Hi , i was wondering if there is any danger to fry the magneto of an
outboard 40hp Suzuki engine if install 2 12 volts battery in parallel .
I do use lots of 12 volt equipments on the pontoon, so i figured that 2
batteries would last longer .And last year a battery died on me in the midle
of the lake. I just bought 2 brand new marine ones .
would that be too much strain on the magneto ?
thanks for your help !

I can't see how the batteries will affect the magneto which is a device that
generates it's own power (that is why they are used ;-).
However if it is an electronic ignition system I still can see no reason why
the two batteries in parallel will worry that, in fact it should give you
the extra capacity you want.
Are you perhaps refering to the charging circuit for the batteries ?? if so,
generally in modern equipment the alternator is self limiting if asked to
supply more current than it is capable of and I would think that your idea
should work for you without damaging the alternator. If you manage to
discharge both batteries it should be simple to disconnect one battery to
allow a faster recharge.

--
Regards ............... Rheilly Phoull

"Belgian" wrote in message
.. .
Hi , i was wondering if there is any danger to fry the magneto of an
outboard 40hp Suzuki engine if install 2 12 volts battery in parallel .
I do use lots of 12 volt equipments on the pontoon, so i figured that 2
batteries would last longer .And last year a battery died on me in the
midle
of the lake. I just bought 2 brand new marine ones .
would that be too much strain on the magneto ?
thanks for your help !

Why not intall a Battery Change (Off, Bat1, Both, Bat2) over switch, that
way if you run one too low for starting the other will still be fully
charged? But don't switch to the off position with the engine running.
Regards,
Brian


"Belgian" wrote in message
.. .
Hi , i was wondering if there is any danger to fry the magneto of an
outboard 40hp Suzuki engine if install 2 12 volts battery in parallel .
I do use lots of 12 volt equipments on the pontoon, so i figured that 2
batteries would last longer .And last year a battery died on me in the
midle
of the lake. I just bought 2 brand new marine ones .
would that be too much strain on the magneto ?
thanks for your help !

On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 19:34:56 +0100, "brunyard"
wrote:

Why not intall a Battery Change (Off, Bat1, Both, Bat2) over switch, that
way if you run one too low for starting the other will still be fully
charged? But don't switch to the off position with the engine running.
Regards,
Brian

Do NOT move the dual-battery switch AT ALL while the engine is
running! ANY chance the switch will not make permanent contact with
at least one of the batteries, like between positions when they break
before make, will fry all the electronics connected to the switch when
the unloaded alternator peak voltage rises WAY above 15, 20 or more
volts!.....

I use a set of 330AH golf cart batteries (house batteries) to power my
electronics shop in an old Air Force stepvan. It has a 500W inverter
and lots of 12V appliances. Lighting is both 115VAC and 12V
flourescents.

The Chevy chassis under the Union City Body stepvan, is a 6.2L V-8
diesel with a mil-spec 120A alternator running off a 60A fanbelt.
(Idiots!) The diesel starting batteries the taxpayers bought me are
two, red, AGM starting batteries permanently connected in parallel to
get enough current to pull the big diesel over with a starter that
weighs about 80 pounds, stupidly suspended by only TWO bolts.
(Idiots!)

There's plenty of power to charge the house batteries. To charge the
house batteries, I installed a West Marine ON-OFF 350A switch, a
simple two-terminal switch which parallels my big golf cart batteries
with the two AGMs on the alternator when I want. When running the
shop without diesel power, I simply set the switch to OFF so I don't
discharge the AGMs so it won't start.

There is NO CHANCE of blowing any electronics because the alternator
is ALWAYS hooked to the AGM batteries, even with the switch set to
OFF. As far as starting it on the house batteries, simply set the
switch to ON and crank 'er up! The effect on starting is just like
hooking up a pair of jumper cables to a car with dead batteries, if
the AGMs are dead. Works great...........as long as the damned
starter bolts don't snap. (Idiots!)

I'm soon changing this switch out and going automatic. I bought a
"continuous duty" solenoid rated at 300A with a .75A 12VDC coil. The
coil is rated to be run continuously, not like a starter solenoid
coil. I'm simply going to power the coil with the "ignition" (sic)
switch that turns the engine on and off. It will parallel the house
batteries and AGMs, automatically, when the switch comes on before the
starter engages, lowering the starting load on the AGMs by
distributing the current load. It will stay on, as long as the engine
runs, to charge my house batteries. When the engine is switched off,
the big relay will disconnect my house batteries so I can't forget to
turn the damned battery switch, making my operation simpler.

I cannot imagine why boats aren't wired this way, except for the
safety of having the whole 12V system, engine and all, disconnected
when you abandon the boat for a period of time......



Larry W4CSC