BEP New Battery Switch

Electrical and electronic topics for small boats
jimh
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BEP New Battery Switch

Postby jimh » Mon Mar 30, 2020 3:36 pm

BEP have introduced a new battery switch with a novel feature, their model Pro Installer 400A Dual Bank Control Switch MC10, part number 772-DBC. The switch is available in the USA for around $55 to $60. As BEP literature notes, this switch combines the control action of three separate switches into one switch, and BEP have applied for a patent.

BEP400ABatterySwitch.png
Fig. 1. The new BEP Pro Installer 400A Dual Bank Control Switch MC10, part number 772-DBC. Note that there are four position available.
BEP400ABatterySwitch.png (36.45 KiB) Viewed 4319 times


The switch is a dual circuit battery switch, which is not particularly new, however the switch has four positions instead of the usual three. The switch action is as follows:
  1. OFF
  2. ON-Circuit-1
  3. ON-Circuit-1 and ON-Circuit-2
  4. Parallel 1 and 2

The typical application will be to designate circuit 1 as the HOUSE battery, and circuit 2 as the ENGINE battery. If wired this way, the switch action then becomes:
  1. OFF
  2. HOUSE ON
  3. HOUSE and ENGINE ON
  4. HOUSE and ENGINE in parallel

The fourth position, HOUSE and ENGINE batteries in parallel, would only be used in unusual circumstances when neither the HOUSE or ENGINE battery alone held enough electrical power to crank over the engine.

That arrangement allows for a boater to maintain power to the boat's HOUSE loads, while keeping the engine electrical switched off. This is a very useful arrangement for any boater who stays aboard their boat when the engine is shut off. You can keep all the HOUSE circuits alive without having to have the engine electrical power ON.

BEP has been known for their many battery switch components which can be connected and mounted in clusters to form specialized arrangements by interconnecting with short bus bars. This concept extends to the Pro Installer line. However, the new Pro Installer 400A Dual Bank Control Switch MC10, part number 772-DBC can also be used as a stand-alone battery switch for re-fit to existing installations. The mounting holes are on a common 3-inch center spacing.

The 772-DBC model provides for three options in mounting: surface mount, front panel mount, and rear panel mount. If you plan to only use the surface mount, the 772-DBC-EZ is a variant that is configured for surface-mount only installation. See:

https://www.anchorexpress.com/BEP-Pro-Installer-400a-EZ-Mount-Dual-Bank-Control-Battery-Switch-MC10-772-DBC-EZ

BEP_MountOptions.jpg
Fig. 2. The three mounting options for the 400A 722-DBC.
BEP_MountOptions.jpg (39.25 KiB) Viewed 4290 times


BEP were once an independent manufacturer located in New Zealand, but they are now a part of 11 marine electrical companies including ANCOR and BLUE SEA SYSTEMS which were acquired in 2018 by Brunswick when they bought them from Power Products. More about the acquisition of BEP by Brunswick at

More Consolidation: Brunswick Buys 11 Favorite Brands
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