# Power issues on my boat for my new electronics



## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Last year I updated my electronics on my boat to two new Lowrance units.

I was experiencing a problem that many guys are experiencing. When I would start my main motor often the electronics would kick off and reboot due to the voltage drop from starting the main motor.

I though maybe I had a wiring problem, and I do to some extent, but with a bunch of research I found that this is a very common problem for a lot of fisherman now that we are running bigger and more power hungry (all brands) electronics.

I was looking for a fix by adding a second battery, but that would not eliminate the potential voltage drop when starting the motor for sure and how do I charge it and still keep it isolated from the starting battery.






I found this system and finally found a boat shop willing to do the install. I called around to many Lund dealers and some others as well and no one seemed confident enough to tackle the project I had. I finally had Boat Boys in Newark agree to do the work. They are installing everything now, I hope it works the way I have it planned.

They are adding and changing a lot more to my electrical system that just this, add a battery system.

I'll let you know in a week or two if it accomplishes my goal.

I thought it was a fix others might need also.


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## eyedreamn (Jun 12, 2011)

Looking forward to hearing the results.

If you lived closer I would be happy to do it for ya. 

Did you find out any info on charging 2 batteries in parallel from 1 bank of your charger?


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## Insco (Apr 9, 2008)

Wonder if a large capacitor would work. I used them in my cars when i had stereo system installed. It helped a lot when the subwoofers were really working.


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## sady dog (Feb 10, 2008)

The extra battery will help..I have that power switch in my Grady.. What you need is 1 battery for electronics and 1 for the engine. Usually the engine will have a high cold crank number and the electronic battery will be a small deep cycle..

Now with that being said ... you have to get both batteries to charge while the engine is running so you dont have to charge the electronic battery all the time..

Even with the power switch, when my batteries get weak from the bilge running all the time my radio and gps will kick off when I start the motor????

Good luck let us know how it worked out...

Not a big fan of Boat Boys..I bought my G3 from them when they where up at Lake Milton area...they suck butt as far as customer service ...Horrible
terrible wouldnt send any body there for a length of rope...


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

sady dog said:


> Not a big fan of Boat Boys..I bought my G3 from them when they where up at Lake Milton area...they suck butt as far as customer service ...Horrible
> terrible wouldnt send any body there for a length of rope...


That's encouraging


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

eyedreamn said:


> Looking forward to hearing the results.
> 
> If you lived closer I would be happy to do it for ya.
> 
> Did you find out any info on charging 2 batteries in parallel from 1 bank of your charger?


The charger manufacturer said it will work but we'll see if it really does without messing up the charger.

The new battery is located forward where my two trolling motor batteries are located. It will be hooked to the 3rd leg of the on board charger and back to the automatic switch. In theory both my starting and new electronics battery will be both be charged when the motor is running, and when I plug in the charger, without me touching anything to make it happen. It is a lot of battery cable pulling in the boat to get from the trolling motor battery area to the back starting battery location.

I am also adding a ST blade fuse block to clean up the wiring and to allow me to pull a fuse and not have power to my downrigger cables outlets except when I plan on using my downriggers.

I'll see how it all works soon 

I hope I don't push the power button on my fishfinder and my kicker motor startup


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## Workdog (Jan 10, 2007)

Very interesting system there Lundy! Looking forward to the operational test results. You may want to sticky this thread. I consider battery switching a safety-must-have for any boat. And, I find it amazing that many boat manufacturers still sell boats without a battery switching device onboard.


