Blue Sea System Add A Battery Kit

Blue Sea System Add A Battery Kit,

Anyone have any experience with one of these kits. I am considering adding a battery, that would bring me up to five total for the boat. I already have a four bank charger and thought this guy might be the ticket, but I do not know of anyone who has rolled the dice with a this unit or one like it. Any thought would be appreciated. See link below for Product Info.

Blue Sea add a battery kit

I might be wrong but it looks like it does with 2 pieces what my Perko switch does in one. These allow you to choose which battery you are using or turn off all systems in the boat.

The ACR allows both batteries to charge off motor/shore power with one source. Not sure a selector switch is doing this unless it has a built in ACR.

Yes to being able to do both with my Perko switch. Switch positions are batt 1, batt 2 and both batt 1 & 2. I assume that we are just opening and closing circuits to allow current flow.

The ACR charges both batteries from one source. Alternator or onboard charger(single bank). When no charge is present the ACR separates the batteries. One for starting the main motor, the other referred to as the house battery. House battery will handle pumps, locators, lights, radio.
To do this with a conventional switch you would have to parallel the output of your alternator and or onboard charger. I’m not sure if that is recommended.

With a pelko switch in postion 1 you would only charge battery 1; postion 2 you would charge battery 2.

And position 3, both batteries.

This is also Blue Sea, interested in how this is different than your kit.

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The ACR would charge both batteries regardless of which position you have your switch in. In off, on, or both. the batteries would be charged by the charger/alternator.
I assume you have no battery separation on your loads. All your electrical loads are serviced by the battery selected by your switch 1 or 2 or both. I also assume your alternator will only charge the battery selected in position 1 or 2, not both. In both; both batteries would be charged.
The system I was looking at will allow separate loads on two different batteries with one common charging source.

My goal is to shed all load off my a battery except for starting the outboards and use the alternator/onboard charger to charge both batteries. This way i ensure no dead battery when I fish all day not running my outboards much. This happen more than I care for it too happen. This system I would do this if it works as advertised without any manual switching on my part.

It is on order; I will let you know if it I like it or not.

The think difference is a VSR (voltage sensitive relay).
As far as I know the Perko is just a selector, but the one you list has a VSR.
Here is a video about the perks of a VSR.

Also my only has on, off, and both. The VSR is the same or similar as an ACR. Thanks for the video Mark. Well put!!!

Here is the basic functional diagram. If you click on it it comes up whole.

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I finished this project. Seems to work flawlessly. On board charger is a minnkota mk 460 pc. Charged 2 group 31 agm batteries up fully. Float charge did not unparallel the acr during float charge. Install was tough due to space constraints and choice of in line circuit breakers. Had fine strand wire and breakers were definitely not for fine strand wire. Overcame this my tinning wires with solder and a maps gas torch. Solder iron was not hot enough for 4 awg wire. Used green scrubby to shine up wire after application of heat.

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Another photo.

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