Hi All. I am in the first stages of installing a set of house batteries on my boat and would like to charge them off one or both alternators. I was hoping to get a DC wiring diagram for this boat, as the DC electrics don't make a lot of sense to me. If I select battery number 1, the only battery that charges is #1. Likewise for battery #2. So are my alternators always paralelled and only charge the selected battery, or when I switch from #1 to #2 the on-side alternator charges its' battery? Thanks in advance. Trevor
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Carver 356 DC wiring diagram
- Thread starter Naut Home
- Start date
On my 325, that part of the DC wiring is not included in the documentation either. I have not tore the boat apart to see, but I have two engines and two batteries, and I am quite certain that both alternators are connected together. Whether they are directly connected or connected through a diode isolator I cannot tell as I have not looked. But I have never liked that setup at all.
But adding a dedicated house battery is one project I want to do some day. If you find out if the alternators are indeed connected directly together, please post here as I'd like to know.
The conventional wisdom of using the 1-both-2 battery switch is on day one, put the switch on battery 1. On day 2, put the switch on battery 2. On day three, go back to battery 1, and so on. If you put the switch in both, battery 1 and 2 will be simultaneously charged by the engines, but both batteries will also be simultaneously discharged if you forget to take the switch out of the both position when the engines stop.
This setup would normally be a good candidate for the addition of a battery combiner so that both batteries can be charged by the engine(s) without risk of discharging both batteries, but in this instance, its probably better to correct this rube-goldberg setup first.
But adding a dedicated house battery is one project I want to do some day. If you find out if the alternators are indeed connected directly together, please post here as I'd like to know.
The conventional wisdom of using the 1-both-2 battery switch is on day one, put the switch on battery 1. On day 2, put the switch on battery 2. On day three, go back to battery 1, and so on. If you put the switch in both, battery 1 and 2 will be simultaneously charged by the engines, but both batteries will also be simultaneously discharged if you forget to take the switch out of the both position when the engines stop.
This setup would normally be a good candidate for the addition of a battery combiner so that both batteries can be charged by the engine(s) without risk of discharging both batteries, but in this instance, its probably better to correct this rube-goldberg setup first.
Trevor, my 1999 356 was also wired in this configuration. Personally I think it was a manufacturing oversight. I changed the starter feeds to the battery side of the switch, now each alternator charges its own battery. Also with the "factory" configuration, the starting battery was always the house battery, and both engines ran/started off whichever battery was selected. Since I changed it to bypass (not connected to) the selector switch for starting/charging, everything has worked much better, batteries always charged & no fighting alternators. It is possible that a previous owner had changed to this configuration, but it looked factory to me. I am sure there are disadvantages to my changes, but it sure works better (select "both" will parallel batteries in case of running the house too low to start engine).
Port starter to port battery
Port battery to selector input 1
Stbd starter to stbd battery
Stbd battery to selector input 2
Selector output to DC buss
Good Luck -- Scott
Port starter to port battery
Port battery to selector input 1
Stbd starter to stbd battery
Stbd battery to selector input 2
Selector output to DC buss
Good Luck -- Scott