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01-05-2018, 08:23
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 269
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battery combiner w 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank
Dear all, Looking to hook up a solar panel to keep batts afloat during the week (boat is on a mooring) while I have a 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank. Not sure how to go about that. Any tips? Thanks!
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01-05-2018, 08:33
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 165
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Re: battery combiner w 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank
Simple
Hook up the solar panel to a charge controller
Hook the charge controller to the start battery
Hook the start battery to the house batteries with an ACR or VSR (same thing, different name depending where you are)
Use a decent size panel, an mppt charge controller is better than a non mppt
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01-05-2018, 20:08
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: canada
Posts: 4,642
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Re: battery combiner w 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank
your start battery should stay good for months. connect the panel to the house battery.
you could have an ACR / vsr to charge both. but a small panel may not trigger it.
you'll want something like that to be able to charge both while running the engine anyways.
there used to be some controllers that had 2 outputs. not sure they still make any
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01-05-2018, 20:28
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Sydney Australia
Boat: Fisher pilothouse sloop 32'
Posts: 3,416
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Re: battery combiner w 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank
Quote:
Originally Posted by smac999
your start battery should stay good for months. connect the panel to the house battery.
you could have an ACR / vsr to charge both. but a small panel may not trigger it.
you'll want something like that to be able to charge both while running the engine anyways.
there used to be some controllers that had 2 outputs. not sure they still make any
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Morningstar Duo charge, pwm controller with adjustable output to two banks, able to adjust percentage of charge to whichever bank you want. Not an mppt controller however with nominal 12 volt panels it shouldn't make that much difference.
A battery combiner wired via a relay to the start switch will provide alternator power to both banks while engine is running.
__________________
Rob aka Uncle Bob Sydney Australia.
Life is 10% the cards you are dealt, 90% how you play em
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01-05-2018, 20:37
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Cowichan Bay, BC (Maple Bay Marina)
Posts: 9,705
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Re: battery combiner w 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank
Combiners go both ways. Connect all your charging sources to the house bank. Why? 'Cuz it always needs more input than a start bank. Always.
__________________
Stu Jackson
Catalina 34 #224 (1986) C34IA Secretary
Cowichan Bay, BC, SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)
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02-05-2018, 07:50
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#6
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cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2017
Boat: Retired from CF
Posts: 13,317
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Re: battery combiner w 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank
If you do get all charge sources on House, then Balmar Echo Charger is very bulletproof and inexpensive.
Voltage and current limiting and one way only, so not really a combiner / VSR.
If you want to be able to self jumpstart off House you need a very high-amp VSR.
These are indestructible https://www.bluesea.com/products/762..._-_12V_DC_500A
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02-05-2018, 09:19
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Houston, TX
Boat: Catana 471
Posts: 246
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Re: battery combiner w 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank
Another vote for the Xantrex (not Balmar) Echo Charger.
Excellent, automatic, and "just works". Hook it up and forget it.
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02-05-2018, 09:36
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 107
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Re: battery combiner w 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank
Cirix battery combiner can handle up to 30 amps, visible on the left, can prioritize either battery, fully automatic.
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02-05-2018, 13:39
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#9
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cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2017
Boat: Retired from CF
Posts: 13,317
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Re: battery combiner w 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank
Yes, brain fart there. Been hating on Xantrex lately but that is one product of theirs worth buying, literally unchanged since they bought out Heart long ago.
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03-05-2018, 22:54
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#10
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Victoria B.C.
Boat: Wauquiez Centurion 32
Posts: 2,874
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Re: battery combiner w 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank
Quote:
Originally Posted by LooseGoose
Cirix battery combiner can handle up to 30 amps, visible on the left, can prioritize either battery, fully automatic.
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The smallest Cyrix combiner is rated at 120 amps continuous.
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04-05-2018, 14:42
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 107
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Re: battery combiner w 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank
Right.....the combiner is rated at 120 amps....it's the circuit breaker that's rated at 30 amps....all working well within their electrical capacities.
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