Exploring battery set up and charging options

[kirk a]

Considering changing the battery configuration from the stock 330 set up with a 2 bank system. Reason: occasionally lose electronics when restarting an engine while fishing due to voltage drop. I'd like to have the confidence to shut motors off when offshore overnight.

Possible configuration is a 3 bank system; one battery dedicated to starting each motor, and a parallel pair for the house. This should provide more power for longer duration for running electronics.

One question I have - in the stock set up one bank is tied to the windlass, and the other is tied to the thruster. Those are the two largest draws if used. In reality, I've yet to use the windlass for anything other than testing it. Is there any risk in tying both of these to the house bank? Neither would be used without motors running.

There are at least two ways to ensure charging of the house bank. First is using the aux charging ability of the Yamaha's. Second is using an ACR. I'm very familiar with Blue Seas ACR, as I installed this on my last boat. I've not had the ability to have an aux charger previously.

Another question - if going the ACR route, it appears that the existing 2 bank charger can be used, as once either starting battery is up to 13.x volts, the house will be charged. This says that a new charger is not required. This seems to swing the choice towards the ACR, as the house bank will always be charged via the ACR, which is not true of using the aux charger from the motors - the house only charged if motors running. Am I understanding this correctly?

The costs appear similar for both options.

 

[Hookup1]

I had similar problem with low voltage while fishing in Florida in the Winter. I'm running bait pumps, refrigerator and electronics the whole time I'm out (daytime). I have 4 Duracell AGM batteries (2 starting and 2 house separate not paralleled) and a ProMariner Pro 20 3-bank charger and a Noco single bank charger.

I had a lot of trouble with fuse holders burning up on the earlier ProMariner chargers. They would run hot to the touch, fail and I would find battery dead in the morning. All bait in baitwell dead. Make sure your charger(s) are in fact charging with voltmeter and engines off. Newer smart charger important for AGM profile and to avoid cooking batteries.

I have charging shunts on both engines. Each engine charges it's own starting battery and one house battery. I don't turn my engines off while fishing so the house batteries are always charging.

One house battery handles the boat, electronics, refrigerator and one baitwell. All circuits on original boat. The second house battery is located under the v-berth inside the cabin. This battery handles bow thruster, windlass, stereo amp and a baitwell pump.

I worked the low voltage problem for several years until I found the right combination. The fuse block and switch in the upper corner of the battery box photo connects to the battery in the forward compartment. The second photo shows the 4th battery, windlass relay and charger. Because it is an enclosed compartment with a battery and charger a non-venting AGM type battery is required.

 

[SkunkBoat]

see this post. You would have room for bigger batteries.
https://www.greatgrady.com/threads/new-battery-config-for-265.25744/

This is my new setup. Four batteries. One 24M starting battery for each motor and a parallel pair of 24DC as the house.
The House charges from the AUX charging cables when either or both motors are running. (new Zukes and old Yammies worked this way). 3 bank ProMariner charger for shore charging.
The House is separated from the starting circuit.(unles switched to help start in an emergency). Starting motors will not blink your electronics.

My winch uses the port starting battery but the motor is running when pulling anchor.
I ran 6 awg feed directly from battery to the winch and use a solenoid to control. Your grady setup might be lame if it is powered from the terminal bus with 10awg.
That will really drop your electronics.

I don't have a bowthruster. I dock a boat like a real man....

Drift the canyon from dusk to dawn with motors off. No generator. LED floods, UW LEDS, VHF, Sonar, MFD...
Very happy with the setup.

As for the blinky electronics. The House split off will probably fix that.

If you use an ACR you need to use the SI (Start Isolation) or you will still get blinky.

Your 330 is probably a lot different than a 265, maybe a DC breaker panel in the cabin?
but ...also look at batteries, switches, breakers, Fuse panel, switch panel and the terminal busses for vertigris (green corrosion).
Look for possiblitiy that there are too many circuits for the feed wire. An example is my fuse panel is fed from the terminal bus with 10AWG wire. That means the current for everything on the fuse panel flows thru that piece of wire. The more you turn on, the bigger the voltage drop across that piece of wire and fuse panel. If you move a high power thing (radar, autopilot) to the terminal bus with its own inline fuse, it is now fed by the 6 awg wire to the bus. The fuse panel is now less effected.

 

[Fishtales]

Just curious, has anyone installed a cap bank to hold the voltage up? You may solve a sensitive electronics reset problem for an engine no start problem.

 

[Hookup1]

That would probably work for older units. Newer units make their own power internally. They can take 12 to 36 VDC without changing a switch. But 10 VDC is the low end of what they can tolerate. My issue has been low voltage alarms.. If you run bait pumps, refrigerator, electronics, stereo, etc all morning without any supplemental charging on a Group 27 battery you will probably have alarms. Older battery and poor charger/charging also a factor. Newer "smart" chargers do a much better job charging to prevent "cooking" the battery.

 

[Hookup1]

I don't have a bowthruster. I dock a boat like a real man....

 

[SkunkBoat]

View attachment 33616

Lets tie 'er up & kick back some cold ones....

 

[Hookup1]

One of my favorite movies along with Jaws!

 

[ttles714]

My 2001 Marlin with 250 hp OX66's with aux charging cables had a much better system then my 2007 Marlin with F250's... Both with 4 batteries but the older had much better isolation between house and engine batteries ... The OX66's actually had an isolation system built into the engines. So both house batteries were charged independently form the engine starting batteries .. With this Grady also included switches that you could connect a combination of batteries for starting if needed. ... Changing the 2007 is a project that I keep procrastinating on doing !!!

 

[kirk a]

After doing some more thought and research, my current plan is leaning towards a BEP cluster, for the added simplicity over BS. Need to document the current configuration tomorrow and then start planning it. Would like to figure out what to use for a mounting panel that looks as stock as possible and flush mount the BEP cluster, plus the other 4 circuit breakers.