dumb battery question...AGAIN?

floater212

I have a 2005 212 captiva rx1 with 2 batteries they are hooked up to a battery switch .. 1-both- 2 -off. my question is for the most part the switch is on both, because I'm too lazy to climb half over seat to switch it, what kind of batteries would you put in this? all I have is a stereo&amp and starter that needs power the other things are switched when needed.

randy56

How about replacing them with same as what are installed? Battrie life in boat is about 3 years, the one's you have worked well for you?  Just replaced mine in the spring, and just repeated exact same.

pault1216

My #1 is a healthy group 24 deep cycle. #2 is a good standard starting battery. I use #1 all the time to start and run my stereo, sub woofer and VHF. #2 is there if I run #1 down (never happened). Once a month I run #2 for a couple hours to keep it charged. I don't use 'both' due to 1 being a deep cycle and 2 is only a starting battery. -Paul

floater212

do you ever have both on at same time? wondering how it would charge, I never dealt with a deep cycle battery, I thought they may be better on a boat for everything but don't know enough about them. my boat usually goes out 1or 2 days of the weekend then a week long vacation and it's out 6 days all day long but when it's home I have a trickle charger on it all the time. would I need deep cycle battery charger too?

raybo3

IMO I would never ever "run" both batteries at the same time if those are also starting batteries. If you use one and it goes low you would have a fully charged battery when it came time to start your engine....... 

pault1216

You can run on 'both'. I did it with another boat which had same batteries. When I stopped I always switch to just 1. With that boat I had run 1 battery dead and then switched to both to start and charge. That was before I even knew what a deep cycle battery was. I believe the charging profile for a deep cycle is only slightly different but I use a 7 stage smart charger (Northern Tool/N-Power about $125) which is great. My on-board charger (Pro Mariner) had separate leads for starting and deep cycle.

floater212

so I should only run 1 at a time but still charge on both, unless I get a deep cycle then I would need a trickle charger for each.  that makes sense, now I just have to remember to do it next year!!!

raybo3

The reason I say to use one battery at a time is if you run down the battery you can switch your battery switch to the other battery so you can start your engine and not get stuck. If you leave it on 2 and run them down you will have a problem. 

MarkB

Do your batteries get charged via an alternator?

floater212

yes, the batteries charge by alternator but when home it's hooked up to a trickle charger to keep it full.

MarkB

Do you switch the battery switch while the engine is running?

floater212

never change while motor run.

Michael T

I agree with @floater212....some new systems "say" they will allow a change on the fly but I never would - I believe if you do you so, you significantly risk blowing the diodes.

pault1216

I used to change my '92 FV260 on the fly. After mistakenly switching to 'off' while running on my runabout, I fried the rectifier ($125 in 2004). The switches seem to transition flawlessly when just using electronics but ditto to Michael T, don't take the chance.

MarkB

That's what I was getting at floater ... so really if you are doing the switch over safe, I'd say leaving it on both ... there's 2 issues I'd be worried about:

1) you can drain both batteries and be stuck.  I'd rather have it on one battery and save the other for an emergency. The way around this is to get a jumper battery ($150 at West Marine), which is portable and you have it stowed away somewhere just in case.

2) if one battery is dead and you switch to both, technically you'd be charging one battery with the other, as you'd be bridging the circuit ... I don't know if that is good for the batteries.

raybo3

That is what I have been saying through this thread. Keep your switch on 1 or 2 but not both. This way if you drain one down you have another to start your engine.