Can you change the battery switch while the engine is running?
 

Way back, I smoked an alternator this way..... I had an old sailboat and the
marina put in the 1, 2, both switch for me. So, my friends come on board
and ask me "hey, that switch is nice how does it work"? I get all Captain
like and show them that I can have battery 1, battery 2, or both on line as
we sail/motor. I am switching back and forth to show them....

Big Booo Boooo

Next thing, no alternator..


======================
"ray lunder" wrote in message
...
The AmplePower people agitate for strict prohibition on this saying it
will smoke the diodes in your alternator. Is this true? What are you
supposed to do? Start the boat with the starting battery, let it run
for 10 minutes, turn the engine off and start it again with the house
batteries and charge them under way? What say all of you?

Can you change the battery switch while the engine is running?
 

On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 14:00:35 GMT, "Thomas Wentworth"
wrote:

I get all Captain
like and show them that I can have battery 1, battery 2, or both on line as
we sail/motor. I am switching back and forth to show them....

Big Booo Boooo

Next thing, no alternator..

Unfortunately it happens all the time, even on switches that are
supposedly protected. All it takes is a little contact corrosion or a
blown zap stop and you will kill the alternator diodes in less time
than it takes to talk about it.

Best practice is *no* switching while running.