Duel purpose battery and duel battery switch.

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CalicoJack

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Port Orange, Florida
This might be a redundant question but I am curious....
Can a 'duel battery selector switch' work with one 'duel purpose battery'?.
 
Well YES, only using either battery 1 or 2 position and the OFF position.

But NOTE, they are 2 different animals of the term 'dual' ...

Dual Battery Switch - This switch connects 2 separate batteries, where it has 4 switch positions - Off - 1 - Both - and 2. On my 2-battery boats, I'd run out on #1 and run back in on #2. Or run #1 on odd days of the calendar and #2 on even days. You can do it anyway you want ... but the intent here is to use both batteries to keep them fresh/charged and keep the one charging when running off it.

Be aware that in the Both position, they will equalize if left in that position for a while. If one battery was 95% and the other was 65% ... after a period of time, and if the engine is off, they will both settle @ 80%. Note that with some OBs that need a minimum voltage to fire the electronics and not just to 'crank' the flywheel, that there might not be enough juice/power to start the motor.

Typically the 'Both' position is reserved for Emergency starting only. Also note you really can't run on Both of the 2 batteries are different types, as with different types, you could cook one of the batteries and then the other might not charge.

Dual-Purpose Battery - It's really a blend of the plate design within the battery, part of a cranking type design, think power (max amps) and yet still allows a deep cycle pull down or deep discharge, think duration (hours). Consider of it like a cranking battery can give give a TON of amps, but not for a long time, whereas a deep cycle battery can do a slow amp draw for days. The dual purpose tries to give the User a little of both in one battery, like a combination. They are hard to find nowadays for some reason, but I always had good luck with them.
 
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Well YES, only using either battery 1 or 2 position and the OFF position.

But NOTE, they are 2 different animals of the term 'dual' ...

Dual Battery Switch - This switch connects 2 separate batteries, where it has 4 switch positions - Off - 1 - Both - and 2. On my 2-battery boats, I'd run out on #1 and run back in on #2. Or run #1 on odd days of the calendar and #2 on even days. You can do it anyway you want ... but the intent here is to use both batteries to keep them fresh/charged and keep the one charging when running off it.

Be aware that in the Both position, they will equalize if left in that position for a while. If one battery was 95% and the other was 65% ... after a period of time, and if the engine is off, they will both settle @ 80%. Note that with some OBs that need a minimum voltage to fire the electronics and not just to 'crank' the flywheel, that there might not be enough juice/power to start the motor.

Typically the 'Both' position is reserved for Emergency starting only. Also note you really can't run on Both of the 2 batteries are different types, as with different types, you could cook one of the batteries and then the other might not charge.

Dual-Purpose Battery - It's really a blend of the plate design within the battery, part of a cranking type design, think power (max amps) and yet still allows a deep cycle pull down or deep discharge, think duration (hours). Consider of it like a cranking battery can give give a TON of amps, but not for a long time, whereas a deep cycle battery can do a slow amp draw for days. The dual purpose tries to give the User a little of both in one battery, like a combination. They are hard to find nowadays for some reason, but I always had good luck with them.

Well YES, only using either battery 1 or 2 position and the OFF position.

But NOTE, they are 2 different animals of the term 'dual' ...

Dual Battery Switch - This switch connects 2 separate batteries, where it has 4 switch positions - Off - 1 - Both - and 2. On my 2-battery boats, I'd run out on #1 and run back in on #2. Or run #1 on odd days of the calendar and #2 on even days. You can do it anyway you want ... but the intent here is to use both batteries to keep them fresh/charged and keep the one charging when running off it.

Be aware that in the Both position, they will equalize if left in that position for a while. If one battery was 95% and the other was 65% ... after a period of time, and if the engine is off, they will both settle @ 80%. Note that with some OBs that need a minimum voltage to fire the electronics and not just to 'crank' the flywheel, that there might not be enough juice/power to start the motor.

Typically the 'Both' position is reserved for Emergency starting only. Also note you really can't run on Both of the 2 batteries are different types, as with different types, you could cook one of the batteries and then the other might not charge.

Dual-Purpose Battery - It's really a blend of the plate design within the battery, part of a cranking type design, think power (max amps) and yet still allows a deep cycle pull down or deep discharge, think duration (hours). Consider of it like a cranking battery can give give a TON of amps, but not for a long time, whereas a deep cycle battery can do a slow amp draw for days. The dual purpose tries to give the User a little of both in one battery, like a combination. They are hard to find nowadays for some reason, but I always had good luck with them.
Thank you for that. Great explanation!
I found a duel purpose battery and was wondering about switches. I guess a simple on/off will work.
Great fishing weather here in FL and I'm messing around with a birds nest of wires😑...lol
 
Thank you for that. Great explanation!
I found a duel purpose battery and was wondering about switches. I guess a simple on/off will work.
Great fishing weather here in FL and I'm messing around with a birds nest of wires😑...lol
Good luck with that....most if the used boats I have purchased over the years have had that same issue!!
Never fun but necessary to cleanup for safety...
 
Good luck with that....most if the used boats I have purchased over the years have had that same issue!!
Never fun but necessary to cleanup for safety...
The person who owned the boat before me only had one fuse on the whole boat. The boat has a bilge pump, live well, fish finder, GPS, lights, stereo and a make shift shut off switch and numerous holes in the hull.
I knew nothing about aluminum boats when I bought it and he told me " yep, it's good to go!" 😄😄. I'm glad I decided to tear it apart or else I would have been sinking in the Atlantic surrounded by inquisitive bull sharks...lol
 
The person who owned the boat before me only had one fuse on the whole boat. The boat has a bilge pump, live well, fish finder, GPS, lights, stereo and a make shift shut off switch and numerous holes in the hull.
I knew nothing about aluminum boats when I bought it and he told me " yep, it's good to go!" 😄😄. I'm glad I decided to tear it apart or else I would have been sinking in the Atlantic surrounded by inquisitive bull sharks...lol
If so....I"ll bet the bilge pump worked !!!
 

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