When I added a solar panel, I put in a dual controller and wired that directly to my two batteries since I did not have a good common bus point. That has worked fine and makes it simpler to run wires as you can run them wherever is easiest between the panel and the batteries. Something like this Morningstar dual controller:
https://www.solar-electric.com/modubachco25.html except there are cheaper alternatives available now. Dave S/V Aries 1990 C&C 34+ New London, CT > On Jun 22, 2020, at 4:07 PM, Josh Muckley via CnC-List > <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > > The only way I can picture you system of 2 house batteries and a start with > an ACR switch of start/1/ALL is that while you have 2 physical house > batteries, you only have 1 house bank. Can you confirm? Convention is to > have the start battery is more or less connected directly and exclusively to > the engine starter. The ACR is simply a voltage sensor which closes the > connection between the house bank and the starting bank when voltage of one > or the other goes above 13.6v. The switch you have aligns the output of the > switch to the start, or house, or overrides the voltage sensing of the ACR > and closes it in so that the batteries are in parallel. I can't see how you > switch was installed and/or confirm that it follows conventions... I'm simply > explaining my understanding of how your components work. If I've > misunderstood please correct me. > > Are you asking where physically the solar and portable system should be > installed? Or electrically? I'm going to assume electrically. > > I would have all of my charge sources going to the same electrical bus bar > which would be connected to the house battery. Based on your description you > would have at least 3 charge sources and 1 load. This is very good reason to > have a single short battery cable leading to a separate bus bar. Some > installations start as a direct connection to the battery terminal, load and > source but ultimately morph into multiple loads and multiple charge sources. > I can't tell where you are in this evolution. > > To stay as close to the scope of your question as possible, I would answer by > saying that when adding a solar charging system you should tie-in in a > parallel nature to your other charging sources. Same with your portable AC > charger. No matter which charging source is functioning (or any combination > there of) the system will continue to work as it does now. The ACR will > continue to work, and the battery monitor will still work. > > Feel free to reply with questions and clarifications. > > For what it is worth I have attached a picture of a "recommended" system. In > this circuit the top battery can be thought of as the house battery and ALL > charging sources should be attached to the positive terminal of the top > battery. Realize that this is a simplified drawing which does not > necessarily address the idea of using a positive or negative bus bar where > appropriate. > IMG_20170322_141502.jpg > > <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E7-akwYont-pvjTEZ1T716KPUAgArTKm/view?usp=drivesdk> > > I don't like this next representation as much and it is in contradiction to > the circuit above since it suggests that all charge sources are on the > starting battery. IMO this is incorrect... However, you can still use the > graphic to envision a "proper" system by simply changing the connection of > the charging sources (including the alternator) to the house battery. > wiring_zps9f44ed48.jpg > > <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EotnMP5xPhaZroFlsFaK6I4DUZ25u-uh/view?usp=drivesdk> > > Clearly different opinions exists as to where the charging sources "should" > be attached but here is my explanation. Charging sources can regularly > exceed 50+ amps for a pretty long time depending on the depth of discharge of > the house battery. A starting battery is far less likely to draw high > current for any significant amount of time. This is a lot of current to be > forcing through an ACR. A disadvantage to having the charging sources > (alternator) applied to the house battery is that you would most likely need > to modify the original engine wiring to include an additional cable that ties > to the alternator. A simple way to do this is by installing a small start > battery in or near the engine compartment with a new start cable attached to > the starter. The original engine battery cable becomes the dedicated > alternator cable. A switch such as yours is a great option in this case and > can be installed in the engine compartment between the two cables. Instead > of an ACR, an ecocharge device or similar DC-DC device offers additional > options of allowing the starter battery to differ in chemistry from that of > the house battery. I am a huge fan of the value which classic flooded > batteries provide however, a lithium start battery could be very advantageous. > > Josh Muckley > S/V Sea Hawk > 1989 C&C 37+ > Solomons, MD > > > > > On Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 10:12 Charlie Nelson via CnC-List > <cnc-list@cnc-list.com <mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com>> wrote: > I have a a question or two for the battery experts: > > My set-up is 2 house and 1 start with a Blue-Sea ACR switch which has a > start/1 or all switch. I also have a Victron(?) battery monitor that lets me > know whats up. > > Mostly I am at the dock so I have access to AC power but prefer not to leave > it 'on' in my absence. > > I would like to hook up a solar panel to trickle charge the system in my > absence and would like advice on physically how to do it. I have a MPPT > controller, etc. but need a simple/safe way to connect/disconnect it and > where should I connect: directly to one of the battery banks? > > Similarly I like the idea of an emergency battery/charger (the portable kind > that keeps its internal battery charged from AC but is light enough to carry > on board) that can be hooked up to get going if all the above goes to hell, > > Where is the best place to patch such a connection to the system for an > emergency start system--presumably this same place could be used also hook in > the solar panel? > > Thanks, > > Charlie Nelson > Water Phantom > _______________________________________________ > > Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and > every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use > PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > <https://www.paypal.me/stumurray> > > _______________________________________________ > > Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and > every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use > PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray >
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