Surepower connection help w/ diagram

Here is how I wired up my batteries w/ the Surepower 1314 last night.
1)Did I miss anything?
2)Should I have done something differently?
3)How do I go about charging this system?

Originally Posted by wakecumberland

Here is how I wired up my batteries w/ the Surepower 1314 last night.
1)Did I miss anything?
2)Should I have done something differently?
3)How do I go about charging this system?

1) The only thing I see missing is the small gauge negative from the surepower to one of the battery negatives. I would run it to the starting battery.
2) No need to run a separate cable from the engine to the negative of the stereo battery. Just use a short cable and connect both batteries negative's together.
3) I am not sure what you mean by this? The alternator will keep the batteries somewhat charged up. If you are referring to charging with a battery charger I think I would find a way to disconnect the surepower unit so the batteries are separate and then get a 2 bank charger so they batteries charge individually.

After seeing what boat you have I am not sure the main power for the gauges, switches, blower, bilge, etc are hooked directly to the battery. There is probably a harness back by the engine that supplies power to the main bus bars. One thing I would make sure and do is rewire the deck so it is getting powered off the stereo battery instead of the starting battery.

Absolutely what Brett said. If the amplifiers are going to a dedicated stereo battery or bank then ALL stereo source unit, EQ, etc, supplies must be removed from the factory harness and connected to the same bank as the amplifiers. This scheme is entirely different from a dual battery switch or some other brands of ACR/VSRs.

David
Earmark Marine

Brett,
1) I thought the negative coming off the Surepower was only if you are running the optional switch?
2) I realize the ground was overkill but my friend who helped me had the extra cable so we went ahead and ran it.
3) That's exactly what I was referring to, how to charge with a battery charger. Thanks!

Brett & David,

Im not sure where to even begin with powering the deck with the amp battery! Any pointers you can share? Thanks again!

You need the ground for the switch to work. It is basically just a big relay. There is a diagram on here somewhere on how to wire your head unit into the stereo battery. I'll see if I can find it, but it too will require a relay. As for charging, I only charge my stereo batteries. With the engine off, the voltage of my starting battery is not high enough to kick in the surepower.

what's up adam, how's my boat running?!

hope you're not logging too many hours this season!

what david and brett are saying is that all of your stereo equipment; the head unit, amps, eq, HSE, etc, need to be powered and GROUNDED to the stereo battery(ies). they all need to share a common ground otherwise, you'll have noise in your system; i.e., alternator wine, etc. it's easy really. i have a similar setup with the 1314 and 3 batteries (1 for boat, start, boat electronics and 2 for the stereo system). if your amps are already connected to the stereo battery, then you're halfway there. david may be able to offer other suggestions, but the easiest way (the way i did it) was to just re-run your head unit power and ground to the stereo battery directly and bypass your ignition. the upside is you don't have to turn your key to ACC to listen to the stereo with the boat off, the downside is, you have to remember to turn off your system at the end of the day. then all you need to do is invest in a good battery charger. get a good multi-bank one that you can either mount inside, or one that has quick connects with caps that you can quickly hook up back at home off the water. i cheaped out and bought a multi-bank battery tender off of amazon. david would say i'm selling myself short because the low amp rate (i think it's like 1.25A per lead) will allow my batteries to sulfate, re-charge slower and shorten the life of the batteries, but it's a shortfall i'm living with until i buy 3 new batteries. hope this helps a little. the 1314 does it's job for sure, just be sure to get a charger. i think when it comes time for me to buy new batteries, i'll buy 4 (3 for the stereo) a good high amp multi-bank charger and then just completely remove my stereo bank from the boat charging system (alternator).

Bruce,
If I were running as many batteries as you project then I would run an even number on the stereo side and run cascading SurePowers on two banks of two. This way you can safely maintain all these batteries on the alternator thereby getting a little service charge here and there and keep the batteries from cycling as deep. And you are correct in that those with an automatic combiner/separator have a greater need for a good AC shore charger versus those who do not. The drag of multiple depleted batteries along with the stereo can pull down the voltage so that the 1314 can't close and bring the stereo batteries on-line with the alternator. Without a charger you can easily start out the following weekend in the hole.

David
Earmark Marine

On a related subject. And I bring this up because Adam may want to do it to. In order to upgrade the charging wire, I need to run from the alternator to where? Battery? Surepower? Big wire on starter?

Jon,
An upgrade cable would not change the cable destination. The positive side still runs from the
alternator directly to the starting battery in the Surepower scheme. If you are upgrading the positive you should simultaneously upgrade the engine block to battery ground cable with the equal gauge.

David
Earmark Marine

Bruce, Glad to hear you are taking good care of MY boat! I'm trying to keep up with you. Thanks for the tips and if anyone has some additional info on rewiring the headunit please share!

Jon,
What is the need in upgrading the charging wire? I think mine is 2GA.

2GA from the alt??? Mine is maybe 10. If you have 2 there is no reason to do anything.

Thanks. I have not traced the wire yet, I just saw it went into some loom. I didn't know if it went anywhere first or branched off before the battery. My neg appears to already be 4ga.

Anyone find a diagram for rewiring the headunit? Hope to get it panned out Thursday.

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showt...stereo+isolate

Thanks Jon!

here is a simple diagram...