Charging Dual Batteries From Shore Power

[Alsubs]

I bought a Bar Crusher which has dual batteries.
There is a Narva Master Switch – 4 Position:
OFF
Battery 1
Battery 2
Battery 1&2

There is a Ctek plugin socket on the dash.

I found that with the Master switched to OFF, no power is supplied to any control switches, trim switch etc. as expected but also no charge went to either battery if the charger is plugged in.

Therefore I set the Master to Battery 1 and plugged in the charger. It started charging, so I left it over nite.
Next morning charger indicated battery was fully charged so I changed the Master to Battery 2 and started charging again.

This will achieve fully charged batteries and I could then use the Master Switch position Battery 1&2 to leave the charger on full time when the boat is on my pontoon.

Problem is that in this position, power is supplied to everything in the boat, lights, switches, ignition, winch etc.

Is this normal?
Is this best way to maintain charge in batteries when boat not in use?
Is it ok to have power supplied to all systems on the boat while it is being charged?

Regards,
Al

[scottar]

Not the preferred way to do it IMO but not the first time I have seen it either. Personally I would either add a second charger and wire one direct to each battery or change to a dual bank charger - again wired direct so the rest of the boat can be isolated during charging.

[Alsubs]

Thanks Scottar, I agree.

I will investigate two small solar panels, one for each battery.
If I can attach wires to the batteries with some sort of small plug and leave in place, will be easy to connect when I need to.

I believe 5 or even 10watt panles are ok to use without a controller.

Regards,
Al

[Alsubs]

I decided to get two 12v 1.5w trickle charger solar panels from Jaycar.
I can then leave the Master Switch OFF.

Shore Power can be used if more charge is required.

Regards,
Al

[Volvo]

I purchased a 10W solar panel along with a regulator which i stuck to the back of the panel.
Got rid of the thin flimsy wires that came with panel and added a tad thicker tin coated ones attatched toan anderson plug and then two wires attatched to another anderson plug which is screwed behind the transom just above where the batterries reside and aligator clamps which go to the battery till i permanantly connect the wires to battery sometime down the track.
After i clean Boat after a trip and a lay up i just sit the Solar panel on the bait board and plug one anderson plug to the other , Aligator clamps to battery i wish to trickle charge and leave be .
Next tme i will clamp to other battery till i sort out wiring so both batterries charge at same time as i had on previouse Boat.
Though then i had swirches set up different ie: Three swithches House , Motor and a middle switch connects both without getting feed back to either house or Motor that way hook up panel to one battery and it charged both at the same time or should i say trickle fed both..
Both switches turned off now , no power to either and have no connecting switch..

[Dignity]

I decided to get two 12v 1.5w trickle charger solar panels from Jaycar.
I can then leave the Master Switch OFF.

Shore Power can be used if more charge is required.

Regards,
Al

That's 0.125 amps when fully working, I'm not sure this will do anything much to your batteries except let you think you've done someyhing, much better going the 10 watt solar panels with a controller.

[ranmar850]

I always feel that people who need to keep a charge running into a battery while the battery is not in use have underlying problems. If both your Start and House battery switches are off, you should have zero drain. Even leaving the master switches on, if you have the individual supplies to all your devices switched, you should still draw nothing. Powering them direct from a House supply without a switch between is a really bad idea, modern electronics will have a constant load . Including NMEA 2000 network backbones, so many people just wire them direct thinking they consume no power when not "talking."
The only thing which should be wired direct is obviously an auto bilge pump, but this only applies to vessels left in the water.

Another reason for not leaving batteries constantly on float is that you will not pick up when they have failed. After appearing fine at home , they will then fail at the ramp, or worse, out to sea. Waste of time keeping them on trickle charge if there is no load. I recently had a whole 5 months of no boating, due to extreme work load, and those batteries were fine. And they were 3 1/2 years old when I finally got to start.

[Volvo]

Your propably right mate ???but from what im told batterries kark it quicker if they sit .
Near everyone i know keeps a trickle charge on thier batterries keeping a float charge on them.
I for one have had them go from what i assumed sitting too long especially in the Van but that could have been from elcheapo units too ??.
Feel more secure with a trickle charge going in them me thinks.
But thank you and what you say makes sence.

[Corry]

I removed the mulit switch from the circuit and installed a Redarc dual battery smart isolator, this way I can charge all batteries with the primary charging first then switching over to the secondary's. I fitted a CTEK connector and a 50A Anderson plug to the primary, this covers the charger when I want to use power, or the solar panel when it's either on the bimini while out, or over the cover when it's at home.