Are 5 batteries overkill

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Mar 1st, '09, 18:25

I am wondering how many batteries those that have repowered with diesels are using.

We are about to start laying out the wiring for the repower with 270 Cummins. The Cummins dealer is suggesting a put two group 31's to start each enginge and one for the house bank. His feeling is that while this is redunant, when you are 100 miles offshore, you know that a dead battery will not be a problem for starting either engine.

I figured one Group 31 to start each engine and then one or even two house bank batteries would give me plenty of security for starting an engine.

Would love to know what everyone is using. By the way, no generator and right now no invertor but that may follow next year.

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Mar 1st, '09, 18:38

I put one group 31 on each engine. (Steyr 236)
I got two six volt batteries for the house. Not sure the grouping on them but each one weighs 63 lbs. Two per engine sounds odd but maybe its just me. Battery switches hooked up right and you should be able to start either engine off either battery.

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Mar 1st, '09, 18:46

One each engine is plenty, depending on your house load, maybe two there.

After all the only loads on your engine battery are from the starter and unless you plan on starting and stopping the engines a few hundred times during the day a dead battery is kinda slim to none.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Mar 1st, '09, 20:25

Kevin & Bruce

Thanks

I thought that it might be overkill. I think I would rather have two house and two dedicated starting and then be able to Jump over if I need to.

Thums Up · Post by **Thums Up** » Mar 1st, '09, 20:46

Hi Tony,

When I get to that point I am going with one for each motor and two house. All are going to be gels.

randall · Post by **randall** » Mar 1st, '09, 21:05

i have one for each engine and a house...but i have one more i use for ballast. its hot and saved me at least once.

gplume · Post by **gplume** » Mar 1st, '09, 22:04

Tony-

I highly recomend installing a battery monitor to keep track of charge level. Thus way, yiou akways know where you are. I have a Link 20 (xantrex), and I can alway see how many amp hours I have taken out of each battery powering varuous items. Got 2 8D;s, one for each engine. My old whore Cummins 504 suck up quit a few amps to turn over and the 8d's do fine individually, and really snap things over when parralleled. The OEM sytem does a nice jot at isolation of the 2 batteries with a nice heavy duty solenoid to parrallel everything for starting. When I rewired, I cut the bus bar on the panel, and isolted the draws into stuffI would use underway (engine battery), vs house type draws(house battery) . With this setup, one battery is always ready to start the engines. As far as anchoring, with being a little careful- that is watching my draws, I can usually go 3 days before I have to recharge (pulling out around 100 amp hours over 3 days). Have 150 amp alternators, and can charge things up in a little over an hour. Been able to get by w/o a generator...but being in the NE, don't have to worry much about A/C

Best Regards
Giff

John Jackson · Post by **John Jackson** » Mar 1st, '09, 23:16

Tony-
Sounds like your gettin' there!
Call Chris Hanrahan at TekKris in Wall/Farmindale. He set me up with an inverter system, charger and a switch system that isolates each battery so you cannot draw them all down. I use two house batteries to run the spreader lights, microwave, radar, gps, radios etc. One is dedicated to each engine. If one dies you can use the others. To get stuck I would have to kill all four batteries, or so goes the plan. Chris did a nice tidy installation and it has been fantastic. Let me know if you cannot find him from 411 and I will give you the number. JJJ

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Mar 2nd, '09, 09:00

I have two batts. One for starting and a house. I carry a jumper pack that I can use to start.

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Mar 2nd, '09, 13:56

brew when you go to canyon overnight on the chunk i imagine you have at least 4 spreader lights on in addition to electronics you ever run down that house battery?

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Mar 2nd, '09, 14:14

Bob, I run off house batt if its calm till 2or 3 am then start up a motor. If it rough I have both running. I only run one chart plotter and only one radar. Most of the time I only run lights to get squid then shut them off to fish. Still run the deck lights on and off depending.

