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Battery Managment Gauge, Switches and Batteries...
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Oh, I assumed that was what you were talking about, even thought I don't have the BEP cat. That makes a real nice installation, no doubt, but I was going with the add a battery idea not a redo of his existing switches. I have Guest 1-2-all-off on both engines and my house bank of two paralleled batts. I have to run my house batts in "off" and I don't have the ability to disconnect the house users at the batt switch. I do have the distribution breakers that I can use that are close to the switches. I guess BEP has switches that offer the "dual circuit" logic that the Blue Sea switch in the kit has that would fix my house switch to work "properly". When i built the boat the Dual circuit switches were not available, or better, I was not aware of them. Anyway back the the OP question, I still say just do the add a battery deal , easier and cheaper. It would be ok with me if he even used the BEPstuff instead of Blue Sea.
Oh, I assumed that was what you were talking about, even thought I don't have the BEP cat. That makes a real nice installation, no doubt, but I was going with the add a battery idea not a redo of his existing switches. I have Guest 1-2-all-off on both engines and my house bank of two paralleled batts. I have to run my house batts in "off" and I don't have the ability to disconnect the house users at the batt switch. I do have the distribution breakers that I can use that are close to the switches. I guess BEP has switches that offer the "dual circuit" logic that the Blue Sea switch in the kit has that would fix my house switch to work "properly". When i built the boat the Dual circuit switches were not available, or better, I was not aware of them. Anyway back the the OP question, I still say just do the add a battery deal , easier and cheaper. It would be ok with me if he even used the BEPstuff instead of Blue Sea.
The beauty of the cluster pictured is, it is REALLY easy to install. Simply remove any and all of your existing battery switches, and connect each battery t the proper terminal on this cluster. Screw it to the wall, done. Never worry about switch settings again. Turn them on to use the boat, off when done. Its probably easier to install the whole cluster, then to "add a batter" to the exisint setup.
I have the BEP cluster and have a question about it...If I use the emergency combine switch will that override the VSRs and charge all three batts via the alternators on motors(2 starts and 1 house)?
My boat is a total blue seas refit. 4 Odyssey batts, 2 engine- 2 house, Blue Seas 7600 ACR's and Blue Seas on/ off switches. It is totally fool proof and has worked flawlessly for 4 years. The Newmar DCE never reads less than 12.6 in any situation I can remember. Their tech support is beyond good.
However, if I had to do it all over again, it would be a BEP module. Simply because it is completely wired, all inclusive, and requires nothing else except the batt cables and the batts. There is no better turn key solution on the market today.
Why would you ever want to parallel two batteries for starting?
Jethro
Well (and this isn't hypothetical, I have been in this situation several times in my life) if BOTH batteries are lower than they should be, when neither one will quite start the engine, the two together in parallel may well. That's when. (And sure, you should never let this happen, but ya' know .....)