I own a Trojan F-30 cruiser and am replacing the batteries with group 29's. The age of the boat is 1977 and has the toggle switches for both engines when you start it. Also on the panel are two red toggle switches called "emergency start" which allows you to start one engine and if the other battery is low, you can flip the red switch and start the other engine. I forgot what they call this in my hull but it is located directly behind the batteries.
I think I would hook up my batteries in Parallel and not in series.
Also some people have told me to get a battery switch selector but I am not sure if I need that if I can start one engine and then start the other one by using the red emergency start switch.
Thanks in advance for any advice on this.
Battery configuration in F-30 Trojan
Moderators: BeaconMarineBob, Moderator, BeaconMarineDon
I own a single engine F-26, but have done a lot of AC and DC upgrades over the past few years. I'm no electrical engineer, but the following may help:
According to my 1977 Trojan Owner's Manual, the following comes right from page 17 of the manual:
"12 Volt System in Twin Engine Boats
Twin engine models have two engine batteries which are placed in a split circuit wiring system.
One battery, battery "A", is normally mainly reserved for engine starting, while battery "B" is connected to accessories that are normally used at anchor or dockside. A battery paralleling solenoid is automatically energized whenever either starting circuit is turned on, thereby devoting the total power of both batteries to engine starting.
In an emergency, on twin engine models, it is also possible to parellel the batteries by manually holding the emergency start toggle switch over to either battery. If it will not energize the paralleling solenoid when held in one direction, hold the toggle in the opposite direction. When the toggle is released, all circuits return to normal."
To address some of your questions and ideas.....your batteries should be hooked up in parallel, not series. Series hookup increases the voltage from 12 V to 24 V.
If you're going to redo the system, I'd recommend you have a dedicated start bank and a dedicated house bank, with a switch or switches for each system that allows you to isolate them from one another or allows you to combine them in an emergency if your start bank gets drained.
Here is how my system is now set up.
I have a single group 24 starting battery (not a dual purpose or deep cycle - I found that the dual purpose ones get killed if they're used as a starting battery). and I have 2 group 29 deep cycles as my house bank. These are 120AH batteries wired in parallel, giving me 240AH of capacity to run the biggest drain on the system, the Norcold fridge. I have both systems tied to a single "1-2-All-Off" battery switch and linked to a Blue Seas Auto Starting Relay (ACR) which automatically senses each bank and does not alllow the start battery from EVER getting drained. Using this set up I basically leave the battery switch on house bank (2) all the time, and turn the ACR off when I plug into the dock electirical (which runs the battery charger) so the ACR doesn't continue to relay back and forth between the batteries and the charging source at dock (battery charger). When underway, I have the ACR on and the alternator is always toppinig off whatever battery needs the juice.
Hope some of this helps. There are a lot of previous posts and some really good advice from others on this forum, hopefully someone with an F30 can weigh in!
According to my 1977 Trojan Owner's Manual, the following comes right from page 17 of the manual:
"12 Volt System in Twin Engine Boats
Twin engine models have two engine batteries which are placed in a split circuit wiring system.
One battery, battery "A", is normally mainly reserved for engine starting, while battery "B" is connected to accessories that are normally used at anchor or dockside. A battery paralleling solenoid is automatically energized whenever either starting circuit is turned on, thereby devoting the total power of both batteries to engine starting.
In an emergency, on twin engine models, it is also possible to parellel the batteries by manually holding the emergency start toggle switch over to either battery. If it will not energize the paralleling solenoid when held in one direction, hold the toggle in the opposite direction. When the toggle is released, all circuits return to normal."
To address some of your questions and ideas.....your batteries should be hooked up in parallel, not series. Series hookup increases the voltage from 12 V to 24 V.
If you're going to redo the system, I'd recommend you have a dedicated start bank and a dedicated house bank, with a switch or switches for each system that allows you to isolate them from one another or allows you to combine them in an emergency if your start bank gets drained.
Here is how my system is now set up.
