BATTERY HOOKUP

[jddens]

I haven't put an amp clamp on it but the tag says 1.3 amps. If I have the time, I crank the refer to max at the dock of a few hours before going out, then when on anchor, I turn it back down.........and as i mentioned, I still carry a small ice chest so if the beer starts warming i have a backup...

[larglo]

I want to thank each of you for your comments, they have been extremely helpful.

After much consideration, I have come up with a plan I will at least start off with and expand from there as the money becomes available.
It will start by getting 2 group 29 deep cycle house batteries and hooking them together in parallel.
These will be installed under the dinette seat closest to the cabin door on the left (facing). The starting battery is new and will keep it. Remove the old single (present) house battery and discard. I will place the inverter in that location. Keeping the present battery charger, but replacing it later and look closer into the Blue Seas Auto Charging Relay (ACR).

From what I can determine the 2 house batteries will last for at least one day and perhaps two, before needing recharged back at the slip.

Once I go on the inverter for power, I assume I will need to unplug the charging system?

Thanks for all the help,,,Larry

[ready123]

Once I go on the inverter for power, I assume I will need to unplug the charging system?

Not sure I understand this... the inverter gives 110V power from the batteries when away from shore power/charging... if you charge from a genny then you would not use the inverter 110V power since you are getting it from a genny.

[larglo]

I can see why that may be confussing. I don't have a generator, but what I meant was when hooked to shore power the battery charger is plugged into a 110 outlet in the boat.

I have an adapter cable which allows me to plug the shore power into a standard 110 plug in if a shore power meter is not present, which needed at my last slip.
With the new slip, I will have the meter, so thought I would use the adapter to connect the inverter to the shore power inlet plug in, which will then run the 110 through out the boat in the same manner as the shore power plug in did.

I will do this by installing an out door standard 110 plug in next to the shore power plug in. I will connect the out door plug in to the inverter via extension cord through the closet on the right side of cabin (facing).

Plugging one end of the adapter into the shore power plug in and the other end of the adapter which has the male 110 plug in into the out door plug in, which I installed next to the shore power plug in, will transfer the inverter power through the shore power system thus going thru the breaker system.

The battery charger is plugged into the boat 110 system, so if I transfer the power to the inverter, that same power will run to the charger unit trying to charge the batteries which at the same time is supplying the power.

I'm not sure if leaving the battery charger plugged in, would be a good idea with that being the case.
Wouldn't it be funny to use the inverter to run power to the charger, which will then recharge the same batteries that power the inverter?

Not sure this will all make sense?

Larry

[g36]

depending on how your boat is wired you will fry the invertor if you connect it to the boat shore power cord, there is ways to make use of the wired receptcales already installed. ac from an invertor is different. the neutral and grounds must be isolated if they are not the invertor will be toast. you may review your invertor manual carefully, it may discuss this. here is a site that may help with some invertor understanding
http://www.donrowe.com/inverters/inverter_faq.html
http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=113216
and one more although on an rv website
http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=74821