Charging dual batteries

oldjeep

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smokeonthewater

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they work great with his setup.... engine charges starting battery... once voltage reaches set point (maybe less than a minute after starting) the relay automatically connects the accy battery to be charged in parallel (same as if you had turned the batt switch to both... then when you shut off the engine, the batteries are automatically disconnected so you can run ur electronics off the acc batt without discharging the start batt....

Basically the ACR is a perko switch that switches bac and forth on it's own... You DO still keep the perko tho because if your start batt fails you can us it to start from the accy batt AND so you can turn all batts off when storing or in case of emergency.
 

dingbat

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Automatic charging relay

Not sure that these make a ton of sense when you have a starting battery and a deep cycle battery, but it seems like some folks don't worry too much about how they are charging each type of battery.

All I know is it works.....I've been running an ACR on my battery banks 4-5 years now. Turn the switch on when I get in the boat, turn the switch off back at the dock, if I remember.

Works great. Top the batteries off coming out of layover and pretty much forget them until next winter. Might use a charger on them once or twice a season.

Previously, I left the switch on the starting battery until I started getting low voltage alarms off the electronics. I would then flip the switch to "house" in an attempt to keep the electronics happy. Put switch on "both" for the run back to the barn. Put the charger on them when I got home. Repeat the next day..
 
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bruceb58

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Not sure that these make a ton of sense when you have a starting battery and a deep cycle battery, but it seems like some folks don't worry too much about how they are charging each type of battery.
As long as they are the same chemistry it doesn't matter. Example...both flooded lead acid. The difference between a deep cycle and a starting battery is the size of the lead plates. The voltages are all the same.
 
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oldjeep

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As long as they are the same chemistry it doesn't matter. Example...both flooded lead acid. The difference between a deep cycle and a starting battery is the size of the lead plates. The voltages are all the same.

Well, I guess I've been fooled all these years by my chargers that have a deep cycle setting ;)
 

bruceb58

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Well, I'll stick with my multiple channel isolated battery charger/conditioners anyways.
And does your multiple channel isolated battery charger have a selection for each of the batteries its connecting to? :)

Read your ProMariner8 manual and you will see it doesn't care if its a deep cycle or not.

Alternators don't either.
 
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oldjeep

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And does your multiple channel isolated battery charger have a selection for each of the batteries its connecting to? :)

Read your ProMariner8 manual and you will see it doesn't care if its a deep cycle or not.

Alternators don't either.

It certainly charges and conditions each battery separately. I don't have any deep cycles, its not a damn fishing boat ;)


And there the thread goes, moderated into one of the black holes that nobody ever looks at. It was fun while it lasted
 
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bruceb58

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Just letting the OP know that he can use an ACR between a starting battery and a deep cycle with no problem since that is what he has.
 

GA_Boater

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Automatic charging relay

One example:
http://www.bluesea.com/products/7610/SI-ACR_Automatic_Charging_Relay_-_12_24V_DC_120A

Not sure that these make a ton of sense when you have a starting battery and a deep cycle battery, but it seems like some folks don't worry too much about how they are charging each type of battery.

If you are considering purchase of a Blue Sea ACR, don't forget our hosts, iboats to save $16.50- http://www.iboats.com/Blue-Sea-Syst...9089802--session_id.558422046--view_id.729809
 
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