How do you charge your 2nd (ACC) battery

So i am installing a dual battery bank, separated via perko 1/2/all/off switch. My question is how do you guys charge the second battery? I understand is as POS1 crank, then run on POS1 to charge crank, then switch to POS2 when parked, drain out that deep cycle battery then switch back to 1 to get home. Can I start with POS1 then with the motor running switch to POS2 and re-charge 2 with the engine running or will that kill my alternator? Is the only option to trickle charge at home?

Put the switch on ALL when your running the engine.

Bill K nailed it. Use #1 to start, run on All, and #2 to park/party.

Some of it depends on where you have your amps wire to. If they are wired to the common terminal then you have it wired wrong if you are using 2 different batteries. You should have the amps and anything stereo related wired directly off the deep cycle. When you put the boat in the water turn to position one. Once started, turn to all to keep a charge going to both batteries. Once stopped and listening to music turn back to position one. Then start the boat off the fully charged starting battery. Again, once started switch to the all position. Basically no need to ever switch to the 2 position.

I use the exact setup, but I also have a west marine combiner that hooks both together when the 1st bat is fully charged so it's automatic if I don't switch to all.

The only issue I'd point out is that if the engine is running (and the alternator spinning) & you switch the Perko, IF ever go across any contacts that are not fully connected, then I've read there is a chance you can blow your alternator. For this reason I pretty much only change the Perko when the engine is off. Starting on ALL, and running on ALL will start from both batteries & charge both batteries.

And sit & party with the Perko on the battery your amps are on (2 in my case).

Really the only reason I ever put it on 1, is when I have the boat moored on the lake. My bilge pump is hooked up to 1, so it always has power. But it's isolated from the amps battery.

I have three batteries and the same perko switch as you do. I always leave it on "all" when boating. This charges all batteries when the boats running. When we anchor I switch to bank "2" which isolates 2 batteries for the stereo. This way if I drain um I can switch to bank "1" and use the third battery to start the engine. I haven't had any alternator issues charging the 3 batteries, but I would make sure you alternator's output can handle multiple batteries. When on the trailer, I plug in my prosport 20 and keep all the batteries topped off. My manual backs up what Bill said about only switching "banks" with the engine off.

Spend the extra $150 and get an isolator setup. It is very much worth it. No forgetting about switching the perko, automatically combines batteries for charging when voltage is up and seperates them when its not.

What I currently have as well as several other members:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...classNum=10597

Cory has the right idea Blue Sea automatic switch only way to go. Had it in my boat for 5 years and only time I touch the switch is to store for winter and the one time I had a dead starting battery. Install it and forget it. You can buy the ACR by itself.
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Autom.../dp/B000OTIPDQ

1 when starting, ALL when running, 2 when engines off/ stereo is on OFF when its on the trailer.

If I have ran the #2 battery for a while, I will crank with #1 and then switch to #2 only for a littel while to help it re-charge faster.

The Perko you have is a "Make before Break" design meaning it makes the connection for the next setting before it breaks the previous connection. This way you have un-interrupted power and can switch the controller while running with no issues.

Do what Bill says for normal operation with your setup. I'm presuming your amp(s) are hooked up to your system to run off of which ever battery you select as well.
Or you could forego the Perko switch altogether, wire your amp(s) to battery #2, wire the rest of the boat to battery #1 (the amp(s) will be what draws down your battery when your parked. This will completely isolate the main load away from battery 1 when your parked. Then install an automatic relay/combiner like the Blue Sea 7610 ACR. That will combine the batteries automatically for charging when the boat is running but keep the loads separate.
The only glitch to this hands-off set up is re-charging off of a battery charger. You'll want to disable the link (ACR) between the 2 batteries because presumably one battery will be more discharged than the other so they should be charged separatley. This can be done with a simple on/off switch on the + leg going from either battery to the ACR.
Mine has been set up this way for 2 yrs and works great. I don't have the switch to kill the link betweent he batteries for shore charging yet but since I installed an on board charger/maintainer I need to do that to prevent overcharging the start battery while the house battery is getting re-charged.
Sounds complicated, but once set up, no need to throw switches at all for day to day use.

Installed a blue sea add-a-battery with an ACR. Automatically connects the battery for charging and disconnects to isolate when boat is off. Totally worth it in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Thrall

Do what Bill says for normal operation with your setup. I'm presuming your amp(s) are hooked up to your system to run off of which ever battery you select as well.
Or you could forego the Perko switch altogether, wire your amp(s) to battery #2, wire the rest of the boat to battery #1 (the amp(s) will be what draws down your battery when your parked. This will completely isolate the main load away from battery 1 when your parked. Then install an automatic relay/combiner like the Blue Sea 7610 ACR. That will combine the batteries automatically for charging when the boat is running but keep the loads separate.
The only glitch to this hands-off set up is re-charging off of a battery charger. You'll want to disable the link (ACR) between the 2 batteries because presumably one battery will be more discharged than the other so they should be charged separatley. This can be done with a simple on/off switch on the + leg going from either battery to the ACR.
Mine has been set up this way for 2 yrs and works great. I don't have the switch to kill the link betweent he batteries for shore charging yet but since I installed an on board charger/maintainer I need to do that to prevent overcharging the start battery while the house battery is getting re-charged.
Sounds complicated, but once set up, no need to throw switches at all for day to day use.

Its actually easier to just use a simple toggle to open the small ground wire for the - side of the ACR's coil.

Thanks for all the info! I will post pics of the setup when i'm done... now i just have to decide on the battery.

Originally Posted by chpthril

Its actually easier to just use a simple toggle to open the small ground wire for the - side of the ACR's coil.

Any way to do this with a relay that would sense the voltage from the charger and open the ground circuit on the ACR?

Originally Posted by shawndoggy

Any way to do this with a relay that would sense the voltage from the charger and open the ground circuit on the ACR?

I toyed around with it one day for a few hours and couldn't come up with something that wasn't overly complicated and without the use of diodes. I bet there is a solid-state device that will do what we want, I just haven't spent the time looking for it. I was later thinking of pitting a simple door-jam type plunger switch in the cover that accesses the charger plug. One the little door is open, it opens the ground circuit and opens the ACR. When done charging, unplug the power cord and close the door and the ACR is now back in the loop.

Originally Posted by chpthril

I toyed around with it one day for a few hours and couldn't come up with something that wasn't overly complicated and without the use of diodes. I bet there is a solid-state device that will do what we want, I just haven't spent the time looking for it. I was later thinking of pitting a simple door-jam type plunger switch in the cover that accesses the charger plug. One the little door is open, it opens the ground circuit and opens the ACR. When done charging, unplug the power cord and close the door and the ACR is now back in the loop.

yeah the part that makes my brain hurt in trying to figure out how to get the relay to work is that the 12v+ that you'd sense to open the ground circuit from the charger is also hooked to the battery, so there'd be live 12v+ power to it all the time.

What about tying the 12v+ to the ignition so that when the ignition is off the ground is always open?

Originally Posted by shawndoggy

yeah the part that makes my brain hurt in trying to figure out how to get the relay to work is that the 12v+ that you'd sense to open the ground circuit from the charger is also hooked to the battery, so there'd be live 12v+ power to it all the time.

What about tying the 12v+ to the ignition so that when the ignition is off the ground is always open?

That might do it. ues switched 12V (ignition on) to close the relay contacts to supply the needed ground. Ignition off = no ground to the ACR = ACR open.

Ok, what was this thread about again My mind is swirling as Im trying to build a ballast system and do 12V at the same time I need to mock this up on the demo board here in the shop.