraro]

One more suggestion. I didn’t cut away the carpet because it seemed to be glued down. But that made lining up the pre-drilled holes for the battery tray difficult (because the carpet hides the holes).

If I were to do it over again, I would drill one hole and then install a screw to hold down the battery tray. Then I would continue to drill the holes and install screws one at a time keeping the battery tray in place, and of course using the feeler gauge before driving the screw.

Good luck, it’s super tight in that port compartment. I had to completely remove the flip up seat so I could get back in there.

Thanks, I'll give that a try. Good idea removing the seat.