Perko Switch off/1/both/2 and Yandina Combiner

[joshmon71]

Dual batteries, Perko switch. Batteries are brand new non deep cycle aka starting batteries I believe but will confirm (just got the boat this weekend). Verado 250 single outboard which likes da juice to start. I like to be safe when a bit offshore of Cape Cod. Goal-looking to charge both batteries while isolating running on one battery. Came across this Yandina C100 product:

http://www.yandina.com/NewCatalog.htm

Anyone else use it? For 75 bucks and 3 wires seems like a no brainer to me almost 2 good to be true right!? I was looking at a BSP system but the price was high, and seems overkill for my needs.

This way in "1" on Perko, the "2" battery is being charged and in reverse as well, run on "2" but "1" batterry is charged as well. Thoughts?

-Josh

[MasterBaiter]

A battery isolator was highly recomended to me by a guy in the Alternator business. He did stress highly to use a mechanical one not an electronic one like you show. His reasoning was the marine environment - vibration, moisture, ect. The mechanical ones have the heat sink fins on them. Size it to your Alt, and attach 3 wires and you are done. Run on one and charge two - Its a beautiful thing.

[McGillicuddy]

Josh, I dumped my Perko. The blue sea systems combiner w/ starting isolator and switch is $99 bucks right now at W. marine and all over the net. Not sure if your motor exceeds amp rating but I'd give it a look.
I think the extra $25 is is a no brainer. Their tech support and cust.svc. is excellent.
my .02

[joshmon71]

Thanks Guys for your advice and input.

The Blue Seas "add a batery" system is about the same as a Perko switch and electrical acr like Yandina from what I read?? It seems to me identical to my Perko switch and if added Yandina in the mix. What is the difference other than On/Off versus 1/Both/2/OFF-its a battery switch and electrical acr right?

I do see a Blue Seas CL-Series BatteryLink Automatic Charging Relay with Fins.Its in contrast to the SI-Series Automatic Charging Relay in the add abayyert package from Blue Seas on w marine.

Blue Seas SI-Series seems better than Yandina anyhow. just looking at it, its waterproof for example.

Plan is to probably keep the Perko, and add the CL-Series Batterylink from Blue Seas based on advice here. I am gonna email Blue Seas and see what they say about the 2 diff ACR choices just cause wanna know. Will report back.

[McGillicuddy]

I think the most important factor is that the Blue Seas add-a-battery unit, the batteries are two separate circuits. 1 bank is dedicated for starting. 1 house bank for everything else. Both charge while running but discharge independent of each other. The only time they are combined is on "both". Both would theoretically be used only in case of emergency starts.

If your batteries are always combined, and you have a bad cell or whatever, the bad battery will drain the good one. If that happens you can switch to 1, 2 or both and your still SOL. With the blue seas, a diode keeps the bad battery from draining the good one.

I'm sure you've already read this:
http://bluesea.com/viewresource/92

I would definitely call Blue Seas 800 number and talk to their tech dept. They will explain the pros and cons much better than I with out trying to sell you on anything. From what I've seen, their design and engineering continue to evolve while perko's been making the same mediocre stuff for the last 30 years or more.

The last two Perko battery switches I've had, failed. When I first saw the Blue Seas product my first thought was "how do the other guys dominate the market, when this is so clearly superior in overall design and quality?

Good Luck

[joshmon71]

Thanks McGillicuddy!

[joshmon71]

From Blue Seas they have a paper on the differences between their 3 ACR's. Interesting read.

Now I am second guessing that Perko switch, but first step is to get an ACR in place . This winter will swap out the Perko....gotta pick my battles.

http://bluesea.com/files/resources/s..._Comparison_(1,400%20KB).pdf

[joshmon71]

Went another direction to end up at the solution -using a BEP VSR cluster to do both ACR and battery switching, should be a rip and replace of the Perko with the same exact batt cables.

[McGillicuddy]

Fair enough, do you plan on going house and starting banks or run every thing together, always having a fully to fall back on?

[joshmon71]

Donnie had the batts seperated house and start already, but with a perko as ya know could not charge them isolated while running. Plus the advice that Perko had failed above in thread, and the batt charger being 5 years old noticed the LED light was not working-but it was charging per volt meter. All sort of freaked me out when I could not get the engine to crank on #1 and had to combine them BOTH. That BEP cluster is a thing of simplicity, and glad i went that way and spent the extra clams. It was simple to wire however getting it back in place and tight was a contortionist act under the console. Ended up placing a piece of Azek for mounting, using the existing bolts for batt charger thru the side of console to hold Azek in place, and then screwing the BEP, battery charger, onto the Azek so not to drill more holes thru the console. Started at 6PM, ended by 1AM under some serious halogen lights in the front yard. Also swapped in 2 group 31 AGM Sears (odyssey) batteries, and cleaned all the connections. Basically peace of mind, and the veradoclub folks saying that the engine/power steering take a lot of juice and merc now reccomending AGMs. Good opp to get it done at the start of summer. Nothing was wrong with Donnie's setup, the batts were new but not AGM, just that single engine confidence builder in heading offshore a bit with a re-done charging and isloated batt setup.

-BEP 716-SQ-100A off amazon was 164 clams cheapest could find
-Sears group 31 AGM
-Promariner 100 charger
-scrap Azek
-bruised ribs to get in place

Next tackling the trim tabs, and then wiring the backup bilge pump direct off the battery with a 2 way switch. Then gotta think about a thruhull-seacock-pump for washdown and livewell.