Dual battery installations
 

Looking for thoughts on dual battery setups. I have been running a dual
setup for over a year now. Just replaced my batteries because of one bad
and both boiling over all the time. I use a solenoid system to bridge the
two together with an in cab switch to select - at ignition, off, or
emergency on. Ran across this article:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...tery_setup.htm

While not impressed with this guys installation, this Dave Kamp fellow that
he corresponded with seems to know his stuff! Got me thinking about adding
an isolator to prevent in-rush when one battery is much lower than the other
(probably the demise of my old batteries).

Any other dual battery setups? Thoughts?

--
JimG
80' CJ-7, 258 CID
35" BFG MT's on 15x10 Centerlines
4.56 D30-D44 SOA
D300 w/4:1 & Currie twin sticks
Warn 8000i w/dual batteries
LockRight F&R

Re: Dual battery installations
 

there is also a setup (found it on the net) I have it for a few years
and works really well.

basically I have a red top optima as a "car" battery, and a deep cycle
(yellow top optima) for the winch. both get charged by the alternator,
but they get used "seperately" (when the yellow one has drained I still
have the red one, and the other way around.)

I don't have a switch to switch between them, the red one is dedicated
car battery, the yellow on is dedicated winch battery.

as I mentioned I found the schematics on the net.

Ron

JimG wrote:
> Looking for thoughts on dual battery setups. I have been running a dual
> setup for over a year now. Just replaced my batteries because of one bad
> and both boiling over all the time. I use a solenoid system to bridge the
> two together with an in cab switch to select - at ignition, off, or
> emergency on. Ran across this article:
>
> http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...tery_setup.htm
>
> While not impressed with this guys installation, this Dave Kamp fellow that
> he corresponded with seems to know his stuff! Got me thinking about adding
> an isolator to prevent in-rush when one battery is much lower than the other
> (probably the demise of my old batteries).
>
> Any other dual battery setups? Thoughts?
>

Re: Dual battery installations
 

there is also a setup (found it on the net) I have it for a few years
and works really well.

basically I have a red top optima as a "car" battery, and a deep cycle
(yellow top optima) for the winch. both get charged by the alternator,
but they get used "seperately" (when the yellow one has drained I still
have the red one, and the other way around.)

I don't have a switch to switch between them, the red one is dedicated
car battery, the yellow on is dedicated winch battery.

as I mentioned I found the schematics on the net.

Ron

JimG wrote:
> Looking for thoughts on dual battery setups. I have been running a dual
> setup for over a year now. Just replaced my batteries because of one bad
> and both boiling over all the time. I use a solenoid system to bridge the
> two together with an in cab switch to select - at ignition, off, or
> emergency on. Ran across this article:
>
> http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...tery_setup.htm
>
> While not impressed with this guys installation, this Dave Kamp fellow that
> he corresponded with seems to know his stuff! Got me thinking about adding
> an isolator to prevent in-rush when one battery is much lower than the other
> (probably the demise of my old batteries).
>
> Any other dual battery setups? Thoughts?
>

Re: Dual battery installations
 

there is also a setup (found it on the net) I have it for a few years
and works really well.

basically I have a red top optima as a "car" battery, and a deep cycle
(yellow top optima) for the winch. both get charged by the alternator,
but they get used "seperately" (when the yellow one has drained I still
have the red one, and the other way around.)

I don't have a switch to switch between them, the red one is dedicated
car battery, the yellow on is dedicated winch battery.

as I mentioned I found the schematics on the net.

Ron

JimG wrote:
> Looking for thoughts on dual battery setups. I have been running a dual
> setup for over a year now. Just replaced my batteries because of one bad
> and both boiling over all the time. I use a solenoid system to bridge the
> two together with an in cab switch to select - at ignition, off, or
> emergency on. Ran across this article:
>
> http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...tery_setup.htm
>
> While not impressed with this guys installation, this Dave Kamp fellow that
> he corresponded with seems to know his stuff! Got me thinking about adding
> an isolator to prevent in-rush when one battery is much lower than the other
> (probably the demise of my old batteries).
>
> Any other dual battery setups? Thoughts?
>

Re: Dual battery installations
 

Do you still have a URL for those directions?

Ron Croonenberg wrote:

> there is also a setup (found it on the net) I have it for a few years
> and works really well.
>
> basically I have a red top optima as a "car" battery, and a deep cycle
> (yellow top optima) for the winch. both get charged by the alternator,
> but they get used "seperately" (when the yellow one has drained I still
> have the red one, and the other way around.)
>
> I don't have a switch to switch between them, the red one is dedicated
> car battery, the yellow on is dedicated winch battery.
>
> as I mentioned I found the schematics on the net.
>
> Ron

--
__________________________________________________ _________
tw

03 TJ Rubicon - Rubicon Express 4.5"
01 XJ Sport

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
-- Dave Barry

Pronunciation: 'jEp
Function: noun
Date: 1940

Etymology: probably from g. p. (abbreviation of general purpose)
A small general-purpose motor vehicle with 80-inch wheelbase,
1/4-ton capacity, and four-wheel drive used by the U.S. army in
World War II.

