Quick electric question...

[bristol321]

Just switching over from 2 12v batteries (1 house, 1 starting) to four t105 6v and one 12v starting. Is it the best option to run two t105's in series and the same with the other two and then paralell the feed lines to make one 12v bank? This would allow a single 1 all or 2 switch. If not how do I switch 3 seperate banks?

[Melrna]

Originally Posted by bristol321

Just switching over from 2 12v batteries (1 house, 1 starting) to four t105 V and one V starting. Is it the best option to run two T's in series and the same with the other two and then parallel the feed lines to make one 12v bank? This would allow a single 1 all or 2 switch. If not how do I switch 3 separate banks?

Parallel/series the 6volt batteries into one bank and the starting battery into the second bank. That way if the starting battery dies you can use the house bank to start the engine. This wil accomdate your currrent Guest switch of managing only two battery banks.

[bristol321]

thanks

[camaraderie]

Ditto Mels advice...it will also give you better charging performance on the single house bank. Suggest wiring your charger to the house bank and then using a Xantrex echo charger to top off the minimally used starting battery.

[danielgoldberg]

You could use your current 1-2-Both switch, but that's not a great setup. It requires you to switch between banks when charging, or not, provides the possibility to drain your engine start battery inadvertently, etc.

A better way is to have a setup where you can turn your banks on and forget them, and then have a way to connect them in the event you need to start your engine from your house bank.

One way to do this is to have three simple on/off switches, one for the house, one for the engine start, and one to connect the two.

An alternative, and a better one I think, is to buy a Blue Sea switch panel that does exactly this. It's essentially the same thing as installing three on/off switches, but it's on one panel, the installation is a little easier, it's a bit more idiot-proof, and looks more slick. Here's a link to follow to see the item:

BLUE SEA 8080 PANEL DC PARALLEL IP - Marine.com, Blue Sea Systems - high quality marine electrical components