Alternator, Battery Switches and Monitors

[joe_db]

At the risk of being labelled a heretic, I use and like my Blue Sea Automatic Charging Relay. I don't do extended cruising or have exotic electrical demands, so simple is better for me. One switch, turn it on, leave it on until I'm ready to leave the boat, turn it off. So simple a caveman sailor could do it!

Blue Sea ACR with Starter Interrupt

I have one of those as well and I like it. I sprung for the control panel too. Mine is the previous generation, so the starter interrupt is me. It has a thermal sensor in there, so if you draw over 120 amps for more than 2 minutes it turns itself off. I have started in combined mode a few times and the engine fired up quick enough to not trip the interrupt. I do have a manual switch for combined starting for when I am doing it on purpose.
It works well with the panel I got from FleaBay.

[Skywalker]

Nice to see everyone is still going!

I did not know that both batteries charged regardless of the selected battery. Nice to know.

I pulled my batteries off the boat last weekend. I usually take them home for the winter and keep them charged, but life got away from me. They both were very run down. But luckily, they took the charge back up to 12.55 on the first go around.

My charger has a reconditioning function, which I will blast them with now. Anyone have anything to report on reconditioning?

[joe_db]

Nice to see everyone is still going!

I did not know that both batteries charged regardless of the selected battery. Nice to know. I pulled my batteries off the boat last weekend. I usually take them home for the winter and keep them charged, but life got away from me. They both were very run down. But luckily, they took the charge back up to 12.55 on the first go around.

My charger has a reconditioning function, which I will blast them with now. Anyone have anything to report on reconditioning?

This is only if the boat is wired that way. Many are NOT.

[Skywalker]

I guess I need to check my selector switch and follow the trail.

[joe_db]

I guess I need to check my selector switch and follow the trail.

Work it from the other end - follow the trail from the alternator to the battery

[Skywalker]

Thanks for the advice!