4788 DC power modifications-gctid382996

[ksanders]

On my 4788:

The starboard alternator charges the 840 AH house battery using a Balmar alternator

The port alternator charges both engine batteries.

The Xantrex inverter/charger charges the house bank

The Charles Industries battery charger charges the engine, and gen batteries. It can also charge the house bank through the flip of a breaker.

The goal is to provide get home redundancy, both in cranking current, and charging current.

Right now i have charging redundancy through the Xantrex and Charles Industries chargers.

To provide cranking and non generator based charge redundancy I'm considerng connecting each of the batteries together using on-off switches and 4/0 cable.

What are your opinions on this?

[mmichellich]

ksanders wrote:
On my 4788:

The starboard alternator charges the 840 AH house battery using a Balmar alternator

The port alternator charges both engine batteries.

The Xantrex inverter/charger charges the house bank

The Charles Industries battery charger charges the engine, and gen batteries. It can also charge the house bank through the flip of a breaker.

The goal is to provide get home redundancy, both in cranking current, and charging current.

Right now i have charging redundancy through the Xantrex and Charles Industries chargers.

To provide cranking and non generator based charge redundancy I'm considerng connecting each of the batteries together using on-off switches and 4/0 cable.

What are your opinions on this?

Maybe I am missing something, why not just add an on/off-crossover switch to tie house and engine batteries at the control panel by the salon door. I think some early 47s have this already. Allows all batteries-except gen set to be charged with either engine running or either shore/gen charging system operable. This can be done with one Perko type switch and some short heavy like 4/0 wire.

[Guest]

On the 290 Sea Ray I had, there was a pushbutton switch on the dash, controlling a high-amp relay, that would allow me to temporarily connect the two battery banks. As soon as the engine started I would release the switch.

[ksanders]

mmichellich wrote:
Maybe I am missing something, why not just add an on/off-crossover switch to tie house and engine batteries at the control panel by the salon door. I think some early 47s have this already. Allows all batteries-except gen set to be charged with either engine running or either shore/gen charging system operable. This can be done with one Perko type switch and some short heavy like 4/0 wire.

That's actually a really good idea. If I replaced the existing battery switches with ones that had on off both that would do the trick.

All it would take is a short piece of 4/0 jumper wire between switches.