Some Electrical Upgrade Questions

[Mooch]

Hi folks. 

Looking to add a battery charger/reconditioner unit to my system.  Although I sometimes use an additional battery in a separate case with my pot puller, I typically run with two batteries; start & house.  What I'm wondering is whether I should get a 2 or a 3 bank charger.  Do all banks need to be connected, or can one set of leads on the charger be left unconnected?

Also planning on adding a Blue Sea ACR isolation circuit and was wondering it would work my Perko 5301 battery switch, which has Off/1/Both/2.   And wondered if I'd be better off switching out the Perko for the simple (On/Off) Blue Sea switch, which comes in the Add A Battery Kit, since the price of the kit is close the ACR solo. 

Looking to keep things clean and simple; K.I.S.S.  Thanks in advance for your input and suggestions.

[Threeweight]

I would skip the Perko switch and go to the Blue Sea on/off/combined design.  With the Perko, all loads (engine, electronics, etc...) are connected to one battery.  With the Blue Sea, the engine is connected to cranking, and electronics to house, and kept isolated from each other (except for the charging function of the ACR).

As to whether you can leave one bank of a 3 bank charger disconnected... I think it depends on the charger, but my guess is that on a "smart" charger you either can't, or you are going to have to wire the unused leads up to one of the 2 batteries in place in order to trick it into working (it would shut off to protect itself and prevent a short if cables failed and it became disconnected from a battery).

Since you only occasionally use the third battery, I'd just get a 2 bank.  I like the Marinco with 10 amp output as a good price/performance combo.

[GregE]

I changed the Perko to a Blue Sea on the SE 16.  It's a pain working in the sponson hole- Later wiring upgrades are mounted on Starboard then put in place.

[DevMah]

I would skip the Perko switch and go to the Blue Sea on/off/combined design.  With the Perko, all loads (engine, electronics, etc...) are connected to one battery.  With the Blue Sea, the engine is connected to cranking, and electronics to house, and kept isolated from each other (except for the charging function of the ACR).

As to whether you can leave one bank of a 3 bank charger disconnected... I think it depends on the charger, but my guess is that on a "smart" charger you either can't, or you are going to have to wire the unused leads up to one of the 2 batteries in place in order to trick it into working (it would shut off to protect itself and prevent a short if cables failed and it became disconnected from a battery).

Since you only occasionally use the third battery, I'd just get a 2 bank.  I like the Marinco with 10 amp output as a good price/performance combo.

X2

Go with the kit and 2 bank smart charger.

Instead of three batteries upgrade your batteries  to AGM or both large deep cycles. This will give you the extra capacity.



Dev

[DevMah]

I changed the Perko to a Blue Sea on the SE 16.  It's a pain working in the sponson hole- Later wiring upgrades are mounted on Starboard then put in place.

Greg
FYI
Unless hidden
I see no fusing to your ACR off the switch, nor off the negative of the ACR.


Dev

[GregE]

Dev,  that is an old picture.  But I think the fuse holder is red wired on the picture left.