AMP TO BATTERY SWITCH QUESTION

[djhartley2003]

Looking for a little feed back before I start my amp wiring. I am installing a new amp in the boat and want to wire it to my battery switch so I can isolate it when were just floating (still have a battery to start the boat with). So my question is whats the best way to wire it? I was thinking ground to one battery and then hot to the same battery on the switch but I've never wired to a switch like this before so I want to make sure this is the right way. Thanks for any input.

 

[AL&Eds]

You can do it the way you described and only have power off of battery one for running your system. I would also suggest considering grounding to either one of your batteries and then hook the positive terminal to the common pole on your Perko switch. This way you can run off either battery one or battery two independent of each other by switching the Perko back and forth between one and two. You're only risk here is you can run the boat completely dead if you run on all.

 

[djhartley2003]

So if I ground to both batteries and then hot to the common pole and switch to battery 1 or 2 it is only pulling off the battery I'm switched to? Second battery is isolated and wont be drained as long as I switch to just one? I'm just making sure that I'm understanding you correctly.

 

[Outdrive1]

So if I ground to both batteries and then hot to the common pole and switch to battery 1 or 2 it is only pulling off the battery I'm switched to? Second battery is isolated and wont be drained as long as I switch to just one? I'm just making sure that I'm understanding you correctly.

Yes. All the batteries are connected to ground together. Grounds should be parallel in a boat. If your using a Perko switch than that's where the positives get separated. Connect to the common of the Perko.

The only time I'd run directly to a bank of batteries is if you were running multiple amps or a big amp that draws a lot. Then I would wire directly to a bank of batteries and use another battery or bank as a dedicated starting battery.

 

[fishing fool]

I ran my power to the output of the Perko and ground to ANY battery (both the batteries are grounded together and then to the motor). As said before with the amp/radio on the perko switch I always have a good battery to use.

If you run the amp to battery #1 and run the boat on #2 lets say and while floating you forget to turn off the lights, pump, blower or anything else you run the chance to have both batteries dead.

 

[djhartley2003]

So I can run the ground to ground on either battery, then run hot to the common on the battery switch and when I switch to battery 1 or 2 it will only pull power for the amp off that battery leaving me a good battery to start the boat with. Thanks for the info everyone.