www.iFourWinns.com

Well I have a 18 horizon and use radio alot and was thinking about going to a 2 baatery system.
Blue Sea Systems Add a Battery is what I was going to start with, than I need 2 new batts . What should i get?


Or just do a single new battery with PriorityStart® Battery Protector.
Still need to know what batteru to get.

Only use a radio with 4 speakers so I probally could just do single batt.

Help please guys

I put in a simple 2 battery (group 27 dual purpose) system with a switch (1,2,both,off). With the dual purpose batteries I can run the radios (sirius and VHF) for as long as I need without a problem. You can go with a battery combiner and not have to remember to flip the switch to alterate the use of batteries but I have not had any dead battery problems since Iwent with this system...
I also replaced all of the battery cables at the same time (boat was 17 years old then) and up sized them from the puny 4 ga stuff used OE to 2 ga Ancor Marine wire....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I would always encourage someone who is asking to go with a two battery system. The details of it depend on you but, at the minimum, put in two matching batteries with a selector switch that is a 1/2/BOTH/OFF type of switch. That is the basic setup.

From there, you can decide whether you are the type of guy who would rather control use and charging with the switch or whether you'd be better off with an isolator or combiner setup what would provide automatic charging.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

The Blue Sea System's is nice, but it's alot more expensive than you need...

A good, Perko, dual battery switch is probably about 40 bucks.... And then a couple of group 27 batteries -- and you'll be able to run the radio all day long.

Just use battery cabling that is sufficient for longer term expansion.

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

OK I realize this is a bit late on this post but let me tell you what I did last year.

I like to take the boat out and just anchor and chill playing the radio. I had been going through a set of walmarts largest batteries every year. So I bought Lifeline batteries and seperated my system. I put in a Lifeline GPL-27T for the start battery and two GPL-4CT (6V) for the house. I also replaced the switch to the Blue Sea Add a battery, Xantrex True Charge 2 40 amp charger with remote panel and battery temp sensor. I then also added an another relay that I'll explain in a minute and a lot of new marine grade wire.

I took about 3 days of searching everywhere for where the house and start were at and seperate. It was a 8 guage red/blue stripe wire connected to a fuse panel under the dash. I pulled that off and placed a small panel in to reconnect the starter switch to it. Then I needed to run another wire in for the fuse panel which were the rest of the fuses for house. Had to make brackets for the batteries to sit in and made adjustable straps to hold them down. I couldn't find brackets that fit the batteries. I put in the new charger (the old OEM charger had died anyways) pulled the old 1, 2, both, off switch to the Add-a-battery. This switch makes it easy so that you can by accident leave it on both and discharge both batteries. The built in relay seperates the batteries when you shut the engine off so you have house and start. The reasoning for the Xantrex charge I chose is that it will charge up to 3 banks at the same time and not like other chargers that claim this. The other chargers really cycle from one bank to another and only charge one bank at a time. The Blue Sea switch will combine the batteries when there is charging going on and I didn't want this because of the chargers capabilities. Called Blue sea and talked it over with them (at first they said no charger charges multiple batteries at the same time then I told them which charger I had and they said OH ok that charges does do that) they recommended a relay to go through so that when you plug into shore power and turn on the charger the additional relay will bypass the Blue Sea relay for charging (but for the charger only and not for the alternator when the engine in on). One of the biggest pain in the --- doing this was runing wire from the engine compartment to the dash and to the interior power panel was running the wires through the walls. I figured out a way and ran some nylon cord through and the cord was 2 1/2 times longer than what I needed. I then tied off the cord at both ends to something so if I ever need to run wires or anything else back and forth I just connect it to the cord and pull it through.

This year being the first full year I have used my new setup I couldn't be happier. I have not run any battery down once or even come close to it. The two 6V house batteries gives me 220 amps.

I'm not saying everyone should do this but for what I do this solved my problems.

Eric (elmwood)

1996 258 Vista

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1996 258 Vista 5.8L Fi Cobra SX
2007 (NBS) 2500HD Ext Cab, Long Bed