Smart Gauge Installation

D

dlochner

.
Jan 11, 2014
12,958
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Greetings,

Looking for thoughts about installing a Balmar Smart Gauge. The gauge is going to be installed, the question is how to connect it.

Second Star has 4 6v batteries set up in 2 banks with a 1-2 all switch and a Group 24 starting battery. The Smart Gauge can monitor 2 banks. So, I can:

  • Monitor 1 of the 6v banks and the start battery
  • Monitor both of the 6v banks and not the start battery
  • Rewire the 6v bank to be 1 bank and monitor both the house and start banks.

Each of these options have strengths and weaknesses, I'm just trying to sort through the relative advantages (and disadvantages) of each option.

In the short term (the next 1 or 2 seasons) we'll be cruising on the Great Lakes for a week or two each summer. The long term plan is to spend a year going to the Bahamas via the St. Lawrence River. Solar power is not installed, but will be prior to the grand cruise.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Dave
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

.
Feb 6, 1998
11,709
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
dlochner said:
Greetings,

Looking for thoughts about installing a Balmar Smart Gauge. The gauge is going to be installed, the question is how to connect it.

Second Star has 4 6v batteries set up in 2 banks with a 1-2 all switch and a Group 24 starting battery. The Smart Gauge can monitor 2 banks. So, I can:

  • Monitor 1 of the 6v banks and the start battery
  • Monitor both of the 6v banks and not the start battery
  • Rewire the 6v bank to be 1 bank and monitor both the house and start banks.

Each of these options have strengths and weaknesses, I'm just trying to sort through the relative advantages (and disadvantages) of each option.

In the short term (the next 1 or 2 seasons) we'll be cruising on the Great Lakes for a week or two each summer. The long term plan is to spend a year going to the Bahamas via the St. Lawrence River. Solar power is not installed, but will be prior to the grand cruise.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Dave
Click to expand

Option three is the only one that works. It only monitors SOC for one bank and voltage for the other (start bank voltage). The house bank needs to be one bank, no switch...


Smart Gauge Battery Monitoring Unit
 
Bill Roosa

Bill Roosa

.
Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
i agree with MS, you don't need two house banks and a start battery. You MIGHT want to consider installing an isolation switch between the two house banks if you feel the need to be able to isolate them when one of the 6 volts fails. course the smart gauge will go a long way to predicting that eventually so you probably don't need that either.
 
eherlihy

eherlihy

.
Aug 17, 2010
329
Oday 35 Barrington
dlochner said:
Greetings,

Looking for thoughts about installing a Balmar Smart Gauge. The gauge is going to be installed, the question is how to connect it.

Second Star has 4 6v batteries set up in 2 banks with a 1-2 all switch and a Group 24 starting battery. The Smart Gauge can monitor 2 banks. So, I can:
Click to expand
Uh.... not exactly. The SmartGauge will monitor SOC on ONE BANK, not two. The SmartGauge will monitor voltage on two banks. Voltage and SOC are not the same thing.

dlochner said:
  • Monitor 1 of the 6v banks and the start battery
  • Monitor both of the 6v banks and not the start battery
  • Rewire the 6v bank to be 1 bank and monitor both the house and start banks.

Each of these options have strengths and weaknesses, I'm just trying to sort through the relative advantages (and disadvantages) of each option.

In the short term (the next 1 or 2 seasons) we'll be cruising on the Great Lakes for a week or two each summer. The long term plan is to spend a year going to the Bahamas via the St. Lawrence River. Solar power is not installed, but will be prior to the grand cruise.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Dave
Click to expand
Your BEST option is to combine all of your 6V batteries into a single bank (bank 1), and have the start battery as a separate bank (bank 2).
 
M

mainesail

.
Sep 3, 2013
16
Columbia 8.7 ROCKLAND & ST. PETE
Dave, I would suggest that you consider grouping all the 6V batteries into one large 12V house bank (but only if they are identical batteries in identical condition and same age). Doing so gives you a larger pool from which to draw and consequently your draw down per battery is reduced at a given usage level-the less you draw on each cycle-the longer the battery life-among other factors. There is alot of detail and some light engineering when considering all this. Get Nigel Calder and Charlie Wings books for the nuts and bolts of sorting this matter out. Best, Will

dlochner said:
Greetings,

Looking for thoughts about installing a Balmar Smart Gauge. The gauge is going to be installed, the question is how to connect it.

