Dual Station "START"

[Capt Nemo]

Here's a question I hope you electrical genius boat guys can help me with.

I have twin Perkins T6-354's in my engine room and would really
like to be able to start them from either - the wheel house or the engine room. I have full engine instrument panels in both locations and
it would be very handy to be able to start both engines from either location. My engine room is 6'2" h x 11'6"' w x 8' L. & love it.

Could someone help me with setting up this dual station start system.

Thank you very kindly

[John Boor]

I have just done that on my sailboat. I designed it from the ground up and essentially paralleled the wireing, the biggest problem was getting sensors for the dual instruments packages (oil &water). but found them at a marine supplier in Newfoundland Canada. RPM and battery volts at helm station only, and since I have a main and day fuel tank I had separate gauges, main tank inside by the engine room and day tank at helm. Just to complete the design I had a unused power inlet just above the main fuel tank filler so added a second fuel gauge under the cover that was switched between the engine room gauge and the tank fill gauge. The only down side is that I have to go to the station I started the engine to turn off the ignition circuit otherwise I love it.

John

[Dauntlessny]

just get a heavy duty relay, wire it to your help station and then add a second, wireless relay (Chinese but cheap) to start your engine wherever you are, with the key fob.

I say use two relays, because i don't trust the wireless relay to be able to carry any kind of power, no matter what it says.

I did this for my aux fuel pump and it works great.

[Zach]

To start:

Get a "Ford" style remote mount starter solenoid and run both key switch hot wires to the signal wire on the solenoid.

Jump from the large pole on the solenoid, to the small pole on the starter with some 4awg cable. Run a #8 or #10 jumper wire to the Start terminal on the starter, from the heavy pole on the starter. That will either be a ring terminal or push connection.

To Shutdown:

If you have an electric fuel shut off solenoid to shut down from the key switch that shuts the fuel off, then you'll need to get a three position switch to be able to shut them down at either station.

With the key in the run position, both stations will power the relay and keep the shutoff switch grounded. When you turn either switch to off, the relay shuts and breaks the ground.