adding a second battery
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Sounds ilike this is what you mean. Is it commonly available at auto stores or Marine supply? My starter one is only $10, is $35 high?
12V Continuous-Duty Solenoid from WEST MARINE
found another http://www.stylefeeder.com/i/56ywxnj...lt-85-Amp?sw=1
12V Continuous-Duty Solenoid from WEST MARINE
found another http://www.stylefeeder.com/i/56ywxnj...lt-85-Amp?sw=1
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THis is what I like, schematics! These look like the type that was mentioned where the 2nd battery is just for accessories. It would need to be jumped if the main dies. This sounds like what the large boat selectors do. You can use batt 1, batt 2 or both to start the craft.
I'm going to re-sketch one of these with some of the ideas above.
Battery Isolators
I'm going to re-sketch one of these with some of the ideas above.
Battery Isolators
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Proper wiring for battery isolator?
I have an '85 F150 I reincarnated from a ranch lot. A lot of work & I got donated a camper too, so am installing a battery isolator.
"A battery" and "B battery" and "A" biggest wire from alternator I understand. But it also has an "E" stud & I don't know what to do with the orange/black and green wires from the alternator.
Can you help? Thanks.
The one thing I do know is that unless two to aforementioned wires aren't on a battery post, the truck gets no juice.
"A battery" and "B battery" and "A" biggest wire from alternator I understand. But it also has an "E" stud & I don't know what to do with the orange/black and green wires from the alternator.
Can you help? Thanks.
The one thing I do know is that unless two to aforementioned wires aren't on a battery post, the truck gets no juice.
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From: Virginia
You have 3 terminals on the isolator correct? "A", "B", and "E"?. If so, the orange/black wire from the alternator will go to the "E". Then run a 10 guage wire or larger from the "A" terminal to the battery + terminal of the truck. Leave all the other smaller wires to the alternator like they are originally. After you get this hooked up, see that the truck functions and charges normally.
If you get that working, then when you get your other battery, simply run another 10 guage wire from the "B" terminal to the new aux battery. You will need another fuse box or some sort of wiring from the aux battery to the equipment you want the aux battery to power.
If you get that working, then when you get your other battery, simply run another 10 guage wire from the "B" terminal to the new aux battery. You will need another fuse box or some sort of wiring from the aux battery to the equipment you want the aux battery to power.
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I had a setup like this, and there are many drawbacks to it. If you run one battery down, the minute you put the other one into parallel with it, you have 2 low-ish batteries. Voltage is common in parallel, so a dead battery and a full one put together meet somewhere in the middle. Those continous duty solinoids can only handle around 200 amps of current, so you can't even get the full benefits of the second battery under extreme conditions (which is why you likely want 2 batteries anyway). My recommendations would be
Get a single battery with the highest possible rating
Two batteries wired directly into parallel
Two batteries connected through an RV-type selector switch (you can select: batt1, batt2, no batt, both batts)
Two batteries with shutoffs directly on the terminals
Get a single battery with the highest possible rating
Two batteries wired directly into parallel
Two batteries connected through an RV-type selector switch (you can select: batt1, batt2, no batt, both batts)
Two batteries with shutoffs directly on the terminals
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
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From: Bristol, TN.
I had a setup like this, and there are many drawbacks to it. If you run one battery down, the minute you put the other one into parallel with it, you have 2 low-ish batteries. Voltage is common in parallel, so a dead battery and a full one put together meet somewhere in the middle. Those continous duty solinoids can only handle around 200 amps of current, so you can't even get the full benefits of the second battery under extreme conditions (which is why you likely want 2 batteries anyway). My recommendations would be
Get a single battery with the highest possible rating
Two batteries wired directly into parallel
Two batteries connected through an RV-type selector switch (you can select: batt1, batt2, no batt, both batts)
Two batteries with shutoffs directly on the terminals
Get a single battery with the highest possible rating
Two batteries wired directly into parallel
Two batteries connected through an RV-type selector switch (you can select: batt1, batt2, no batt, both batts)
Two batteries with shutoffs directly on the terminals
Steve
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camsford
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Dec 5, 2009 07:04 PM