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## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

Kim,

I have been running the Perko switch in my last two boats, haven't had any issues with starting and the units powering down since installing it, it's just like the Blue Sea version, running a Simrad NSS8 and Lowrance 111HD unit on the dash, both are wired direct to the starting battery, separate power cables for each Belden shielded cable, I did go from a 500 amp hr battery to an 800 on my starting battery, the second cable is tied to my deep cell that powers all the livewell stuff and my lights, if I have been fishing all day long I can flip that switch over to the All switch and it will charge both the starting and the deepcell mine has 1, 2 and All I mainly keep it on 1 all the time and get home and plug in the onboard charger and forget it....Doc


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## SPOONFEEDER (Jul 6, 2006)

I have been running these types of charging/isolating relays for last 9 years. I will not own a boat with out one. They are very easy to install yourself. It will solve your problem as long as you use one battery to start an other one for electronics. Also nice knowing your second battery is charged in case main battery fails. 

Capt. Larry Patterson


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

SPOONFEEDER said:


> I have been running these types of charging/isolating relays for last 9 years. I will not own a boat with out one. *They are very easy to install yourself.
> 
> *Capt. Larry Patterson


I had the knowledge of how to install just not the young nimble body to crawl around in my boat and pull wires and install everything, not anymore

Doc, I had the Perko switch on my previous boat but it still required me to switch from 1 or 2 or all. This one does the work for me and for sure isolates my electronics during the motor starting cycle.

How long until you hit the kitty cats at CJ? Don't get stuck


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## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

Lundy said:


> I had the knowledge of how to install just not the young nimble body to crawl around in my boat and pull wires and install everything, not anymore
> 
> Doc, I had the Perko switch on my previous boat but it still required me to switch from 1 or 2 or all. This one does the work for me and for sure isolates my electronics during the motor starting cycle.
> 
> How long until you hit the kitty cats at CJ? Don't get stuck


Oh I didn't know it was automatic Man that's pretty cool, might have to look into one of those.

The lake just came unlocked yesterday, I'm working all weekend, going to try and get the boat wet, Monday or Tuesday, fishing a tournament Saturday at Rocky Fork if the boat checks out Ok.

I'll hit CJ the following week and yea I learned a quick lesson on getting stuck, I don't even think about going past Goose Island till after they fill the lake, my 24 footer drafts a little bit less than the Smokercraft did but I don't want to take any chances.......Doc


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

Doc,

I still have good memories of that day you shared some of your secrets with me. That was fun!

Yes, the switch is automatic. It will only connect the two batteries when there is a voltage present over 13 volts, under 13 volts they are isolated.

So while starting the motor the starting battery and the electronics battery will be isolated form each other. Once the engine is running and the alternator is sending a charge it will automatically connect the two batteries charging both. Once I turn off the motor and the charge voltage goes away the switch isolates the two batteries again.

There are only 3 positions on the switch, on, off and emergency. Emergency does combine both batteries without a 13V or above reading allowing you to jump the starting battery from the electronics battery if you ever needed to.

I never have to worry about what position I have the switch in like I did with my old Perko switch. A couple of times I had two low batteries because I hadn't switched them or forgot to. Can't happen with a automatic switch that only opens with voltage showing a charge. They switch is always smarter than I am


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

So I had the new system installed by Boat Boys in Newark and have used it a few times and it works as advertised.

I had a 3rd battery installed in my trolling motor battery area and used it for my electronics only. I tied that battery to the starting battery trough the ACR with a starting switch lockout.

Basically the ACR only connects the two batteries when there is a charge over 13+ volts present. Which means only when the outboard alternator has an output or when I have my onboard charger plugged in. So when I am running my big motor, or plugged into my charger the batteries connect to charge both my starting and electronics battery. Any other time they are isolated from each other. This has eliminated the power drain cutoffs when starting the big motor.

This system also allows me to manually connect the two batteries through the switch for emergency needs like jumping my starting battery.

The real beauty is that I don't need to do anything, it all functions automatically, unlike the old battery switches I used to use and it does so much more that you could do with the old switches by using the ACR.

Still early but so far it is working great.


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## tomb (Oct 9, 2004)

Cool system. Glad to hear it's working as planned.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

I have used this system for over a month now and I love it, it has completely eliminated all of my electrical issues and charging all 4 batteries is a easy no brainer.


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