Portable Battery Starting

[Gary Solari]

My batteries are currently configured with two group 27's (position 2 on the 1-2-B switch)as a combined house battery plus a separate starting battery (position 1).   I typically start on the cranking battery and then switch the 1-2-B switch to all while motoring.  While at anchor we switch to the house batteries.  All sounds OK but I have always fussed over what I would do if all of the batteries somehow failed and we had no juice to re-start.  You know -  the kids fiddled with the switch, we forgot to switch to 2, etc. So I bought a portable jumper battery from West Marine.   The specs are:  Jumpstart 400, 12 volt, 350 Cold Cranking amps, 400 Instant amps and 1200 Peak amps, 19 amp hour capacity.  The salesman assured me that this would easily start my XP25 - 23 Hp diesel.  I have not tried it yet.  Any ideas if it will really work or not?  I would probably connect it right at the engine solenoid to reduce the cable voltage drop.  

Thanks,

Gary Solari
Windsong, Hull #829
1989 C34

[Ray & Sandy Erps]

Hi Gary,

I've seen those portable jumpstart battery packs work on automotive V-8 engines.  I'm confident they would work on our little diesels.  Remember too that our little M25-XP's have a compression release lever.

I've considered getting one of those battery packs myself, just haven't gotten around to it yet.  If the batteries were dead, I'd leave the battery switch off, hook the pack up to the starter as you suggested, start the motor and then turn the battery switch on before disconnecting the battery pack.  Otherwise, a lot of the amps in the battery pack could run into the depleted battery rather than the starter motor (although that doesn't appear to be necessary on dead car batteries)

So you guys going to be able to get out July 2nd?  See Puget Sound Fleet message section "Desolation Sound 2005".

[Stu Jackson]

Gary

We've had a bit o' this discussion before and my take was why buy yet another piece of equipment if it's only because one can't remember to flip a switch?     I know, I know, I do it all the time.

That thread I found by doing a Search on "generator" - http://www.c34.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1973&highlight=generator

But if you go back to your basic question and statement, even if you DO forget to flip the switch to 2, you still have the house bank to start the engine.  Think backwards:  use the house bank to start the engine.  Only use the #1 bank in an emergency or when your house bank is depleted after a few days on the hook.

Also, you shouldn't be moving your switch when the engine's running, you could blow the diodes in the alternator.  That should be in the manual.  If you need to charge both banks, start on B.

A lot of it also has to do with how your boat is wired.  If your switch is still determining where the alternator juice is going because it's on the C terminal, then why not simply switch the alternator output wire to the #2 post on the switch, thus sending all the charge to the house bank, where it is needed, and get a combiner or echo charger for running juice to your start bank?  See Jim Moe's electrical system discussion in Projects: http://www.c34ia.org/projects/projects-electrical-system-upgrade-2.html

Many others have bought these things, and generators, to boot, and love them.  My philosophy is: why complicate matters when you can resolve them simply by taking great care with what you already have on board.

[Ron Hill]

Gary : I'm the electrical heretic of the this form, so here's what I'd do:

If your house and starting are all of the same type (I'll guess flooded) I'd start in the "All" position and after running the engine for 20-30 minutes I'd switch back to the house bank in position #2.  Don't switch to the All position (from the house bank) until just before starting!!  I use all of the amperage available when hitting the starter.  Often said that I'd also plug in my flashlite for that extra .25a - if I could.

The worst thing that you can do to a flooded battery(starting batt. in your case) is to keep it charged and never draw it down.  The battery will sulfate out and fail when you need it.

Just check your battery monitor and look at the steady state voltage and that will give you the battery's/battery banks health.  Might also purchase a hydrometer!!  

[Ron Hill]

Gary : On your original question about your Jumpstart Battery, I'm sure that it will preform as advertised.  
Look at it's literature and see what it says about the idle time and maintenance when you aren't using it.  If nothing is printed then call the company and ask them the question!