Finally added a second battery and solar panel to my 1979 Newport 28. The boat originally had one battery, a 1/2/off/both switch, no inboard atomic 4, questionable shore charging capabilities, but does have a 9.9 HP outboard. For peace of mind I wanted to add a second battery and a solar panel to keep both batteries topped off. After asking for some guidance here, I read these links and was finally able to wrap my head around it all.
I purchased another battery, this Renogy 50w Solar Panel w/ charge controller, Sea Dog Rail mount clips, a Blue Sea Systems ACR, Blue Sea Systems Surface & Terminal Mount Fuse Blocks, 2 fuses, four 2 AWG battery cables, and some other terminal ends, fuses, etc.
Installation was straightforward. I had drawn out a wiring diagram for my system (attached) and followed along. For the solar panel I had to buy some 2" aluminum stock at a big box store to make custom rails for the underside of the solar panel so I could mount it to the stern rail. The Sea Dog clips provide enough grip that the solar panel stays in position, I didn't have to make a telescoping support rod. I'll try to get a picture of the panel later.
Everything works as it should. The charge controller shows how many amps are flowing to the battery and what voltage the battery is reading. I wired the charge controller to the House (or first battery) and when the ACR detects it is full, it opens up so the second battery can start receiving a charge. The 1/2/both/off switch now just really works as an on/off switch. When I leave the boat I turn it "off", charging can still happen and the bilge pump can still run since it is directly wired to the house battery. When I get on the boat, I simply move the switch from "off" to position "1". Then I can electric start the outboard, run instruments, lights, etc. The vessel is pretty low tech, so there are not a lot of items that need electricity, but now I can add as needed.
The battery bay area is small so the wiring looks a little "hectic". I do have a battery test meter that is wired to both battery 1 and battery 2 and there is a negative bus bar attached to battery 1 that I'd like to move in the future.
Once again, thanks for all the help with this project
I purchased another battery, this Renogy 50w Solar Panel w/ charge controller, Sea Dog Rail mount clips, a Blue Sea Systems ACR, Blue Sea Systems Surface & Terminal Mount Fuse Blocks, 2 fuses, four 2 AWG battery cables, and some other terminal ends, fuses, etc.
Installation was straightforward. I had drawn out a wiring diagram for my system (attached) and followed along. For the solar panel I had to buy some 2" aluminum stock at a big box store to make custom rails for the underside of the solar panel so I could mount it to the stern rail. The Sea Dog clips provide enough grip that the solar panel stays in position, I didn't have to make a telescoping support rod. I'll try to get a picture of the panel later.
Everything works as it should. The charge controller shows how many amps are flowing to the battery and what voltage the battery is reading. I wired the charge controller to the House (or first battery) and when the ACR detects it is full, it opens up so the second battery can start receiving a charge. The 1/2/both/off switch now just really works as an on/off switch. When I leave the boat I turn it "off", charging can still happen and the bilge pump can still run since it is directly wired to the house battery. When I get on the boat, I simply move the switch from "off" to position "1". Then I can electric start the outboard, run instruments, lights, etc. The vessel is pretty low tech, so there are not a lot of items that need electricity, but now I can add as needed.
The battery bay area is small so the wiring looks a little "hectic". I do have a battery test meter that is wired to both battery 1 and battery 2 and there is a negative bus bar attached to battery 1 that I'd like to move in the future.
Once again, thanks for all the help with this project
