Suggest me a new Battery Selector Switch

[oldmako69]

Blue Sea Systems, BEO, Cllena, Perko, Attwood, Joey Chitwood, Field-Disconnect etc etc. etc.

OK, After taking V readings from all over the map, and my general level of disgust with the rigging of my 12 year old yacht-t-t-t-t-t (Raymond Luxury Yacht-t-t-t-t) I have decided to remove, and smash into tiny bits my old Perko 8501 switches. When I select OFF, I expect to see zero volts at the engine, not 2.5 or some other random number.

1. Do I need a switch with built in Field Disconnect?
2. What switch do you recommend?
3. Or, which do you NOT recommend?

Here's the set-up.

Two 2005 YAM F225 4 Strokes
Two 850 CA deep cycles.
One 100 Watt Solar Panel who's primary function is trickle charging when the boat is not in use.

The advantage of sticking with the Perko 8501 is that they're vertically stacked, one above the other which greatly facilitates the wiring set up. There are 8 inch pig tails running up from switch one, to switch two. I'd rather not have to rewire the whole mess.

A bit surprised at the number of available switches, so I could use some enlightenment. Light me up, if you will.

[pstephens46]

I like Blue Seas. What's a field disconnect?

[oldmako69]

I believe that it disconnects the trons should one inadvertently select OFF while the engine was running. It protects the diodes in the alternator by shutting off the alternator output. I shut down my own output a while ago and I am now consuming instead.


But I am heavily self medicated at this point and I could be wrong.

[pstephens46]

Starting to medicate myself.

Fairdeal commented on this awhile back. Forget the term he used. Indicated, I believe, many manufacturers now incorporate this into switches. Damn if I know. Maybe he will enlighten us.

[fairdeal]

"field disconnect" feature is for an engine with an automobile-type alternator - which has an "excited field"

our Yamaha's have a permanent magnet instead. So not needed, nothing to connect it to.

The battery selector switch should in either case be stated as "make before break" -
which allows choosing between battery 1 or 2 without the possibility of "neither"

[pstephens46]

Ok. So we are idling on battery switch setting 1. We want to move to battery switch 2. I'm guessing if we spin the dial past and through "both" setting to get to battery 2 setting, no power loss will occur? If we spin in the other direction, across the "0ff" setting, we are screwed?

[pstephens46]

Ok. So we are idling on battery switch setting 1. We want to move to battery switch 2. I'm guessing if we spin the dial past and through "both" setting to get to battery 2 setting, no power loss will occur? If we spin in the other direction, across the "0ff" setting, we are screwed?

No sarcasm, I'm asking...people have indicated horrible things will happen if you move that switch while the motor is running.

This might be a good shoot em up topic for THT!

[fairdeal]

Certainly, conventional wisdom is that " it would be bad" for the reg/ rectifier

But I have no first hand knowledge....

[oldmako69]

No sarcasm, I'm asking...people have indicated horrible things will happen if you move that switch while the motor is running.

This might be a good shoot em up topic for THT!

For most boats, and if you're not sure, move it anywhere you like just as long as you never select the OFF position while the engine is running.

[pstephens46]

I'm still scared.

[99yam40]

back in the 60s you could drive a car without a battery installed or drive a car without a generator installed while it ran on battery voltage.
I did both.
that is no longer true from what all I have read.
just like these Yamahas bad things happen when you have a bad connection to the battery much less cutting it out of the system all together

[panasonic]

How about one of these...keep it away from the gas tanks..