Busbar location H34

[PGIJon]

As part of my battery refit, I'm going to add bus bars. Since my batteries are in the dungeon, where is the best location for them and my other 2 questions are 1) should they have a wood backing if the location is on the fiberglass and 2) should I have 3 bars one for +,- and Ground to the Engine?

I'm planning on running the 12v starter battery directly to the starter.

Thanks.. Jon

 

[Stu Jackson]

1) should they have a wood backing if the location is on the fiberglass and

2) should I have 3 bars one for +,- and Ground to the Engine?

I'm planning on running the 12v starter battery directly to the starter.

Jon,

There are basically two reasons to install busbars: 1) to make it easier to "collect" multiple wires; 2) to have a minimum of wires connected to the battery posts(s) - best is one, two is OK.

Given that, the location is up to you.

1. If on fiberglass, yes, a wooden support would be a good idea, but sounds to me like more work than necessary. Just locate them somewhere that's convenient to the "incoming" wires and then run from there to the battery bank(s).

2. Not three!!! Two. All you have are + and -, since - IS the ground. The negatives of multiple battery banks all get collected together and go to ground at the engine. [PS - although you could say three if you're talking about the individual wires, but...]

Do you have a wiring diagram?

 

[PGIJon]

Thanks Stu... The reason I said 3 was that my RM x-5 Autopilot requires a +, - and a third line to the engine. Hence the 3 bars.... I'll have a wiring diagram soon.. need to first take apart the current wiring.

 

[Charlie98117]

I added bus bars to clean up the mess the PO made at the starter battery with too many wires attached to wing nuts. I used the Blue Sea double bar version to have positive and negative at one location that I mounted on the wood panel (backside of galley storage cabinet) next to the battery. It's only 1/2" veneer so just be sure your screw is the right length to not go all the way through. I plan on adding another one for the positive side of my house bank.

 

[Dan Johnson]

PGIJon...

You will find that the autopilot will work fine if the green ground wire is connected to and at the battery's minus cable that is going directly to the engine.

The idea behind the seperate green wire connection is to ensure a good digital signal ground. As the battery negative ground terminal may be more convenient to the autopilot's location than running a separate wire to the engine block and trying to find a clean grounding point, it will provide the necessary connection without a difference in potential for the digital signal.

 

[PGIJon]

Charlie.. the PO mounted the charger on the storage cabinet... I'll see if there is enough room for the Bus bars

Dan, thanks for making sense of the extra ground!