Twin engine battery question???

[Bryan 2530]

I have a 2530 with twin 200hp 4 strokes. The question is this, presently I have two batteries and two switches located in the transom compartment. The switches go from battery 1,2 or both. From what I have learned so far it seems that the house side of the system is connected to one battery and the swiches seem to be there to direct power from #1 or #2 or both engines. It does not seem that I can parallel the batteries with the switches. If I should kill the house battery that would cause one engine to not start. The set-up is factory Parker and if I'm correct kind of scares me especially if it happens to go dead 70 mile offshore after a night of chunking.

Anyone with twins care to shed a little light on the subject and enlighten me before I go re-wiring my current setup?

I have gotten into the habit of carring a fully charged jump box when cruising or offshore fishing just incase. Not a bad idea either way. Thanks in advance for replies.

 

[TopShot25]

Bryan,

I have been dealing with this setup for a while now. It is not set up as a house bank friendly system. Basically you have a starting battery for each engine. You can start either engine with either battery.

Port battery switch to position 1 starts port engine with battery 1. If you want to start port engine with battery 2 just turn the port switch to position 2. If you put either switch to "both" they will be connected or parallel.

You can do an easy little test (just to see where the power is coming from) by turning the switches and using your trim switches at each engine.

I’ve added a third bank as a “house bank” to my Parker 2520 and have still not figured out the best way to charge it. My Yamaha F150’s have a auxiliary charging output jack but that only works if I use one engine to charge the house bank. If you hook up both engines to one bank it confuses the regulators. I am still trying to figure out how use both engines to charge the third bank. I’ve posted it on several boards and nobody seems to really understand how to do it. I think some kind of auxiliary smart regulator will be the best way to go.

 

[Bryan 2530]

You can do an easy little test (just to see where the power is coming from) by turning the switches and using your trim switches at each engine.

Good idea!!!!

From what I gather my port switch is connected to the house side.

So you're saying I can parallel the batteries which is good news to me.

How did you set up your third house bank? Where did you put the batteries?
What would be wrong with one engine charging the house?

Thanks for the reply!

 

[TopShot25]

>From what I gather my port switch is connected to the house side.

It’s been awhile since I changed mine but that sounds right.

>So you're saying I can parallel the batteries which is good news to me.

Yes

>How did you set up your third house bank? Where did you put the batteries?
What would be wrong with one engine charging the house?

Oh boy, where do I start!

Right now I have my starting batteries paralleled as #1 and my house bank hooked up as battery #2. That’s only because I have not purchased the charging cords for the Yamaha’s yet. Very soon they will be isolated.

Where did I put the batteries? Well I cut a hole in the floor in the cabin and made a battery compartment. Very time consuming, and lots of work, but well worth it to me. Look through this link and you will see what I mean. http://classicparker.com/phpBB2/viewtop ... highlight=


One engine does not put out enough amps to maintain my 450 amp hour house bank (four, 6-volt deep cycle golf cart batteries). Your 200’s may put out more then my 150’s (35 amps). I do a lot of overnight trips with fishing and making bait at night. With the speed of small boats like our Parkers, I don’t spend enough time moving from place to place to charge the house bank sufficiently. I will figure it out, I just wish something I do would be easy.

Good luck

 

[Bryan 2530]

I do remember your post now that you reminded me, nice job. How did you know where to cut? Just went bigger and bigger from what you said there.

I have the same concerns. In our area I would like to overnight out at the canyons and the battery thing with lights and stuff scares me. I'm going to re-read your original post and se what I can come up with also. Keep me posted on how you make out. I feel I will be doing the same this winter.

Again, nice job!!!! I really like the switch panel above the door, real trick.

 

[TopShot25]

Bryan,

I’m sorry I explained the parallel part wrong. If you put either switch to “both” it will parallel the batteries. I edited the above post to correct it.

About the battery compartment, I was lucky enough to know a guy who showed me how he cut out his so I knew where to cut the pilot hole. From there I just measured from the underside and laid it out to fit. If by chance you do this, please let me know with a PM as I would definitely change the size by just a little to make access much better.

I will say first that the easiest way to make this all work and basically my backup system at the present time is a Honda 2000 generator. The Honda will run my 110 volt bait lights and it has an 8 amp 12 volt charging cord for my batteries in case of an emergency.

If you want to keep it simple I’d just hook up the auxiliary charging cord from one of your Yamaha’s and carry a portable generator. You probably don’t need four batteries for your house bank and you also get 45 amps out of your alternator. You may even be able to get by just carrying the generator as a backup.

Also, thank you for the kind words. Your right, that switch panel is a huge convenience.