Guest battery isolator ?

[salvageyard saviour]

I'm electrically illiterate. Here's my stupid question.

Boat is a 68 Penn Yan with 210 hp OMC
70 amp Arco alternator

Has a Guest switch 2111 and isolator 2401.

I only have 1 battery installed.
Will I hurt the isolator or alternator running it?

The reason I want to keep it capable of 2 batteries is I'll buy 2 new batteries when I finish installing 4 electric downrigggers.
As I've been working on it, the switch and isolator are disconnected and bypassed.
When I finish the downriggger wiring I want to put everything back correctly so I can button up the stern.

Will I always have to have 2 batteries?

 

[dingbat]

Has a Guest switch 2111 and isolator 2401.

I only have 1 battery installed.
Will I hurt the isolator or alternator running it?

The short answer is no

Simply one input with a switch to direct current to one or both outputs.

 

[Scott Danforth]

the 2401 isolator is nothing more than a bunch of big diodes.

 

[salvageyard saviour]

the 2401 isolator is nothing more than a bunch of big diodes.

The diodes confuse me.
Will they or the alternator over heat without the second battery?
The alternator is a 1 wire

I think a newer acr will "sense " no voltage and not charge that output, but I don't think diodes are that smart.

 

[Scott Danforth]

no, they wont. however your one-wire alternator will drain your battery unless you turn the batteries off every time. that is why one-wire alternators are not used on boats