Battery Relocation To Accomodate Ballast System

[newbie1000]

I am planning to plumb in an automatic ballast system in my 2000 Escape LSV in a couple weeks. We are going to have an 1100 sack in the each rear compartment for surfing. Our battery is currently in the port compartment. Ideally I would relocate the battery to the compartment by the observer seat but I am worried the wiring etc will bust my budget and make the project a lot more complex (I would also have to rewire an amp which is under the dashboard). I am thinking about just leaving the battery in the compartment and letting the bag rest on it. Has any tucked their battery into the very back part of that rear compartment and used with a sack? Any help would be appreciated...I am coming from a perspectvie of a very tight budget and very little electrical knowledge. Thanks to everyone for any ideas, thoughts, suggestions, comments.

[REW]

Putting a heavy sack that will probably be wet is asking for a battery fire, or worse. You need to move the battery. On the plus side it really is not that difficult or expensive.

[shawndoggy]

You'll need two runs of 2/0 wire from the starter (+) and block (-) to the observer's compartment for your battery. On my vride I got 17' lengths. Good price on marine wire here: http://greatlakesskipper.com/category-1/86_283_522-marine-electrical-supplies-20-awg-gauge.html

[commodore]

What did you put the battery in to protect the carpet?

You'll need two runs of 2/0 wire from the starter (+) and block (-) to the observer's compartment for your battery. On my vride I got 17' lengths. Good price on marine wire here: http://greatlakesskipper.com/category-1/86_283_522-marine-electrical-supplies-20-awg-gauge.html

[commodore]

ALso should you use 2-0 wire or welding wire?

[shawndoggy]

Tinned marine battery cable, like the stuff I linked to.

Battery should be in a battery box. Is it not now?

[commodore]

Previous owner removed the box. Its an optima battery just sitting on the carpet :/

Tinned marine battery cable, like the stuff I linked to.

Battery should be in a battery box. Is it not now?

[newbie1000]

Ok, should I buy 19' of wire since my boat is 23' or can I get by with less an I believe your VLX is 21'?

My battery is in a box currently. Is there a trick to securing it to the floor?

[shawndoggy]

For length I'd use a measuring tape.

Doesn't your box have a strap to hold it down and cleats to keep the box in place?

Like this: http://www.bakesonline.com/detail.aspx?ID=1337

And this: http://www.bakesonline.com/detail.aspx?ID=1555

[newbie1000]

I really appreciate everyone's advice here (and their patience with some of these basic questions). I also now realize that I may have posted in the wrong section of the forum.

I went out to the boat yesterday to measure the wire runs necessary to move the battery to the forward passenger compartment. I had an idea that I wanted to run by you and see if this makes any sense. What if I used the existing wires (about 5’) to wire up to a perko switch and then connected the battery from the passenger compartment to the perko switch (about 14’). Then I could wire the Johnson pumps and my amp directly to the perko. This would make my runs to the Johnsons much shorter and would allow me to keep my amp run exactly as it is now and not add another 14’ to that run. The switch would arguably be more convenient to access in the rear trunk rather than the passenger compartment. The question I have are as follows: 1) will this work (ie be safe and effective) 2) what switch should I buy that will accommodate hanging three things from it (2 Johnsons and 1 Amp) 3) should I connect the ground wire (neg) from the battery from the passenger compartment (14’) to the existing ground wire which is connected to the engine block (easiest) or should I take the ground run from the battery in the passenger compartment directly to the engine block (ie one continuous run). If I go another route I can do that in 14’ as well.

Thanks in advance!

[REW]

I really appreciate everyone's advice here (and their patience with some of these basic questions). I also now realize that I may have posted in the wrong section of the forum.

I went out to the boat yesterday to measure the wire runs necessary to move the battery to the forward passenger compartment. I had an idea that I wanted to run by you and see if this makes any sense. What if I used the existing wires (about 5') to wire up to a perko switch and then connected the battery from the passenger compartment to the perko switch (about 14'). Then I could wire the Johnson pumps and my amp directly to the perko. This would make my runs to the Johnsons much shorter and would allow me to keep my amp run exactly as it is now and not add another 14' to that run. The switch would arguably be more convenient to access in the rear trunk rather than the passenger compartment. The question I have are as follows:

1) will this work (ie be safe and effective)

This should work you are adding 2' to 4' to your starter run. Should not be a problem but I would run the largest wire I could from the perko to the battery. make sure it has tinned leads.

2) what switch should I buy that will accommodate hanging three things from it (2 Johnsons and 1 Amp)

You may need to add a terminal bar to the system however I would not add that between the starter and the perko.,

3) should I connect the ground wire (neg) from the battery from the passenger compartment (14') to the existing ground wire which is connected to the engine block (easiest) or should I take the ground run from the battery in the passenger compartment directly to the engine block (ie one continuous run). If I go another route I can do that in 14' as well.

Splices are a temporary fix not an install, I would go directly from battery to engine block

Thanks in advance!

[newbie1000]

Please let me know when I wear out my welcome here. I'm realizing I may have gotten myself in over my head.

The switches I bought to work the Johnson pumps are Sierra International MP78730 On-Off-On Marine Rotary Switch with Black Knob (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AXQO9/ref=oh_o05_s00_i00_details). They have three prongs on the back B1, L1 and L2. There is also a B2 but no prong. The wiring diagram from wakemakers has a switch with 7 prongs which isnt much help to me. Obviously the Johnson only has two wires, a positive and a negative. How am I to connect the Switch to the Johnson? I think I want to take the B1 to the positive terminal on the Perko but I am not sure what to do from there. Please help!

[TallRedRider]

Please let me know when I wear out my welcome here. I'm realizing I may have gotten myself in over my head.

The switches I bought to work the Johnson pumps are Sierra International MP78730 On-Off-On Marine Rotary Switch with Black Knob (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AXQO9/ref=oh_o05_s00_i00_details). They have three prongs on the back B1, L1 and L2. There is also a B2 but no prong. The wiring diagram from wakemakers has a switch with 7 prongs which isnt much help to me. Obviously the Johnson only has two wires, a positive and a negative. How am I to connect the Switch to the Johnson? I think I want to take the B1 to the positive terminal on the Perko but I am not sure what to do from there. Please help!

I am betting that you cannot make that switch work with a Johnson pump. The pump is dependent on reversing the polarity of the wires (when one wire is negative the other is positve and it goes forward...then reverse the wire polarity and the pump reverses).

I added Johnson/Jabsco pump diagrams to this thread:

Edited March 26, 2012 by TallRedRider

[newbie1000]

TRR, this is the thread that made me think I could use these switches on the reversible pumps (). I also had wakemakers confirm that they would work. I have an email into them to see if they can help with a wiring diagram. I can return the switches if need be but would really like to use the unused accessory slots on my dash to keep a factory appearance to the install if possible.

[Bradley Thornton]

Good info switch digram about half way down http://customfalconballast.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html