Last fall, I removed the the two batteries from the boat in order to trickle charge them over the winter. As I reinstall them, I have of course connected the positive and negative cables to each battery but I have an extra singe cable which must connect the two batteries. I should have written down how it connects but didn't. It is a yellow battery cable about 18" long with "o" connectors on each end. Which battery terminals do these connect to? Thanks in advance for your replies.
- Status
Need a little more about what comes off the boat for connections, but I feel like the yellow is to connect the negatives together creating a common ground.
How would one set up a double battery set up? I have a single battery connected to a solar panel and i can't run my cabin lights for more than a couple hours before it goes out. Or do I look for a more powerful single battery?
You might get a reply on your question if you provide more information. Single battery connected to a solar panel doesn't tell us much. Is it a AAA or an 8-D? Is your panel actually recharging the battery or is it too small and/or not functioning.
You might start with a voltmeter for a rough guess of the health of your battery or better yet check the specific gravity of the battery acid. I don't know how many lights you are using but you could run a few cabin light for more than a couple hours with a pair of D cell flashlight batteries.
Something is definetly wrong with this picture. There could be other electrical problems that are draining your battery that have nothing to do with the lights you are using.
You have a bit more homework to do on this project and marine electrical systems are complicated enough that you may be better served with a good book than a simple answer on this forum. Also do a search of the archives of this forum on the subject and you will find a wealth of information.
Good Luck.
I'm going out to the boat today to get more details. When I first had the boat, the cabin lights (2) would stay on for a long time. It's just recently degraded. The first thing I need to check is the water on the battery.
- Status