Time for a New House

[Stu Jackson]

Next research is to find out where the cables from the alternator go (to the Off-1-All-2 switch) or directly to the battery. Going to be fun tracing those wires.

If the AO goes to the house bank, the logical run for a new higher output alternator requiring larger wire would be under the engine to under the galley sink into the battery box.  That's what most "sane" folks would do.

In other cases, some have run the AO through those black conduits under the head over to the port side and then to the battery box.  I find that to be the hardest way.  That's also the course they'd take if it goes to the switch if they used the OEM #4.

But, with a new alternator, one would assume that it is a higher output and larger than the OEM #4 wire would be used, right?  So maybe look for that larger wire from the AO.    What size is your installed alternator? 

I find using those conduits to be a PITA.  The Mark IIs have them all over the place, making it difficult to trace any wiring physically.

Our original OEM AO went under the head sink into the conduits under the head and to the C post of the 1-2-B switch.  When I installed our new alternator, I ran the new #2 wire under the engine, and labeled and abandoned the original AO, eventually used it for the remote sense to the house bank from the new Balmar MC-612 regulator by placing it on the "1" post of the switch!  Heck, it was already there.    My boat was unusual in that the PO had TWO red wires from the C post of the switch: one from the alternator and one to the starter.  Made my life immeasurably easier.  Most folks only had one with the jumper between the starter and the alternator output.

Obviously, you NEED to know where it runs since you don't want to be turning the switch OFF if the AO still goes to the C post of the switch.

How have you been operating the boat all this time without knowing?

The "other way" to check wiring is using the ohm meter on your DVM, but I've never done that.  There is a way.   

[britinusa]

Thanks Stu.
How have we  been using the boat all this time???

The PO provided us with multiple wiring diagrams, one of them labeled 'Custom for xxxPOxxxx' and his explanation seemed to work.
My concern has been caused by reading the tech wiki and posts here and wondering if the system was charging correctly and was that the cause of the battery failure.

It works, but I want to ensure that it's working correctly.

I won't get back down to the boat till this coming Friday, then I plan on confirming the AO to Battery -or- Switch route and plan accordingly. Looking at Jon's diagrams in the posts has already caused me to review the Battery charging regulator (and determine that it's currently setup to use the Standby 3 Stage Regulator and not the one that is linked to the Link 2000-R system.

Next weekend will be busy - My new Traveler is due at the end of this coming week too, so I'll get that installed and post pics.

Thanks again.

Paul