Dual Batteries
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: On a farm in Alberta.
ok i didnt get that relay/switch thing get for my batteries and i kinda wish i did sooner now! today at school i went for class and shut off my truck. after class was done at noon i went to go eat in town and my battery was dead. so i got a boost (had several due to playing xbox with the turned off or playing music). and as soon as i shut the truck off after running about 20-30 minutes, it woruled start like 3 seconds after the motor stopped. the battery was SHOT! so i got anotehr boost to get my truck going and i drove home (about a 20 min. drive having the truck at about 3 to 4 grand RPM). as soon as i got home swap the batter and shot back to school for the next class. now driving home from school i notice that the alternator gauge drops alot when my subs pound, never did before. is this because of: 1) smaller battery? or 2) the alternator was put through to much stress when running for upwards to an hr and is going to burn out? replay back ASAP because i need help bad! haha
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From: Virginia
Get a voltmeter and check the battery voltage with the engine running. If the alternator is ok, it should be around 14 volts.
Continually running the battery dead is what's ruining it. A regular car battery cannot stand up to that kind of abuse. That is why it's better to get an isolator, and then go to Walmart and get a marine type battery that will hold up better to being discharged like that.
A regular automotive type battery is best for starting the engine, and a deep cycle is best for deep discharges, and a marine battery is a compormise between the two.
Continually running the battery dead is what's ruining it. A regular car battery cannot stand up to that kind of abuse. That is why it's better to get an isolator, and then go to Walmart and get a marine type battery that will hold up better to being discharged like that.
A regular automotive type battery is best for starting the engine, and a deep cycle is best for deep discharges, and a marine battery is a compormise between the two.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: sunny fla sometimes windy
Don't get the automatic battery isolater deal, Go to a marine(boat) store and get the
manual battery switch. You can select off,batt#1, batt#2, or both batteries to start with. It is more reliable and you can turn it off.
manual battery switch. You can select off,batt#1, batt#2, or both batteries to start with. It is more reliable and you can turn it off.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,155
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From: sunny fla sometimes windy
http://www.dealtime.com/xDN-marine_e...ector_switches
Check out the one with the key so you can lock it in the off position and have one
more barrier to theft!!
Check out the one with the key so you can lock it in the off position and have one
more barrier to theft!!
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,155
Likes: 1
From: sunny fla sometimes windy
http://amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_i_0/00...2Ci%3Asporting
Try that one I would stick with the perko brand ones I have used them and everyone
I know uses them, I never heard of a failure with one. I used to do quite a bit of
shrimping and you use lights to draw the shrimp to the boat. I would have two 100 watt halogens burning under water, two green flourescent lights above the surface, two55 watt docking lights pointing at the water, two sealed beam floating lights(40watts)
and of course the anchorage light and the deck light(30watt probably) We would stay
out for hours all night until daybreak I would switch to #1 battery for the first few
hours and then switch to #2 for the rest of the night. Only one time did I have to use
both batteries to start it because we went shrimping 3 days in a row and didn't have
a chance to really recharge the batteries with the altenator. It is quicker to charge
one batt at a time but we have done both at the same time, If your alt can handle it
then do it but it doubles the recharge time.
Try that one I would stick with the perko brand ones I have used them and everyone
I know uses them, I never heard of a failure with one. I used to do quite a bit of
shrimping and you use lights to draw the shrimp to the boat. I would have two 100 watt halogens burning under water, two green flourescent lights above the surface, two55 watt docking lights pointing at the water, two sealed beam floating lights(40watts)
and of course the anchorage light and the deck light(30watt probably) We would stay
out for hours all night until daybreak I would switch to #1 battery for the first few
hours and then switch to #2 for the rest of the night. Only one time did I have to use
both batteries to start it because we went shrimping 3 days in a row and didn't have
a chance to really recharge the batteries with the altenator. It is quicker to charge
one batt at a time but we have done both at the same time, If your alt can handle it
then do it but it doubles the recharge time.
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From: Virginia
The great thing about the isolator is you don't have to do a thing. It's all automatic. I am not taking sides here, and saying the switch is not what you should use. Each one has it's advantages or disadvantages.
If you want to think about what's going on(which battery is dead, which one are you using now, and which needs charging) you can use the switch. If you just want to turn the radio or whatever load you have on, and use it till it goes dead, then start the engine and not worry about it, then I suggest the isolator.
If you want to think about what's going on(which battery is dead, which one are you using now, and which needs charging) you can use the switch. If you just want to turn the radio or whatever load you have on, and use it till it goes dead, then start the engine and not worry about it, then I suggest the isolator.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 357
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From: On a farm in Alberta.
ok sounds good, jut for a temp fix like while the isolator is on order, can i run that switch under the hod, i dont care if i have to pop the hood and switch it all the time..
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 357
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From: On a farm in Alberta.
the temp switch would be like a master swicth they use on heavy equipment to kill all power to the batteries. my brother rigged one up from his battery to his starter so no one could start his truck if they tried to steal it if the switch was turned to off cause tehre was no power running to the starter! lol whats the best brand of battery isolator you can think of that would be worth purchaceing for my application?
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Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Dallas, Texas
I'm looking into doing a similar mod (i have 4 JL w1 10's behind my seat, a 1700w amp, a 400w amp running my door speakers, a 1500w power inverter that i use frequently, and i'm in the process of upgrading my headlights to more powerful ones)
Right now the battery selector switch seems like the best thing for me.
Is there any sort of big fuse box i can get to eliminate the 3-4 big wires I have coming off of the battery for the aux stuff? I'd like something I could just run one big wire to, and then it distributes the power to 4-5 other wires, each one being fused. basically, a big power distribution block.
Right now the battery selector switch seems like the best thing for me.
Is there any sort of big fuse box i can get to eliminate the 3-4 big wires I have coming off of the battery for the aux stuff? I'd like something I could just run one big wire to, and then it distributes the power to 4-5 other wires, each one being fused. basically, a big power distribution block.