Battery stacking

Electrical and electronic topics for small boats
87montauknewbie
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2017 3:54 pm

Battery stacking

Postby 87montauknewbie » Thu Jun 20, 2019 12:33 pm

I plan to move the only battery [on a MONTAUK 17] to the console [from the usual location at the transom]. I also plan to re-wire the MONTAUK 17.

I will throw out the old console floor and strap the battery directly to the deck. Then, I will use KING StarBoard sheet material to make a new [console shelf] with cutout for the battery.

I will make a wiring diagram to avoid screw-ups.

I want [the revisions to the console and the new wiring to] look as clean as possible.

In regards to “Stacking” on the battery: As drawn presently there are three “things” stacked on the battery:

—the engine starting cables,

—the solar charge controller to keep the batteries topped off, and

—the circuit breaker to the house fuse box for lamps and accessories.


Q1: Is [the stacking of things described above] correct?

Or should these three things be led differently?


ASIDE: I bought battery cables from http://www.genuinedealz.com


Q2: is Blue Sea Systems 285 Series Circuit Breaker necessary if I plan to hook up all accessories up to the Blade ATO/ATC Fuse Blocks?

Q3: should [the circuit breaker be rated for] 50-Amperes?

Q4: Is a 30-Ampere circuit breaker sufficient?

The only accessories I have are lamps and [pump].

In the future I will install a VHF [Marine Band Radio, a music player, amplifier, and loudspeakers,] and a [chart plotter].

Any advice on this project would be appreciated. Thanks.
Wiring Diagram.jpg
Wiring Diagram.jpg (27.35 KiB) Viewed 7377 times

jimh
Posts: 11670
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
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Re: Battery stacking

Postby jimh » Sat Jun 22, 2019 7:49 am

I am not clear on your use of two terms:

—“stacking”

—“things”

My best guess is that you intend “stacking” to mean connect electrical circuits in parallel, and you use “things” to refer to sources of electrical power and loads that will consume electrical power. I hope I have correctly deduced your intended meanings.

Your diagram contains little detail and omits many important elements of an electrical schematic for primary power distribution on a small boat, and thus I cannot really assess it as being suitable as a plan to follow.

The best advice I can offer is to become acquainted with Ohm’s Law regarding voltage drop as a function of resistance and current in regard to the project to move the engine cranking battery further from its principal load, the engine starter motor. That is, you must carefully choose the proper conductors to replace the present conductors that are connecting the battery and the engine in order to maintain a sufficiently low resistance in the longer lengths needed to permit the battery to be moved away from it load and its charging current source. Unless those conductors are properly sized, your project cannot succeed.

Omitted from your drawing are:

—a primary power disconnect switch

—over-current protection for primary wiring and loads

—description of wire sizes and lengths.

I recommend you read my comments in an older thread on a similar topic, and follow the hyperlinked text to further reading; see

viewtopic.php?t=629#p4211