I am putting in a 2nd battery on my boat and will need an A/B switch.

Is the field disconnect one (such as this one http://tinyurl.com/pa9hn )
always the way to go, or is the one that is $10 cheaper (but lacking field
disconnect) a better option? I do not switch to the other battery while
under power.....never have and do not plan to now. The switch will also not
be
out in the open for anyone to fool with.

So save the $10 bucks or get the higher priced one?

$10?
You are trying to save $10?
Are you sure you want to own a boat?

--
Dennis Gibbons
dkgibbons at optonline dot net
" JimH" jimh_osudad@yahooDOT comREMOVETHIS wrote in message
. ..
I am putting in a 2nd battery on my boat and will need an A/B switch.

Is the field disconnect one (such as this one http://tinyurl.com/pa9hn )
always the way to go, or is the one that is $10 cheaper (but lacking field
disconnect) a better option? I do not switch to the other battery while
under power.....never have and do not plan to now. The switch will also
not be
out in the open for anyone to fool with.

So save the $10 bucks or get the higher priced one?

"Dennis Gibbons" wrote in message
...
$10?
You are trying to save $10?
Are you sure you want to own a boat?

It is because I want to save the $10 that I am able to enjoy owning a boat
and my cars free and clear with the help from the bank.

If there is no clear advantage to spending the extra $10 then I wonder why
bother spening it.

Please address the question.

Thanks

JimH wrote:
"Dennis Gibbons" wrote in message
...

$10?
You are trying to save $10?
Are you sure you want to own a boat?


It is because I want to save the $10 that I am able to enjoy owning a boat
and my cars free and clear with the help from the bank.

If there is no clear advantage to spending the extra $10 then I wonder why
bother spening it.

Please address the question.

Thanks


The purpose of the field disconnect is allow you to start the engine
with a starting battery and then switch to "both" to charge. If you
had a dead house bank, it would compromise the ability to start in
"both," but without the field disconnect you don't want to switch
over. The best solution is to start, and warm up the engine on one
battery, then stop it, switch to both, and restart. I'd pay 10 bucks
to avoid that.

If, however, you are the sort of person who never makes a mistake, and
would never have a dead battery, then you don't need a switch or even
a second battery.

As I've said before, a battery combiner ($55+) or an EchoCharge
($120+) type device is a vastly superior solution. The "Big Red
Switch" is archaic.

" JimH" jimh_osudad@yahooDOT comREMOVETHIS wrote in message
. ..

"Dennis Gibbons" wrote in message
...
$10?
You are trying to save $10?
Are you sure you want to own a boat?

It is because I want to save the $10 that I am able to enjoy owning a boat
and my cars free and clear without the help from the bank.

If there is no clear advantage to spending the extra $10 then I wonder why
bother spening it.

Please address the question.

Thanks



edit....*without* the help....

Most new switches are "make before break," so there is never a moment of
disconnect when switching between banks A and B. The field disconnect
protects the alternator if the switch is inadvertently turned to
"Off," as I understand.

Jason


JimH wrote:
"Dennis Gibbons" wrote in message
...

$10?
You are trying to save $10?
Are you sure you want to own a boat?


It is because I want to save the $10 that I am able to enjoy owning a boat
and my cars free and clear with the help from the bank.

If there is no clear advantage to spending the extra $10 then I wonder why
bother spening it.

Please address the question.

Thanks

"Dave" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 3 Apr 2006 08:58:56 -0400, " JimH" jimh_osudad@yahooDOT
comREMOVETHIS said:

It is because I want to save the $10 that I am able to enjoy owning a boat
and my cars free and clear without the help from the bank.

Well spoke, Jim. Don't you get tired of folks who think the length of
their
penis is measured in dollars?

Indeed. More expensive does not always translate into *better*. Adding
more bells and whistles to a basic product does not make it better in all
cases either.

I research before I buy and often ask for opinions from the experts. In
this case the alternator field disconnect feature may not have been
something I needed and resulted in the otherwise same switch costing 25%
more.

I started a similar thread at rec.boats and received some good advice there.
After reading all the suggestions I decided to spend the extra $10 and get
the one with the alternator field disconnect.

Hell, I should probably buy 2!
If, however, you are the sort of person who never makes a mistake,

Better to get the field disconnecot. One mistake, one disaster
averted, will illustrate the advantages.

Any make before break a / b switch will enable you to switch batteries
around safely during engine run time, but only the field switch will
protect your alternator and electrical system from switching battery
load to off during engine run time. Move the switch more slowly than
rapidly.

For 10 bucks its very good insurance and a valuable utility.

Terry K

In article ,
" JimH" jimh_osudad@yahooDOT comREMOVETHIS wrote:

I am putting in a 2nd battery on my boat and will need an A/B switch.

Is the field disconnect one (such as this one
http://tinyurl.com/pa9hn ) always the way to go, or is the one that
is $10 cheaper (but lacking field disconnect) a better option? I do
not switch to the other battery while under power.....never have and
do not plan to now. The switch will also not be out in the open for
anyone to fool with.

So save the $10 bucks or get the higher priced one?

How 'bout a third option: Starting battery directly connected to the
engine, the house battery connected to the first through an on/off
switch. Turn it on when the engine is on, off otherwise; no way to cook
the alternator.

We have a small solar cell to charge the house bank. It works well
enough that we almost never have to start simply to charge.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/