Hello.

I have a 12 volt a Deep Cycle Boat trolling motor battery I'd like to
keep charged via my chevy s10 v6 blazer. I currently have two 4 guage
wires running about 6 feet to the back of the car connecting the
primary battery to an 800watt inverter. With the engine running I can
I drill, cut wood, make popcorn and and fry fish on an electric
skillet - it's awesome.

I'd also like to charge that trolling battery as I drive around. I
know most will tell me to get a fancy isolator and connect it to all
sorts of places in the truck. WHY? Any way I can safely hook it up to
that 4 gauge wire with diodes and pull from both batteries and the
alternator when using the inverter, but never ever pull from the
trolling battery or the inverter for anything relating to the car. I
figure any small amount of current to the second battery will keep it
topped off, but any risk of loosing normal draw for starting or normal
operation of the viechle. Any chance the guys at best buy will be
able to put this simple solution for me? they originally install the
inverted and did a great job for $50. What are the risks?

Many thanks for *any* help or information.

From what I understand a battery isolator isolates the 2 batteries so
that you can run accessories with the engine off, depleting the deep
cycle only. Once the deep cycle depletes, thats it... no more fried
fish. it does not allow the vehicle battery to deplete and compensate
for the dead deep cycle. at the same time it separates the batteries so
that the vehicle runs off one batt and the accessories run off the deep
cycle.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, I think theres more to it than a diode
to control the current flow in most isolators. I always thought they
monitor current flow and battery voltage too...???

garrett

wrote:
Hello.

I have a 12 volt a Deep Cycle Boat trolling motor battery I'd like to
keep charged via my chevy s10 v6 blazer. I currently have two 4 guage
wires running about 6 feet to the back of the car connecting the
primary battery to an 800watt inverter. With the engine running I can
I drill, cut wood, make popcorn and and fry fish on an electric
skillet - it's awesome.

I'd also like to charge that trolling battery as I drive around. I
know most will tell me to get a fancy isolator and connect it to all
sorts of places in the truck. WHY? Any way I can safely hook it up to
that 4 gauge wire with diodes and pull from both batteries and the
alternator when using the inverter, but never ever pull from the
trolling battery or the inverter for anything relating to the car. I
figure any small amount of current to the second battery will keep it
topped off, but any risk of loosing normal draw for starting or normal
operation of the viechle. Any chance the guys at best buy will be
able to put this simple solution for me? they originally install the
inverted and did a great job for $50. What are the risks?

Many thanks for *any* help or information.

Don't do it. Your charging system isn't smart enough to know the difference
between two different battery types and it will not charge them correctly.


Paul Vina



wrote in message
om...
Hello.

I have a 12 volt a Deep Cycle Boat trolling motor battery I'd like to
keep charged via my chevy s10 v6 blazer. I currently have two 4 guage
wires running about 6 feet to the back of the car connecting the
primary battery to an 800watt inverter. With the engine running I can
I drill, cut wood, make popcorn and and fry fish on an electric
skillet - it's awesome.

I'd also like to charge that trolling battery as I drive around. I
know most will tell me to get a fancy isolator and connect it to all
sorts of places in the truck. WHY? Any way I can safely hook it up to
that 4 gauge wire with diodes and pull from both batteries and the
alternator when using the inverter, but never ever pull from the
trolling battery or the inverter for anything relating to the car. I
figure any small amount of current to the second battery will keep it
topped off, but any risk of loosing normal draw for starting or normal
operation of the viechle. Any chance the guys at best buy will be
able to put this simple solution for me? they originally install the
inverted and did a great job for $50. What are the risks?

Many thanks for *any* help or information.

"Paul Vina" wrote in message news:Lnhvb.200600$275.746892@attbi_s53...
Don't do it. Your charging system isn't smart enough to know the difference
between two different battery types and it will not charge them correctly.

No expert here, but I thought it just kept sending juice until no more
juice could be stored.

On the subject of overcharging. Another idea I had was to keep the
battery topped off with small solar panel. Would anybody know...

