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Dual Battery Setups! Let's see them! Multiple Batteries Thread!

Discussion in 'Technical Chat' started by MJonaGS32, Sep 20, 2013.

  1. Jul 4, 2015 at 9:59 AM
    #561
    ckeene9

    ckeene9 Well-Known Member

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    I'm pretty sure @slimwoodshady is either running that box or the Columbia overland with HID projectors.
     
    MattB77[QUOTED] likes this.
  2. Jul 4, 2015 at 10:08 AM
    #562
    MattB77

    MattB77 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks bud, guess I'll order it up, now I'm just wondering about what cable and terminals I should get
     
  3. Jul 11, 2015 at 1:43 AM
    #563
    nagorb

    nagorb Should be a dang perma mod

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    Question, I'm going to be setting up dual batteries with the blue sea ml-acr. When it comes to electronics I'm retarded. It's capable of handling up to 500amps. I'll be locating the house battery on the passenger side fire wall and keeping my winch on the starter. My question is what gauge wire and amp fuses?

    Thanks!
     
  4. Jul 11, 2015 at 1:48 AM
    #564
    MJonaGS32

    MJonaGS32 [OP] MJ on a GS

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    Hey Mike use at least 2 AWG wire and I'd recommend getting circuit breakers so you don't have to replace fuses if/when it blows.

    If you're still in the area, I can show you my set up, or you can see it in this thread or my build
     
    nagorb[QUOTED] likes this.
  5. Jul 11, 2015 at 1:49 AM
    #565
    nagorb

    nagorb Should be a dang perma mod

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    Awesome thanks!
     
  6. Jul 13, 2015 at 10:00 AM
    #566
    ruggedT

    ruggedT The Sticker Guy

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    To anyone with a national luna controller... does the cab meter stay illuminated all the time?


    And heres some dual batt porn... in a ford :annoyed:



     
  7. Jul 17, 2015 at 1:52 AM
    #567
    Iggy

    Iggy Vagabond Outdoors

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    I just finished my first round of testing my setup. Has anyone upgraded their alternators with two battery's? I noticed a 5% drop in output with both batteries charging.

    [​IMG]
     
    Nate87 likes this.
  8. Jul 20, 2015 at 3:55 PM
    #568
    MJonaGS32

    MJonaGS32 [OP] MJ on a GS

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    I don't think I needed to upgrade alternators, but did so anyway since I was doing the Big 3 upgrade (technically did a "Big 4" upgrade). I got a 250a alternator
     
  9. Jul 20, 2015 at 4:02 PM
    #569
    Iggy

    Iggy Vagabond Outdoors

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    Do you know what stock puts out with the tow package?
     
  10. Jul 20, 2015 at 4:06 PM
    #570
    MJonaGS32

    MJonaGS32 [OP] MJ on a GS

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    Drifter wedge camper, Dual battery, OBA, ARB locker, 4.56 gears
    130a
     
  11. Jul 20, 2015 at 4:24 PM
    #571
    Iggy

    Iggy Vagabond Outdoors

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    Sounds like that's my next upgrade. Do you feel a difference in engine drag with that alt?
     
  12. Jul 21, 2015 at 9:47 PM
    #572
    gravedgr

    gravedgr dirty Ford driver

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    Yes - how else would you know the status of your battery? You can turn the lights off, however.
     
  13. Jul 21, 2015 at 10:47 PM
    #573
    MJonaGS32

    MJonaGS32 [OP] MJ on a GS

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    Nope
     
  14. Jul 22, 2015 at 12:26 PM
    #574
    ruggedT

    ruggedT The Sticker Guy

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    It was just a question... Not really interested in seeing how much batt power it has while it sits in the driveway for weeks on end... killing them
     
  15. Jul 22, 2015 at 12:47 PM
    #575
    NYCO

    NYCO go explore...

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    confirmed on our FJ, the lights stay on the national luna controller with the truck is off.

    if the truck is off for long, you can always unplug the controller.
     
  16. Jul 22, 2015 at 5:29 PM
    #576
    gravedgr

    gravedgr dirty Ford driver

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    I wasn't being sarcastic, but I think their draw is pretty negligible. The SET button, I think, is used to turn them on/off and turn the alarm on/off.
     
  17. Jul 23, 2015 at 10:08 AM
    #577
    ruggedT

    ruggedT The Sticker Guy

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    Confirmed. Set button turns off the display. Says it keeps the alarms active while its "off"

    Thanks guys
     
    Slimwood Shady likes this.
  18. Jul 24, 2015 at 6:30 AM
    #578
    gravedgr

    gravedgr dirty Ford driver

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    :thumbsup:
     
  19. Aug 12, 2015 at 12:21 PM
    #579
    Laxtoy

    Laxtoy Dog is my backseat driver

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    Awesome thread, pretty much sold me on my direction for going with Blue Sea ML ACR.

    Somewhat off subject, but related to the yellow selector switch on top of the ACR unit. It has 3 selections, and I'm trying to really grasp how they work.

    1. All the way to the left, automatic operation, so the unit is allowed to monitor the system and link/unlink batteries as is necessary. This would've the setting it would stay in the majority of the time.

    2. Forced integration, making it so you could in effect link both batteries to use for starting if one is low or other applications. Not sure, but sort of understood from Blue Sea tech page that you could toggle the switches back and forth and force them to be isolated as well?

    3. System completely off, allowing you to service system, etc. I am really curious about this setting, if it in fact simply shuts off al power to vehicle. If this is the case, I'm really sold. I have the idea to perhaps mount the ACR in a lockable box under the hood, or some kind of lockable device to prohibit access, and in effect use the switch as a kill switch.

    I just don't think the average thief would take the time to figure out why the truck has no electrical power, especially when he looks under the hood and sees he would have to start pulling wires off to get it to run.

    It may make a lot more sense to just wire a kill switch in a secret location, but this seems like an easy and effective way, and after owning my truck for ten years and having a bunch of custom fab I've done to it, money can't replace all the hours of work
     
  20. Aug 12, 2015 at 12:42 PM
    #580
    Iggy

    Iggy Vagabond Outdoors

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    @Laxtoy
    It's kind of like that.

    You have a switch that goes into the cab that does On, Off, Auto. So you can manually engage or disengage the ACR from the cab.

    On the unit itself you you have auto(or on, which takes cues from the switch) and off, basically a lock out for servicing.

    That same knob has a large button in the middle, if it's down the house and starting battery are connected and up means they are disconnected. When the system is not locked out, you can press and hold that button to manually engage the two batteries (like if the switch is broken or you need to connect the batteries even if voltage is low).

    The unit only connects two batteries that it monitors (starting and house), so unless you put a switch from a battery to a starter the truck can still start even if the batteries are disconnected. Blue Sea also sells some large mechanical relays that can be switch controlled if that's what you want to do.

    I hope that helps!
     

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