Isolating the outboards

C

cemiii

New member
I have a 2 bank battery system with a combiner for charging. My 90 etec is isolated on the #1 battery. Almost everything else runs off the #2 house bank.

I have a 9.9 Johnson Kicker with e-start and 6A alternator. Can I just run it off the house side (so I don't have dueling alternators) or am I still running a risk to my electronics with the small alternator? Do I need a second switch for starting the kicker? Thank you,

Chris
 
Perhaps I'm missing something, but do you have two bats connected to one selector switch? Meaning, can you choose 1, 2, or Both? If yes, I would always have the switch set to both so you're charging both bats while underway. When on the hook, switch over to your dedicated house bat.
 
Matt, yes, that is how it is set up, but I always leave it on 1. There is a Yandina battery combiner between the #1 and 2 banks so that (I am told, and seems to be so) both battery banks are being charged whenever the system senses a charging source, no matter what position the selector switch is in (even off, as with a home battery charger).

What I am more concerned about is the possibility of damage to the electronics if I start the kicker without turning the electronics off first. I read this somewhere and it has me concerned, though I have not had any problems yet. [one of the dangers of reading too much!]

Charlie, you are probably correct on the dueling thing, but I can't find any articles on duel set ups where they run them off 1 battery or 1 switch because apparently something bad can happen if an alternator does not sense a load. Though I don't normally run them together, there have been times in combat trolling conditions or being blown into shallow water, where I needed more power to get out of T, and did start the big motor before shutting the kicker down.

Chris
 
What usually happens, if you have your electronics on, when the voltage drops at a start, the electronics sometimes will kick off. My Garmin 545S shuts down but the Raymarine E-80, 4KW radar and Depth Sounder stay lit off... Depends on the sensitivity of the unit I guess.

Don't think you can damage the electronics in this situation, if you got a voltage surge, maybe but undervoltage, probably not.

Charlie
 
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