I have a single group 24 starting battery (not a dual purpose or deep cycle - I found that the dual purpose ones get killed if they're used as a starting battery). and I have 2 group 29 deep cycles as my house bank. These are 120AH batteries wired in parallel, giving me 240AH of capacity to run the biggest drain on the system, the Norcold fridge. I have both systems tied to a single "1-2-All-Off" battery switch and linked to a Blue Seas Auto Starting Relay (ACR) which automatically senses each bank and does not alllow the start battery from EVER getting drained. Using this set up I basically leave the battery switch on house bank (2) all the time, and turn the ACR off when I plug into the dock electirical (which runs the battery charger) so the ACR doesn't continue to relay back and forth between the batteries and the charging source at dock (battery charger). When underway, I have the ACR on and the alternator is always toppinig off whatever battery needs the juice.
Hope some of this helps. There are a lot of previous posts and some really good advice from others on this forum, hopefully someone with an F30 can weigh in!
Randy P
1977 F-26 HT
"Blue Heron"
1977 F-26 HT
"Blue Heron"
Trojan Battery Hook up
Thanks! Got here last night and hooked up the batteries essentially the same way except I put an electrical accessories positive and negative to one of the batteries to run the stereo and the lights. Dual bank charger goes on both so when I am on shore power there is a trickle charge going to each. I will get a battery switch at a later time and have a electritian install so I know it will be correct.
Thanks for the post!! It was helpful and answers the question that i can still have the batteries in parraell and use a battery switch also.
Have my mortgage ready when i fill up today...ha ha..
Thanks for the post!! It was helpful and answers the question that i can still have the batteries in parraell and use a battery switch also.
Have my mortgage ready when i fill up today...ha ha..
Glad to help. If you want to really have piece of mind that you won't forget and leave the switch on "ALL" or "BOTH" while you're on the hook, take a look at the Blue Seas ACR. I hooked this up between my house bank and starting battery. I now leave the battery switch on "2" (House Bank) and forget about any battery switching. The ACR monitors the level of the this bank and keeps the starting battery from draining. While underway, it automatically senses the voltage in both batteries and lets the alternator provide the right amount of charge to either or both banks. When I'm back at the dock I plug into the AC power that goes to my charger. I have a dual bank charger (20 amp), but have BOTH leads hooked to my house bank for a full 20 amp charge). The ACR senses if the smaller starting battery needs any of this juice and provides any necessary charge automatically. The ACR costs about $100 and is a lot cheaper than upgrading to a "Smart" charger, as well as provides the same type of charging while under engine power.
Randy P
1977 F-26 HT
"Blue Heron"
1977 F-26 HT
"Blue Heron"
Trojan Batteries
Will print your post and keep with me. I am due for a "bottom job" in 2010 and at that time plan to re-wire the whole system to where it flows to a panel box where everything is labled. I don't have that many accessories and do not have an inverter or generator so everthing is pretty basic and needs to be with my limited knowlege of electricity.
By the way, on another topic....I took everybody on a sunset cruise on Sat. nite and cruised along at 1800-2100 RPM on both engines. Got back to the dock and the port engine kept dying. Started ok but once in gear would die. Had to pull it along side the dock and tie it up. Went up to the house and ate and came back about two hours later and no problems. Someone told me it is in the distributor. I have replaced the cap and rotors last year but seems when run for very long it always dies the minute i put a load on it. I am thinking it is the timing, or the distributor, or a little of both. I plan to have a mechanic look at it soon and might just replace the entire distributor. It is a 1977 and probably still has the original distributor. Boat only has about 900 hours.
Again, your thoughts are much appreciated.
Have a good day.
By the way, on another topic....I took everybody on a sunset cruise on Sat. nite and cruised along at 1800-2100 RPM on both engines. Got back to the dock and the port engine kept dying. Started ok but once in gear would die. Had to pull it along side the dock and tie it up. Went up to the house and ate and came back about two hours later and no problems. Someone told me it is in the distributor. I have replaced the cap and rotors last year but seems when run for very long it always dies the minute i put a load on it. I am thinking it is the timing, or the distributor, or a little of both. I plan to have a mechanic look at it soon and might just replace the entire distributor. It is a 1977 and probably still has the original distributor. Boat only has about 900 hours.
Again, your thoughts are much appreciated.
Have a good day.