Battery Switch

[brokebeach5011]

Installed my switch for an extra battery a while back.Used a 6 inch round access panel and made a flush mount plate for the switch.

[brokebeach5011]

Another pic.

[Willie]

nice work there brokebeach5011 010

[redneckredfishr]

Sweeeeeet! Clean work!

Will

[FLboy3]

Is that a 4 way switch( 1, 2, both, off) or what. I'm going to be doing that as soon as I'm finished with my washdown. How is it wired. Why that switch? Thanks Oh yeah, thats some good thinking on the switch install also.

[Fillet1]

Thats a slick install. If its a 2 battery system please share how you have it wired.

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Another inovative idea.Cool 012 013 010

[redfish74]

003 003 003 Great looking job. nice idea. What is you switch attached to ? I am wanting to copy, will pay copy rights. lol

[brokebeach5011]

Here is the wiring.I wired it this way so theres no draw on the other battery.It is always fresh.I just switch batterys every other trip.Some dedicate there electronics to the house battery.I look at it as both being the house battery.I don't have it in the diagram but make sure you fuse it going to all electronics no longer than 8 to 10 inches from switch.I have #4 gauge going from batteries to switch.

[Fillet1]

Brokebeach,

I dedicated one battery to house and think I may switch it up this year.

I have all all accessories, lights, gps stereo etc to battery 1 directly from the terminal the hot on that battery also goes to the switch. The second battery has the bilge pump direct to the terminals and thats it. Its positive goes to the switch as well. All engine connections go to the out pole on the switch.

This way, I run the boat primarily on the #1 battery like it was a single battery setup. The alternator keeps #1 charged as well. If #1 gets low, I can go to #2 or both to get the motor started.

I dont like that I cant shut the whole boat off with the switch. I left something on this past season that killed #1 and it was low enough that while on the water the GPS would cut out from low voltage I had to run on battery 2 and had no electronics.

I might go with your setup. As long as you dont leave the switch on "Both" you wont kill both batteries.

How did you attach all the leads to the common pole on the switch?

[shaggy3131]

Thanks for the recessed mount idea. Very clean looking. I'm planning a second battery and swith installation and will include a battery isolator. Getting it all in a dryer area than face mounted on the transom is a good idea. Did you install an isolator and if so where did you locate it? It, of course, does not have to be easily accessable like the switch.

Thanks for your help.

Aubrey (shaggy3131)

[Loki]

I didn't do the install but both my batteries can run everything on the boat. I usually just run one battery for the electronics when I am drifting or anchored. When I'm ready to go or trolling I set the switch to both batteries to make sure they stay charged.

[brokebeach5011]

Redfish74--- I cut out a piece of poly board the same size as the hatch.Cut out a hole for the switch and mounted the switch to this.Then I cut out some spacers to stand this off from the hatch.I used 3 inch bolts from the front all the way to the back plate.I posted a picture from the inside.

[brokebeach5011]

Another pic.I know it's nasty in there.

[FLboy3]

Brokebeach do you have your batteries sitting on a piece of poly board. If so thats a great idea. Do you have the board stuck to the floor with 5200. Great way to eliminate screw holes.

[brokebeach5011]

I have it like this.I have 6 screws and glued it also.(4200)Glued all the way around both pieces on the bottom.

thanks

[shaggy3131]

Brokebeach,

I'm having trouble visualizing how you photographed (and wired) the back of the battery switch. It appears from the first photo of the front of the switch that the switch is located in the narrow space between your wet bait box in the middle of the rear deck and the dry locker on the starboard of the rear deck. But your photo of the back of the switch shows so much space in the area. Maybe our rear decks are configured differently. On my rear deck the port hatch accesses the batteries on the floor, the middle hatch accesses the live baitwell, and the starboard hatch accesses the dry locker. The way mine is aranged I'd have trouble installing and wiring the way you did.

Are our rear decks different?

Thanks,
Aubrey

[redfish74]

Thanks brokebeach, great pic's am working on getting things together for the first warm weekend. Thanks again . 003 003 003 003 013

[brokebeach5011]

Brokebeach,

I'm having trouble visualizing how you photographed (and wired) the back of the battery switch. It appears from the first photo of the front of the switch that the switch is located in the narrow space between your wet bait box in the middle of the rear deck and the dry locker on the starboard of the rear deck. But your photo of the back of the switch shows so much space in the area. Maybe our rear decks are configured differently. On my rear deck the port hatch accesses the batteries on the floor, the middle hatch accesses the live baitwell, and the starboard hatch accesses the dry locker. The way mine is aranged I'd have trouble installing and wiring the way you did.

Are our rear decks different?

Thanks,
Aubrey


My rear deck sounds like it is the same as yours.,Yes I mounted it almost right in front of the batterys.I had to take a few pictures to get a good shot.Here is another.You can see the step in the corner on this shot.

[shaggy3131]

Brokebeach,

Thanks for the new photo. From it I surmise that your batteries are to starboard. Mine are to port.

If this is the case I need to mount my battery switch on the port side of the face of the rear deck, the opposite from yours.

I hope I'm not reversing everything because of my eye-hand problem.

Thanks,
Aubrey

[brokebeach5011]

correct.