(Please remove the OBVIOUS to reply by email)
__________________________________________________ _________

Re: Dual battery installations
 

Do you still have a URL for those directions?

Ron Croonenberg wrote:

> there is also a setup (found it on the net) I have it for a few years
> and works really well.
>
> basically I have a red top optima as a "car" battery, and a deep cycle
> (yellow top optima) for the winch. both get charged by the alternator,
> but they get used "seperately" (when the yellow one has drained I still
> have the red one, and the other way around.)
>
> I don't have a switch to switch between them, the red one is dedicated
> car battery, the yellow on is dedicated winch battery.
>
> as I mentioned I found the schematics on the net.
>
> Ron

--
__________________________________________________ _________
tw

03 TJ Rubicon - Rubicon Express 4.5"
01 XJ Sport

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
-- Dave Barry

Pronunciation: 'jEp
Function: noun
Date: 1940

Etymology: probably from g. p. (abbreviation of general purpose)
A small general-purpose motor vehicle with 80-inch wheelbase,
1/4-ton capacity, and four-wheel drive used by the U.S. army in
World War II.

(Please remove the OBVIOUS to reply by email)
__________________________________________________ _________

Re: Dual battery installations
 

Do you still have a URL for those directions?

Ron Croonenberg wrote:

> there is also a setup (found it on the net) I have it for a few years
> and works really well.
>
> basically I have a red top optima as a "car" battery, and a deep cycle
> (yellow top optima) for the winch. both get charged by the alternator,
> but they get used "seperately" (when the yellow one has drained I still
> have the red one, and the other way around.)
>
> I don't have a switch to switch between them, the red one is dedicated
> car battery, the yellow on is dedicated winch battery.
>
> as I mentioned I found the schematics on the net.
>
> Ron

--
__________________________________________________ _________
tw

03 TJ Rubicon - Rubicon Express 4.5"
01 XJ Sport

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
-- Dave Barry

Pronunciation: 'jEp
Function: noun
Date: 1940

Etymology: probably from g. p. (abbreviation of general purpose)
A small general-purpose motor vehicle with 80-inch wheelbase,
1/4-ton capacity, and four-wheel drive used by the U.S. army in
World War II.

(Please remove the OBVIOUS to reply by email)
__________________________________________________ _________

Re: Dual battery installations
 

That wouldn't be possible (if you don't have a switch or solenoid)
unless you have a diode isolator between the two batteries.
Otherwise, they both would have a common connection at the alternator,
and would be in parallel.

----

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 17:02:00 -0500, Ron Croonenberg <ronc@depauw.edu>
wrote:

>there is also a setup (found it on the net) I have it for a few years
>and works really well.
>
>basically I have a red top optima as a "car" battery, and a deep cycle
>(yellow top optima) for the winch. both get charged by the alternator,
>but they get used "seperately" (when the yellow one has drained I still
>have the red one, and the other way around.)
>
>I don't have a switch to switch between them, the red one is dedicated
>car battery, the yellow on is dedicated winch battery.
>
>as I mentioned I found the schematics on the net.
>
>Ron

Re: Dual battery installations
 

That wouldn't be possible (if you don't have a switch or solenoid)
unless you have a diode isolator between the two batteries.
Otherwise, they both would have a common connection at the alternator,
and would be in parallel.

----

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 17:02:00 -0500, Ron Croonenberg <ronc@depauw.edu>
wrote:

>there is also a setup (found it on the net) I have it for a few years
>and works really well.
>
>basically I have a red top optima as a "car" battery, and a deep cycle
>(yellow top optima) for the winch. both get charged by the alternator,
>but they get used "seperately" (when the yellow one has drained I still
>have the red one, and the other way around.)
>
>I don't have a switch to switch between them, the red one is dedicated
>car battery, the yellow on is dedicated winch battery.
>
>as I mentioned I found the schematics on the net.
>
>Ron

Re: Dual battery installations
 

That wouldn't be possible (if you don't have a switch or solenoid)
unless you have a diode isolator between the two batteries.
Otherwise, they both would have a common connection at the alternator,
and would be in parallel.

----

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 17:02:00 -0500, Ron Croonenberg <ronc@depauw.edu>
wrote:

>there is also a setup (found it on the net) I have it for a few years
>and works really well.
>
>basically I have a red top optima as a "car" battery, and a deep cycle
>(yellow top optima) for the winch. both get charged by the alternator,
>but they get used "seperately" (when the yellow one has drained I still
>have the red one, and the other way around.)
>
>I don't have a switch to switch between them, the red one is dedicated
>car battery, the yellow on is dedicated winch battery.
>
>as I mentioned I found the schematics on the net.
>
>Ron