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Old 01-05-2018, 08:23   #1
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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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Old 01-05-2018, 08:33   #2
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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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Old 01-05-2018, 20:08   #3
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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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Old 01-05-2018, 20:28   #4
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Re: battery combiner w 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank

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Originally Posted by smac999 View Post
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
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.
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Old 01-05-2018, 20:37   #5
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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.
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Old 02-05-2018, 07:50   #6
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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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Old 02-05-2018, 09:19   #7
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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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Old 02-05-2018, 09:36   #8
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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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Old 02-05-2018, 13:39   #9
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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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Old 03-05-2018, 22:54   #10
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Re: battery combiner w 12V starting batt and 2x6V house bank

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Cirix battery combiner can handle up to 30 amps, visible on the left, can prioritize either battery, fully automatic.
The smallest Cyrix combiner is rated at 120 amps continuous.
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Old 04-05-2018, 14:42   #11
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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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