Help With Another Wiring Diagram

[MacgillMason]

Attached diagram shows most of my proposed high current DC setup. I would like to hear a critic of the setup.
Some questions I have are -
1)should the alternators connect to bus bar-1 or directly to the house battery terminal;
2)what type of backup battery charge device is preferred(I'm leaning towards a Balmar Digital Duo);
3)is bus bar-3 a recommended method for adding these devices.

Thanks for everyone's interest, time and expertise.

 

[Sunday Sailor]

I see you have wires going to ground but I can't see how this will work. Even if you have a metal hull as the ground, the electricity will dissipate. The usual diagram would show negative to panel (which usually has a bus) then out to devices to power them and positive wires going back to switch panel. My switch panel includes a bus with a fuse on every switch.

 

[MacgillMason]

I see you have wires going to ground but I can't see how this will work. Even if you have a metal hull as the ground, the electricity will dissipate. The usual diagram would show negative to panel (which usually has a bus) then out to devices to power them and positive wires going back to switch panel. My switch panel includes a bus with a fuse on every switch.

I have minimized the ground/negative side of the diagram to simplify the loads and sources. Final diagrams will have high current DC grounds included as well as separate diagrams for AC, low current DC, lightning/bonding and NMEA.

I was looking specifically fo input on the best solution fot the positive connection for the alternators; on a main load/source bus; Or directly to the house bank.
Thanks for you help

 

[Stu Jackson]

I admit I haven't reviewed your diagram, but your switch concept as drawn seems strange.

Try these:

Basic Battery Wiring Diagrams This is a very good basic primer for boat system wiring: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6604.0.html

This is another very good basic primer for boat system wiring: The 1-2-B Switch by Maine Sail (brings together a lot of what this subject is all about)
http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=137615

 

[dparilla]

Why the separate circuit for a back up charger?

 

[weinie]

Stu, his switch concept is very much along the lines of how the beneteau/jeanneau battery switches work with the simple modification of changing the factory "negative on/off" switch to a "combiner" switch. (though they would normally have the connections to the start and house panel on the left and right switches rather than the "combiner" in the center.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Thanks, weinie.

Like this? Maybe wouldn't explain the center switch, though...:naughty:

 

[weinie]

Thanks, weinie.

Like this? Maybe wouldn't explain the center switch, though...:naughty:

ya mon.

Thats the factory setup. But you can take that "negative" switch in your attachment, and connect all those black wires to a new bus bar for your ground and use that switch which is now empty to connect both positive switches like in the original post. It's a very flexible setup in that you can:
-run the starter from the engine battery and the house from the house battery (keeping the two loads isolated).
-run the starter and house off the house battery
-run the starter and house off the engine battery
-combine both batteries

(eta: in the diagram you posted stu, you would also need to remove that little wire that connects the load ends of both positive switches. That wire appears on some bene/jenes and doesn't on some)

 

[MacgillMason]

Blue Seas documentation is the source for the switching arrangement. See attached.

 

[Stu Jackson]

SW2 still looks odd. It appears to show four POSTS. As far as I know, even 1-2-B switches only have 3 posts.

Please take a look at the links I provided, they show the three switch arrangement and the posts. None of the switches has four posts.

 

[Maine Sail]

SW2 still looks odd. It appears to show four POSTS. As far as I know, even 1-2-B switches only have 3 posts.

Please take a look at the links I provided, they show the three switch arrangement and the posts. None of the switches has four posts.

Stu,

In Mac's drawing I see three simple ON/OFF switches with 2 posts each.... It is a very straight forward three ON/OFF configuration...

Beyond that I think BB2 could be done away with and BB1 & BB3 could be wired together with solid copper bar stock..