Re: Battery selector switch?
It is the most versative system although there are others, such as an ACR (automatic charge relay) and isolators that offer some of the same features with no operator action. They are not as versatile as a switch however. Here is a diagram on how they are configured. ALL of the electrical accessories on the boat including the engine positive battery cable, except the bilge pump would be connected to the COM terminal on the switch. You need to use the same size or larger wire than the engine battery cables when connecting the batteries to the switch. OFF obviously turns off all electrical power in the boat except for the bilge pump. BAT 1 means the engine and all accessories will operate from BAT 1 and only BAT 1 will charge when the engine is running. BAT 2 the same thing happens. BOTH means both batteries are on-line and being charged when the engine is running. One typical use is to set the switch to BAT 1. Start the engine. Switch to BOTH and run to your destination. Switch to BAT 2 to run accessories. BAT 2 in this case is your house battery. This provents draining the starting battery (BAT1). When you are ready to go, switch to BAT 1, start the engine, switch to BOTH and go. Or you can switch to BAT 2 and more quickly charge BAT 2 on the way back or to your next destination. The switch positions correspond quite simply to the battery or batteries that are being charged or being used to run the accessories.
