THANK YOU RICHARD!

This is indeed exactly what I was looking for.

Yandina makes a 50 amp combiner (Sold under West Marine) that looks as if it
will do. They provided a .pdf document with install instructions (on web)
that parallels your instructions. The unit is TINY, temperature protected,
has status lights for it's operation, and can be wired in a number of
simple, inexpensive ways for automatic or manual operation. I can hook my
gel/ flooded single bank charger to the house battery sans problem.

I bought the combiner directly from Yandina (Beaufort, S.C.) at a $30
savings over West Marine, by choosing a rebuilt unit with full warranty.

Sincere thanks once again!

Joe
s/v "South of 80"
Charlestown, MD

"Richard Kollmann" wrote in message
m...
I do not think you will be satisfied with the results of powering a
thermoelectric cooler on your sailboat unless the batteries are
connected to a shore power every twelve hours. There are small
portable compressor driven refrigerators like the Engel or WAECO that
can be operated for days with the help of solar panels and an outboard
alternator.

As to the power distribution system the use of a battery isolator is
not a good idea due to the voltage loss created by the isolator of
about seven tenths of a volt. The alternator on the outboard lacks the
potential to over come any added resistances; the answer is to use a
battery combiner. Battery combiners are electronic switches that close
when a charging voltage is present and opens when the charging voltage
drops below 12.8 volts. I have two basic wiring designs for boats with
outboard motors in my new 12/24 volt boat refrigeration manual. I will
describe them but if you need the hard drawings send me you're mailing
address or Fax number.
For the first system, remove any house loads that are presently
connected to the starting battery and connect them to the house
battery: Refrigerator, Dome lights Radio, Solar Panels and battery
charger. The start battery and the house battery grounds are connected
together with a new cable, this means there is now two ground cables
connected to the one ground post of the start battery. Installing the
battery combiner is simple there are two large terminals and one
small, connect the small terminal to one of the grounds and run a
large wire from each of the large terminals to the its respective
battery positive post. You need one additional item a battery charge
indicator wired across the house battery terminals. Large cruising
boats have expensive meters that even record amp-hrs but a twenty
dollar meter like those used for trolling motors or gulf carts will
do. These meters read in full and empty or percent of charge and come
with a push to test button.

The second system has a large battery selector in parallel with the
combiner so that the house battery can be used for starting. I have
this wiring system on a pontoon party barge except there is a Adler
Barbour cold machine connected to a holding plate in a large Igloo
cooler ( Picture on the first page of web site). The pontoon is
powered by a 40 HP. Honda with an eight amp-hr alternator and two
group 27 house batteries.


If you need more information on boat refrigeration or the combined
effects of refrigeration and battery chargers check my web site

http://www.Kollmann-marine.