Second Star has 4 6v batteries set up in 2 banks with a 1-2 all switch and a Group 24 starting battery. The Smart Gauge can monitor 2 banks. So, I can:

  • Monitor 1 of the 6v banks and the start battery
  • Monitor both of the 6v banks and not the start battery
  • Rewire the 6v bank to be 1 bank and monitor both the house and start banks.

Each of these options have strengths and weaknesses, I'm just trying to sort through the relative advantages (and disadvantages) of each option.

In the short term (the next 1 or 2 seasons) we'll be cruising on the Great Lakes for a week or two each summer. The long term plan is to spend a year going to the Bahamas via the St. Lawrence River. Solar power is not installed, but will be prior to the grand cruise.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Dave
Click to expand
 
rajhnsn

rajhnsn

.
Oct 7, 2008
379
Oday Oday 35 Chesapeake Bay
I have a house bank of four six volt (golf cart) batteries. It looks to me like each pair of two is wired in series and then both pair are wired in parallel. If I am correct, I have one 400 amp 12 volt house bank with this configuration. Photo should better explain.
 

Attachments

Maine Sail

Maine Sail

.
Feb 6, 1998
11,709
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
rajhnsn said:
I have a house bank of four six volt (golf cart) batteries. It looks to me like each pair of two is wired in series and then both pair are wired in parallel. If I am correct, I have one 400 amp 12 volt house bank with this configuration. Photo should better explain.
Click to expand
Yes, that is series parallel..

As is this:


And this:
 
D

dlochner

.
Jan 11, 2014
12,958
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Thanks for your thoughts. I was pretty certain that combining all four batteries into one bank was the way to go, was wondering if anyone had a passionate objection to that approach.
 
M

MSter

.
Apr 12, 2010
131
Sabre 38' MK II Oriental, NC
Maine, can you tell us were we can source the battery box's shown in the second pic? They look more robust than most. I tried a Google search and the usual sources.
Thanks
Mster
 
M

MSter

.
Apr 12, 2010
131
Sabre 38' MK II Oriental, NC
Thanks Woody, That looks like the same. Have you used these? Are they as good as they look ? Any idea on cost for the 2 x 6 volt version ?
Mster
 
woodster

woodster

.
Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
they look good to me..... have not used them but wish i had found them before i made one for a friends boat ...would have used them for sure ...they range from about $90. and up best i could tell
 
M

mainesail

.
Sep 3, 2013
16
Columbia 8.7 ROCKLAND & ST. PETE
Yikes, They look great, but for someone who's a bit handy with wood one should be able to get equal utility for a whole lot less ka-ching. Mine are 3/4" ply ruggedly built and cost me maybe $15.00 each and part of a day for a pair-housing 2 4Ds each. Cheers, Will


woodster said:
try here
Bonar Marine Battery Boxes
Click to expand
 
woodster

woodster

.
Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
mainesail said:
Yikes, They look great, but for someone who's a bit handy with wood one should be able to get equal utility for a whole lot less ka-ching. Mine are 3/4" ply ruggedly built and cost me maybe $15.00 each and part of a day for a pair-housing 2 4Ds each. Cheers, Will
Click to expand
yes they are nice....and yes i can make a real nice box for bats but at that time i was up to my elbows in other projects ...why i like the molded boxes is they are almost like plug and play when it comes to convenience of install and they look like they belong on a 250 thousand dollar boat .......you know sorta like living very large so to speak
 
FourPoints

FourPoints

.
Apr 8, 2010
1,606
Frers 33 41426 Westport, CT
MS - Do you have the dimensions somewhere of the smart gauge display / control panel? I may add this next year, but need to figure out where I would install it first.
 
D

dlochner

.
Jan 11, 2014
12,958
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
FourPoints said:
MS - Do you have the dimensions somewhere of the smart gauge display / control panel? I may add this next year, but need to figure out where I would install it first.
Click to expand
According to the information on the box:

Panel Dimension: 4.4" x3"

Opening: 3.8" x 2.5"

Depth: 1.2"
 
FourPoints

FourPoints

.
Apr 8, 2010
1,606
Frers 33 41426 Westport, CT
dlochner said:
According to the information on the box:

Panel Dimension: 4.4" x3"

Opening: 3.8" x 2.5"

Depth: 1.2"
Click to expand
perfect, thanks... I searched around on MS's website for the info but didn't see it anywhere (hint hint, nudge nudge...)

Now to see if I can find a place to fit it, that's a little larger than I expected for this type of unit. :-/
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

.
Feb 6, 1998
11,709
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
Face Plate = 4 3/8" X 3"

Cut Out = 3 3/4" X 2 1/2"

Rear Clearance = 1" plus wires...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top Bottom