I'm in Sunny South Florida, what kind of small solar panel could I use
(without a charge control) to keep a 12 volt battery topped-off even
if intitially almost completly discharged. And would it matter if the
battery is deep cycle, standard lead, or a small sealed gel 10ah
battery?

Thanks.

"sanitarium" wrote in message
...
From what I understand a battery isolator isolates the 2 batteries so
that you can run accessories with the engine off, depleting the deep
cycle only. Once the deep cycle depletes, thats it... no more fried
fish. it does not allow the vehicle battery to deplete and compensate
for the dead deep cycle. at the same time it separates the batteries so
that the vehicle runs off one batt and the accessories run off the deep
cycle.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, I think theres more to it than a diode
to control the current flow in most isolators. I always thought they
monitor current flow and battery voltage too...???

garrett



actually, a pair of diodes is all that is needed to isolate the batteries.

Optima did a whole big study onit a number of years ago and foud that it
wasn't a good idea to use two different battery types in one car unless they
separate charging systems.



Paul Vina



wrote in message
om...
"Paul Vina" wrote in message
news:Lnhvb.200600$275.746892@attbi_s53...
Don't do it. Your charging system isn't smart enough to know the
difference
between two different battery types and it will not charge them
correctly.

No expert here, but I thought it just kept sending juice until no more
juice could be stored.

On the subject of overcharging. Another idea I had was to keep the
battery topped off with small solar panel. Would anybody know...

I'm in Sunny South Florida, what kind of small solar panel could I use
(without a charge control) to keep a 12 volt battery topped-off even
if intitially almost completly discharged. And would it matter if the
battery is deep cycle, standard lead, or a small sealed gel 10ah
battery?

Thanks.

"Paul Vina" wrote in message
news:O8qvb.204149$ao4.722357@attbi_s51...
Optima did a whole big study onit a number of years ago and foud that it
wasn't a good idea to use two different battery types in one car unless
they
separate charging systems.

you got a copy of that 'study' handy?
--
sancho

Nope. If you callor email them I'm sure they'll send you a copy.



Paul Vina




"sancho" tR-003.at.ev1.dot.net wrote in message
...

"Paul Vina" wrote in message
news:O8qvb.204149$ao4.722357@attbi_s51...
Optima did a whole big study onit a number of years ago and foud that it
wasn't a good idea to use two different battery types in one car unless
they
separate charging systems.

you got a copy of that 'study' handy?
--
sancho

Somehow, I seem to sense doubt from el Sancho.
Seems out of character!

--
John Spagnolo - teamROCS #016
Multi Media Xpress Car Audio www.mmxpress.com
"It's about the music stupid!" John "Batvette" Lucier 98'
R.A.C. FAQ: http://www.mobileaudio.com/rac-faq/
JL Audio Tech Section: http://www.jlaudio.com/tutorials
MMXpress Tech Section: http://www.mmxpress.com/technical/


"sancho" tR-003.at.ev1.dot.net wrote in message
...

"Paul Vina" wrote in message
news:O8qvb.204149$ao4.722357@attbi_s51...
Optima did a whole big study onit a number of years ago and foud that it
wasn't a good idea to use two different battery types in one car unless
they
separate charging systems.

you got a copy of that 'study' handy?
--
sancho

Somehow, I seem to sense doubt from el Sancho.

i'm glad someone did...

Seems out of character!

yeah?
--
sancho
skeptical... incredulous... doubtful indeed...

Yeah. You coming back to RAC is just enough to bring me back outta the
woods. I miss the entertainment.

--
John Spagnolo - teamROCS #016
Multi Media Xpress Car Audio www.mmxpress.com
"It's about the music stupid!" John "Batvette" Lucier 98'
R.A.C. FAQ: http://www.mobileaudio.com/rac-faq/
JL Audio Tech Section: http://www.jlaudio.com/tutorials
MMXpress Tech Section: http://www.mmxpress.com/technical/


"sancho" tR-003.at.ev1.dot.net wrote in message
...
Somehow, I seem to sense doubt from el Sancho.

i'm glad someone did...

Seems out of character!

yeah?
--
sancho
skeptical... incredulous... doubtful indeed...