blue sea "add a battery" kit...help!

[Ruger761]

The ACR is basically mounted to the back of the fixed observer cushion right next to the locker opening. Kept it out of the way, but also where I could see the light on it to see that it's charging the batteries.

[ATLWakeDude]

I think I might just end up moving my second battery from its current location (aft send behind the bulkhead by the TAPS res) over to the front side of the aft port bulkhead just in front of the main battery. They will just be separated by the false bulkhead and I can mount the switch/ACR under the gunwhale in the same corner.


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[ATLWakeDude]

Did you mount that on the back side of the false bulkhead facing aft? I think I found a good place for my set up, just curious about yours.


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[Ruger761]

Found the picture
IMG_2220.jpg

[Ruger761]

My starting battery is the smaller of the 2 batteries in the picture. That's the original location for my model/yr. The ACR is mounted just to the left of the locker opening, can't see it in those pictures. I'll see if I can find that picture for you. For your model, if their is room for the house battery, it would be easiest to mount it all aft lockers.

[ATLWakeDude]

It looks like in the pictures, that you mounted the 'Blue Sea' switch in the same locker as the batteries. Did you also put an additional switch back in the aft port locker behind the bulkhead where the start battery was originally located? Just a little confused.

Also, did you use the ACR as well? I didn't see one in your pictures.

[Ruger761]

Yes both batteries are in the locker. I mounted the switch close to where the starter wire come up into the locker. That way the original B+ Wire went to the new switch without cutting it. Then made a new wire to go from the starting battery to the switch. Then all you have to do is the new house battery wiring and if you do a new house fuse block.

Keeping it all in the locker makes for easier wiring, but with just me in the boat it does tend to list a little more to that side. That being said I have the amp, anchor, and all life jackets in that locker, so part of the list is me own fault.

Oh forgot also have onboard charger in that locker too.

[ATLWakeDude]

It's kind of a pain to mount everything in our lockers. I didn't make it look near as good as chpthril does, but here are a few pics to help you out on that part.

[ATTACH]39515[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]39516[/ATTACH]

Did you mount both your Start battery and your House battery in the Mid-Cabin locker (fwd of the observer seat?) I am looking to maybe do the same, but I worry about all of the extra wiring that I will need to do regarding the starter and the loss of the minimal space we have on our boats.

[Greeko]

Ha every time I post that pic I make a penny! I think I'm up to a quarter now!

I've seen you post that so many times LOL... I'd think you were an electrician not a Lawyer :P

[shawndoggy]

You seem to be on every forum SD... lol

Ha every time I post that pic I make a penny! I think I'm up to a quarter now!

[Greeko]

Oh, you'd be surprised who you'll find on other forums.....like the MB site

LOL, fair enough..

[chpthril]

You seem to be on every forum SD... lol

Oh, you'd be surprised who you'll find on other forums.....like the MB site

[Greeko]

You seem to be on every forum SD... lol

[shawndoggy]

[chpthril]

Pictures make everything much easier! So hook the acr up to the switch on the same posts as the batteries correct?

Either is ok as long as a charger IS NOT part of the system. If a charger is part of the system, the ACR needs to be on the boat side of the system so its isolated from the charger when the charger is on and switch is off. For this reason, I always connect the ACR to the boat side of the switch, regardless.

so to run my house stuff like the stereo and such, I would just run some 4 or 2awg to from the house side switch to a buss bar then to whatever I want to run on the house battery?

Any loads you want to draw from the house bank, connect to the boat side of switch that correlates to the house battery. in your case, I think you are connecting the house battery to post 1B? if so, then all house loads would go to 1A.