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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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C250 Second Battery

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Dkn420
Captain

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USA
298 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/09/2004 : 16:21:11

I'm in the process of gathering up what I will need to install a second battery on my 2004 C250 WK, which has the existing battery in the v-berth. I'm curious what location others have used for a second battery and how they made that installation. Any ideas and photos would be appreciated...Thanks, Dan #727

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Bubba
Admiral

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USA
542 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2004 : 20:55:16

Dan, I'm engaged in the same process except my factory-installed battery is in the stern. I plan to glass in a shelf under the v-berth with notches cut in it for tie-down straps. This may take a while, so I can't offer any pictures yet.

Was your battery factory-installed in the v-berth? I'd like to see a picture of that. Maybe I should wait and have a peek inside a new 250 at the Annapolis Boat Show next month . . .

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Ben - FL
Admiral

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880 Posts

Response Posted - 09/11/2004 : 22:11:48

Here is what I posted a some days ago.

http://www.catalina25-250.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7495

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sterngucker
Navigator

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USA
169 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2004 : 04:01:43

Dan,
I am also curious as to how your battery was mounted under the v-berth. Did you or the dealer relocate it? My battery was in a pre-formed tray behind the aft bulkhead. I replaced the lead-acid with two gel cell batteries and relocated them underneath the port and starboard settees where they could easily be inspected or removed . I hope the pictures below show clear enough how they were mounted. I only have to unscrew the one wing nut and the battery tray slides aft and can be lifted out through the settee opening. It was a very easy installation, they are very secure, and the weight stays in the center of the boat, balanced port to starboard.

I then built a switch box for the batteries. They are wired as described in the West Marine catalog which I have been very pleased with. I have the "house" connected to one battery and the motor to the other, but I can run everything off of one or the other or both. I wired a battery combiner between the two batteries so when one is getting charged, they both are, as they require it. The digital voltmeters were fairly cheap ($20) and draw less than a milliamp of current, so I don't mind letting them stay on as long as the battery is switched on.

If you have any questions just let me know.

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528
Navigator

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USA
181 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2004 : 09:26:08

I recently finished installing a second battery just behind the wet locker. It is accesable directly from the aft birth. This minimizes cable runs and I felt would help latteraly balance the boat. I would prefer to put the weight more forward, but this was a compromise. I can post pics later if interested. I made a small plywood platform and scribe fitted along port hull. The shelf is screwed into from through the wet locker and the aft birth. I did not install a switch since the Nissan starts with one pull. I also installed a 5w solar panel which worked beautifully on our trip in Saginaw Bay last week. It was $40 from Harbor Freight vs. $80 at WM.

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frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2004 : 11:13:38

Charlie, very professional install, especially your wire routing and the electrical panel. I intend to add two golf cart batteries to the v-berth on PennyII, but more forward. I installed an extra 12 gallon water tank (General's shower water) and Arlyn's blaster pump setup which required the repositioning of the water tanks. I will have to glass in support for them and then wire.
I think Dan's battery was installed in the v-berth by the factory due to the inboard engine weight aft requiring that additional weight be move forward. Just a theory nothing to substantiate it.

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Dkn420
Captain

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USA
298 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2004 : 12:36:57

Charlie: Jerry is correct about the location of the original battery and I will email a couple of photos to you. Thanks for the photos and the idea of putting a battery on each side of the boat. I still want to try and get them both in the v-berth, but your modification looks great! I also like your panel. It looks like you went with a battery combiner for your system? I have two Group 24 Gel's and a battery combiner. Also found a panel at WM (top of page 634 in the new catalog) that will fit into the original battery switch location and give me the independent battery switches that go with the combiner. I still like your panel, and will try to do something similar for 12V outlets and meters. I also have a 10 watt flexible solar panel to keep things topped off. Thanks very much for posting the photos, greatly appreciated!

Jerry...Hope that Ivan doesn't come your way...may see you in November sometime on the way to St. Thomas...Dan #727

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mday
Navigator

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197 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2004 : 01:30:27

Charlie: I agree -- very nice work!

Dan: Be careful with the battery combiner and solar panel with the gel batteries -- they're sensitive to overvoltage and need a regulator designed for gel cells. I unknowingly cooked a couple very expensive gel batteries with the system installed on my C250 (bought used) that was feeding unregulated output from a solar panel through a combiner. I guess they thought the combiner would regulate the solar panel, but this wasn't the case. The panel was putting out over 20 volts, and that was way too much for the batteries. An inexpensive regulator (under $20) fixed the problem and things have been working fine for years. Unfortunately, I didn't want to risk the $$$$ on a new set of gel cells and I've had to suffer through many trips through the aft berth filling up wet cells. The solar panel has been keeping the batteries in such good shape I'm wondering if they're ever going to die (and how much longer I have to wriggle through the aft berth with squirt bottles of water to top them off).

Max

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Dkn420
Captain

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USA
298 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2004 : 15:54:04

Max: Thanks for the heads-up. In reading the literature one could take that a regulator isn't needed with a combiner. Where did you put the regulator in your system in relation to the battery combiner? Thanks again for the information. Dan #727

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.