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Mar 2nd, '09, 15:13

ok brew i stand corrected again.i have every light on.usually the squid show up i or 2am after i fill the baitwell i keep the lights on to vary the bait in the water column .i guess your method keeps the tuna biting on your offerings only.you still continue to disperse chum through the latel? even though you are using live squid for bait.two years ago i was able to catch a nice swordfish in the midst of hauling in yellowfin by putting one live squid down to the thermocline (about 200') ---100 square area. is that unusual for the two to be under the boat at the same time? sorry for all the questions but this is not available by research this could only come from the brew!!!

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Mar 2nd, '09, 17:33

I run two down depending on current.One at 100' and another 250' and the pull line off of two other rods. I never ever let the line come tight. If its not live squid we put foam in the bait to make up for the hook weight. We keep chnking the whole time with the lights off. I use very heavy leader 200# and if their line shy the lights are bad. They can see just fine. Some nights I run a butterfly jig out of the long rigger 50' with a glow stick 6' over it when the boats rocking. The most inportant thing is that your bait sinkes with the other chum at the same rate. Once it sinks below the chum it will stick out and they will not eat it. This is what works for me. I have been told I do it all wrong, so.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Mar 2nd, '09, 21:51

Thanks everyone great insite to what works.

John

Good to hear from you. Was wondering were you where hiding. I will give Chris a call. I am sure I can find him in the phone book.

Getting the job doen but slowly. Work keeps getting in my way, but we are putting the push on to get this job done and the boat in by May, but if Iget in by June I will be happy. Unfortunately work is taking up too much time.

I like the 4 battery system, two house and two starting. I can't see why 5. If all 4 go bad at the same time its time to through the life raft over.

I will let you know how I make out. I am starting to get anxious to get in the water but I keep looking at all the work ahead of me. I figure just 3 days to screw everything back together, let alone the little side jobs I want to do. But we will get there.

By the way I hear the good town of PP wants to charge everyone for Parking on the Street. Looks like you will not even be able to park in front of your own house without paying. I think they are going to kill the down town area if they are not carefull.

Well take care and I hope all is well at home.

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Mar 2nd, '09, 22:24

i guess the two deep drops are for swordfish . ahead of the 200lbs leader do you go with a green light held off the main line ?? your method of fishing is only a little out of the norm because of the amount of rods you use however who could argue with sucess.i am aware of the ambient light taveling down the mono to the bait but i use braid or cajun line as a top shot and then fluorocarbon leader.i have been with some pros. that insist on no terminal tackle like swivals,snap swivals,rings they just use knots because of the keen eye of the tuna.i should think the squid would spin but what the hell do i know.

John Jackson · Post by **John Jackson** » Mar 2nd, '09, 23:17

Tony- glad all is well. Here is Chris's contact information:

Chris Hanrahan
Tekris Power Electronics
Authorized Xantrex Service Center
1675 HWY 34
Farmingdale, NJ 07727
732-938-4996
www.tekrispower.com

My boat is on blocks at Carver's three boats into the yard on the right- green bottom, white shrink wrap, next to JP's. There is a ladder underneath and you are welcome to climb in and check out the system. The engine boxes are off and the inverter etc is under the aft dinette seat. The four batteries are in my garage but you will see the trays for them.

Can't wait to see you out on the water! JJJ

Rawleigh · Post by **Rawleigh** » Mar 3rd, '09, 12:12

Hella's new LED Deck light only draws 0.58 Amps at 12 volts (7 watts).

http://www.hellamarine.com/?a=3&t=3&Vie ... 0&pcid=170

gplume · Post by **gplume** » Mar 3rd, '09, 21:15

Tony-

No need to wonder what you need, just calculate all the draws you normally have times the max number of hours you want to stay off engine power, and get enough amp hours worth of house batteries to cover the load X 2 (you don't want to discharge under 50%). Easy enough to do with a spread sheet. Always keep one battery off grid for the engines.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Mar 3rd, '09, 22:21

John

Thanks for the number and the offer to climb up on the Hound. I am going to have talk with the Cummins dealer tomorrow, since the boat is in his yard.

Giff, right now I am light on the electonics draw, but I am planning for when the economy and my pocket book recover. I would love to add radar and a few other things, so I want to be a higher on the house bank now this way I don't need to redo anything.

bertram31.com

Are 5 batteries overkill

Are 5 batteries overkill

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