Ken N

Dose anyone have a wireing diagram on how to install a cranking battery and a deep cycle battery system.

low_psi

Buy a Battery switch that will accomidate 2 batteries. Wire 1 batter to position #1, the second battery to position #2, and Starter Cable and all other Positive wires to the Common post on the switch. Grounds remain the same. Switch to 1 to crank and 2 for house battery or visa-versa. In emergency switch to ALL to get voltage from both batteries. Pretty cut and dry. By hooking all accessories to the common post on the switch allows you to choose what battery things like your stereo will run on. If you wire your stereo to the deep cycle battery only, when that battery is dead so is your stereo...

speedreeder

I have never seen a need to run a cranking and a deep cycle?!! I have all deep cycle batteries that will start a big motor NO PROBLEM!!! Buy a big enough battery the first time!!

fireguy

Ok so I have a question along those same lines. My boat came with only 1 battery. I have installed the second (deep cycle) and have a dual battery Perko switch which I am installing this week.

My question is this. Everything, including the stereo, was originally connected to the original battery, which will be the cranking battery. I am planning on hooking the amps (3 amps totalling 2000 watts) up to the deep cycle battery so they will only have power in the battery 2 or both position.

There are 4 speakers currently hooked up to the powered head unit, and there will be 4 speakers and 2 subs hooked up to the amps (2 mono and 1 4-channel).

Any problems hooking the head unit up to the common on the switch so it will work all the time and the amps will only work on battery 2 or both position?

low_psi

You will want to connect everything to the common switch. For safety reason, if an amp burns up or starts a fire you can cut power to it by turning the switch to off. If wired directly to a battery, you would have to deal with trying to undo the terminals, etc. Also a non-safety reason, while running your boat off of your "cranking battery" you can run your stereo/amps off the battery that is being charged by the alternator.

fireguy

Ok, I got ya. I was trying to save myself a little re-wiring and thinking I could just leave the head unit wired direct to the battery as it is now.

low_psi

It would work that way, but IMO it is better to have everything run to the switch. It allows you to shut everything down in case of emergency. Plus as I mentioned previously, with the switch you force your accessories to use the battery of your choice on the fly (by simply switching from one battery to the other).

Griff

My head unit is wired into the main electrical behind the dash and powers up and plays no matter which battery I have my switches on. My 2 Amps are wired directly to a third deep cycle battery.