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Solar charging and dual banks?

BlkGS

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Location
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Yamaha
Year
2007
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I'm SURE someone has done this already so I figured I'd ask about it

Thinking that I want to have a small solar panel setup to keep the batteries topped up, I've got 2 house batteries and a single starting battery. Dual circuit switch, ACR, that kinda stuff as well. I've seen that this works with shore power and a 2/3 bank noco charger, but what about if I'm gonna charge off a solar panel?
 
I'm SURE someone has done this already so I figured I'd ask about it

Thinking that I want to have a small solar panel setup to keep the batteries topped up, I've got 2 house batteries and a single starting battery. Dual circuit switch, ACR, that kinda stuff as well. I've seen that this works with shore power and a 2/3 bank noco charger, but what about if I'm gonna charge off a solar panel?
Forget about using a 120v charger like a Norco. Its not worth the effort and expence to make those run off solar as you will need a battery bank and inverter.

You have 2 options. Fist is to get 12v solar charge controller and connect to your House bank, let the ACR control keeping the start battery charged. I do this with my setup 100w panel and 12v charge controller. It has kept everything charged for 2 years now.

2nd option is to get a 2 bank 12v charge contrller and connect one bank to House and one bank to start battery. MMPT charge controllers are most effeciant but cost a little more.
 
I was kinda wondering if the ACR would just kinda take care of it all. In theory it'd link the two banks when the solar charger was working as it would be over the voltage requirement. A 2 bank solar controller might be better though, a since the banks wouldn't be identical.
 
I was kinda wondering if the ACR would just kinda take care of it all. In theory it'd link the two banks when the solar charger was working as it would be over the voltage requirement. A 2 bank solar controller might be better though, a since the banks wouldn't be identical.
I have a newer boat with the DVSR and my solar charger is connected to the house battery. As soon as the sun comes out the DVSR engages parallel the batteries, Once the batteries are charged the solar charger will just apply float voltage to keep them full, the DVSR it still engaged for that.

Finding out what voltage your ACR engages at will tell you if it will work, most likly it will though.
 
Forget about using a 120v charger like a Norco. Its not worth the effort and expence to make those run off solar as you will need a battery bank and inverter.

You have 2 options. Fist is to get 12v solar charge controller and connect to your House bank, let the ACR control keeping the start battery charged. I do this with my setup 100w panel and 12v charge controller. It has kept everything charged for 2 years now.

2nd option is to get a 2 bank 12v charge contrller and connect one bank to House and one bank to start battery. MMPT charge controllers are most effeciant but cost a little more.
What you had two charge controllers, could you split the wires coming from your solar panel between the two controllers, so one goes to one battery the other controller to the other battery?
 
What you had two charge controllers, could you split the wires coming from your solar panel between the two controllers, so one goes to one battery the other controller to the other battery?
No I have a dual bank solar charger, 1 PV Input and 2 battery outut. You wold need at least one panel per solar charge controller
 
No I have a dual bank solar charger, 1 PV Input and 2 battery outut. You wold need at least one panel per solar charge controller
Ok got it. Could I use a battery doctor 12v/150a battery isolator to assist in charging one at a time or both?
 
Ok got it. Could I use a battery doctor 12v/150a battery isolator to assist in charging one at a time or both?
You could probably use some sort of battery switch or isolator to manually swith your charger between the 2 batteries. I used relied on a single bank solar charger and the Factory DVSR to manage the lead acid battery charging for my first 2 years. I switched my house battery and added the 2 bank charger since each battery has a diffreet charge voltage and charge profile.
 
Ok I don’t think I have a factory DVSR. I have a 2020 AR 185 that came with an Interstate battery, size 24. I added a deep cycle that I want to use for the house stuff. In the past what I had done was take my 100w solar pan I got from Costco with the charge controller and let it charge my battery when it was in the marina and we weren’t using it. So now I’ll have two batteries to keep charged. So with the one solar panel and the one dual charge controller it should do the trick? When I’m under way will the stator direct a charge to both batteries?
 
How do have the batteries connected? If they are just paralled (red to Red, black to Black then you can just connect as single channel charger and charge both at the same time? If you have them isolated to start and house how do you charge while the engines are running?
 
Good questions. I don’t have the other battery hooked up yet. But I want them to be isolated one for starting and the other house. I guess I’ll just get a two bank controller and do it that way with the solar panel. How do you charge with the engines running?
 
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