How many Accessories

[hossdog]

I am planning on installing several new accessories to the 02 21v I just picked up. A heater, shower, new eq, and some lights. There are already a few wires going to the battery from the stereo and ballast. How many accessories will you run straight to the battery before adding another fuse block? I am still not too familiar with the boats wiring and am just getting a plan together.

I was thinking of just going with the blue sea fuse block with a ground bar to clean things up. Is this a good solution or is another fuse block necassary?

[Boat45]

As long as you have everything fused individually you will be ok. I like to run a terminal block when I add multiple accessories so you dont have to run independent wires for each accessory.

[hossdog]

As long as you have everything fused individually you will be ok. I like to run a terminal block when I add multiple accessories so you dont have to run independent wires for each accessory.

I went and looked over the boats wiring last night and I think the previous owner put stuff in pretty half a$$ed. I can barely get the wingnut on the negative post to grab any threads because there are so many grounds going to it. I also found where they grounded a ballast pump to a bolt on the V-Drive instead of directly to the battery. I am thinking of putting a busbar back there to get those grounds off of the battery terminal and bring the other ground off the v-drive to the busbar. Then running a new pos and neg directly from the battery to a blue sea 6 port fuse block for the new accessories.

This may sound like a stupid question, but a terminal block is the same as a fuse block only you would run the fuses inline instead of at the block is this correct? Is there an advantage to running inline fuses over just putting them in a fuse block?

I am by no means an electrician, so any advice is a big help.

[chpthril]

I went and looked over the boats wiring last night and I think the previous owner put stuff in pretty half a$$ed. I can barely get the wingnut on the negative post to grab any threads because there are so many grounds going to it. I also found where they grounded a ballast pump to a bolt on the V-Drive instead of directly to the battery. I am thinking of putting a busbar back there to get those grounds off of the battery terminal and bring the other ground off the v-drive to the busbar. Then running a new pos and neg directly from the battery to a blue sea 6 port fuse block for the new accessories.

This may sound like a stupid question, but a terminal block is the same as a fuse block only you would run the fuses inline instead of at the block is this correct? Is there an advantage to running inline fuses over just putting them in a fuse block?

I am by no means an electrician, so any advice is a big help.

You deff need to get some of those grounds off that post. A buss-bar is one way to do it, or you can by a remote battery post that can be secure to the hull close to the battery, and then it serves as a 2nd ground post. Are you adding a 2nd battery? If so, the EQ and head-unit need to share the same battery as the rest of the stereo such as amps.

A fuse block is cleaner then a bunch of in-line fuse holders coming off a buss. Electrically, either is fine.

[hossdog]

You deff need to get some of those grounds off that post. A buss-bar is one way to do it, or you can by a remote battery post that can be secure to the hull close to the battery, and then it serves as a 2nd ground post. Are you adding a 2nd battery? If so, the EQ and head-unit need to share the same battery as the rest of the stereo such as amps.

A fuse block is cleaner then a bunch of in-line fuse holders coming off a buss. Electrically, either is fine.

Thanks for the help. Right now there are already two batteries. There is only one pos and neg going to the second battery, while the main has the Stereo Amp pos and neg, going to it with a bunch of other grounds. The only aftermarket accessories the boat has now is a ballast system with 4 pumps, Kicker tower speakers, JL M6600 amp, and JL 10 inch sub. There are a bunch of grounds going to the battery which I am assuming is the grounds for the pumps. I am not sure yet where they tapped into the system for power for the pumps though.

I am thinking I should just leave the ballast system alone except for moving the grounds, at least until I try it out this summer.

Also I was going to just leave the stereo power alone as all I am doing is replacing the existing inboat speakers, Head Unit and adding the 420 which I figure I can just tap into the same power as the original HU and reroute the RCA's for the 420.

The new fuse block would be for the Shower, Heater, Transom LEDs, and Led Speaker rings I am adding. I thought it would be easiest just to keep my new installs separate for now.

[chpthril]

Thanks for the help. Right now there are already two batteries. There is only one pos and neg going to the second battery, while the main has the Stereo Amp pos and neg, going to it with a bunch of other grounds. The only aftermarket accessories the boat has now is a ballast system with 4 pumps, Kicker tower speakers, JL M6600 amp, and JL 10 inch sub. There are a bunch of grounds going to the battery which I am assuming is the grounds for the pumps. I am not sure yet where they tapped into the system for power for the pumps though.

I am thinking I should just leave the ballast system alone except for moving the grounds, at least until I try it out this summer.

Also I was going to just leave the stereo power alone as all I am doing is replacing the existing inboat speakers, Head Unit and adding the 420 which I figure I can just tap into the same power as the original HU and reroute the RCA's for the 420.

The new fuse block would be for the Shower, Heater, Transom LEDs, and Led Speaker rings I am adding. I thought it would be easiest just to keep my new installs separate for now.

Since both battery banks share the same engine ground, you can use both battery ground posts if needed to share the high number of ground terminal rings. Also, I would swap the wings for ny-lock nuts on all the posts.

Since you've got amps installed, I would relocate the B+ and GND for the new head-unit and WS-420 right to the B+ and GND termination lugs on the amp. This insures the cleanest system.

[hossdog]

Since both battery banks share the same engine ground, you use both battery ground posts if needed to share the high number of ground terminal rings. Also, I would swap the wings for ny-lock nuts on all the posts.

Since you've got amps installed, I would relocate the B+ and GND for the new head-unit and WS-420 right to the B+ and GND termination lugs on the amp. This insures the cleanest system.

If I relocate to the lugs how is the best way to attach? should I buy a terminal like this one?: http://www.batterymart.com/p-univers...FWdeTAod4XaoSg

[hossdog]

Nevermind. I see you were talking about the amp and not the batteries.

[chpthril]

If I relocate to the lugs how is the best way to attach? should I buy a terminal like this one?: http://www.batterymart.com/p-univers...FWdeTAod4XaoSg

Just want to make sure we dont get things confused here. Were are talking about two different parts here, so I want to make sure I lead you down the right path for each.

In RE to the battery: What you linked is a great way to add a threaded post to the clamp post of a marine battery to gain extra room for additional terminal rings AT the battery.

In RE to relocating the head-unit and EQ B+ and GND, just slip those stripped wires right in under the main power and ground cables on the amp, then retighten the setscrew.

[hossdog]

Yep I realized that right after I posted that. Running power for Hu and Eq directly to the amp? Hmm sounds too easy to be true. Awsome. That will make it really simple and clean. Also that terminal post will make things easier than a bus bar to. This has been a productive morning.

Thanks!

[hossdog]

One more question. For the blue sea 6 port Fuse block what is the best way to protect the entire block?
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...classNum=50554

[chpthril]

One more question. For the blue sea 6 port Fuse block what is the best way to protect the entire block?
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...classNum=50554

For circuit protection for the trunk line feeding the block, I would suggest marine rate circuit breaker, much like whats probably used to feed the helm buss.

[strohlde]

Mike,

After reading through this I think I need to get some of my grounds off my house battery as it's in about the same scenario - can barely get them all on the battery post.

Question is - if I use a bluesea powerpost or something similar and mount it relatively close to the battery - what size wire do I need to run from that post to the battery? Same size? Or should I leave the current motor ground wire on the battery and run a smaller wire to the powerpost for the accessories that are attached to it?

Eventually I may re-wire some stuff but don't have the time right now, just looking for short term fix to get things off the battery post.

Thanks