Voltage Sensitive Relay (VSR) installation
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- čas přidán 15. 09. 2018
- This video shows what a voltage sensitive relay or VSR is and how to install one in a dual battery setup to make sure both batteries get charged but only one can go flat.
Related videos:
Making battery leads:
• Making your own batter...
Original setup:
• Installing dual batter...
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Thank you! Excellent video to understand VSRs. Allowed me to diagnose issue of house battery not charging.
Done the world another huge service mate. I only started thinking of duel batteries in the boat last week. Now I’ll be all over it. Thanks bud
Awesome channel mate
Spent the last 12 weeks watching the videos over and over as I recovered from knee surgery.
Put 2 of them into practice last weekend when I finally managed to get out on my boat for a fish.
Checked and replaced faulty plugs and got water out of the fuel system.
Cheers mate
Thanks David. Glad to hear that the vids have been helping you and that you have recovered and managed to get out for a fish! :)
Good luck David, I hope that knee gets to 100%
Very informative vid mate and good to see you looking fit and healthy and ready for the warmer weather coming our way :)
This was one of the videos I watched when deciding to add a dual-battery setup to my 1/2 ton for winch power. Pretty much followed your diagram and it works very well.
Very informative, as always ! I never knew such a device existed and with the bypass switch it makes a true "set and forget" setup. As always, if the house battery (bank) is not located nearby, wire gauge between it and the VSR is critical !
Congrats on the 200th vid mate!
Thanks mate!
Another handy video. I have that set up on my boat and also on my last one, although also with an on/off/combine switch so i can turn it all off when not in use. Just switch on and go with the peace of mind both batteries are charging
I certainly think that is a great way to go if the boat does have long periods of not being used. When I had my other switch I never used the off but my boating situation is unusual.
man i am doing this same project next week, best timing ever Stu !!
I had a vision. ;)
Thanks for all these videos. I'm doing a dual battery system for my Four Winns and am now leaning towards the VSR. Just as a reminder... Fuses are used to either protect a device (when they are built in or just outside of the device), or they are to protect the vehicle (from a possible electrical fire). In the later case, you'll want the fuse as close to the battery as possible. THAT'S what the 8Ga MAXI fuses would be for. Keep up the great work!
My main concern with this setup at the moment is that if the solar cell activates the VSR and then I start the boat half the cranking current will pass through the VSR so I'm glad those fuses are there. I'll have to find a few minutes to think about that problem, if it does turn out to be a problem.
Unless the solar panel is connected to the start battery the VSR will not be activated because the VSR ONLY senses charging state of the start battery ( as you have it wired up- remember the 'red paint sense terminal'). The fuses are still a good idea but the cranking voltage from the start battery will never go through the VSR.
Excellent video Stu, Grab an extra beer for this one.
Thanks Billy, I think I might. :)
Once again mate brilliant
Great video well explained also a big bonus for me you showed and mentioned the extended led loop wire. I've had a revolution system that had the extended led for dash but system craped out and to buy another the price is $200.
But thanks to your video I know where to purchase your system to have what I need. Cheers
I think fusing both sides of the vsr was smart. Long ago when i was a green boat tinkerer i installed a cigarette lighter style power outlet on my center console without fusing it. No sooner had i connected it to the battery, a dime fell from my pocket and landed perfectly in the socket of the outlet. In a matter of seconds i had smoke pouring from under the console as wires began to melt. I had to grab and yank the smoking hot wire from its connector with my bare hands to prevent a fire. Lesson learned, fuses good.
That's great. Well explained.It's so clear.
Thanks mate.
Another very helpful video.
Before I upgraded my trolling motor from a 12v model to a 24v unit, I had one of these VSRs installed to try to increase the run time available from the trolling motor. Here in the US they are also called ACRs (auto circuit relay) - acts exactly the same as your VSR. I did decide to eliminate it from the circuitry because I found the alternator on my Yamaha had a max output of 10A which isn't much help for a TM battery when the charge output is shared. If the outboard's alternator output is sufficient, these are excellent devices for distributing the charge.
Hey Jim. Good point about the charging current of many smaller outboards being quite low.
Stu, its a 2002 90 two stroke, a great engine for my seventeen foot boat. I have thought the engine would produce more but the service manual reads 10a. They didn't have all the electrical needs sixteen years ago that boats have today.
another great video mate, next time i see you on the water i will have to show you my vsr and solar setup on my boat
I think I need this addition Scotty.. getting tired of my son leaving the battery flat on mine :( My old man had a solar panel on our trailer sailer back in the early eighties and everyone on the water gave us these strange looks - he was ahead of his time LOL
Markolav70 it is definitely worth it these days, just another piece of mind knowing your batteries are 100% all the time
Great video
Pretty cool, didn't know about these options. I can see this being a good thing with a large cabin cruiser or sailboat that is being used allot or lived on. I knew a guy that lived on his sailboat and now lives down in Granada. In a house overlooking the city and ocean. Not sure if he still has their boat there or sold it? It's cheap and beautiful down there. Oh and congratulations on your 200th. I have a 3rd video that just broke K views. Yuppie! Also more comments finally all positive
Hey Tim, I'm planning to put one in my camping truck as well, for very similar reasons as the cabin cruiser. Congrats on the videos! :)
planning on doing this but didnt know if it was possible then this video pops up, bought everything in advance hoping it would work, guess what im doing tomorrow
I added a VSR to my little skiff a year or so ago after watching this great vid (thanks Stu). Yesterday, got to my local water and starter battery was down. This could be because it's quite old. But today I figured, while messing around down there, why not isolate the VSR while the motor is not running? Basically, the VSR pulls only a few milliamps while the boat is dormant, but to me, that's still unnecessary waste. So I did what the manual recommended, that's to cut the red loop (discussed right at the end of the vid) and connect it to a 12v "engine on" source. I was curious about which end of the loop to connect, and discovered that there's a right and a wrong side.
Connect a battery charger to the main battery. If it's fully charged, the VSR will activate sending charging current to the house battery. Cut the red loop and the VSR should deactivate. Test from battery negative to either cut end of the cut red loop. One cut end will show power and the other won't. Connect your "engine on" power source to the red loop end showing no voltage. Disconnect the battery charger, start the motor and the VSR should now activate after a few seconds (again, assuming the starter battery is fully charged).
Nice work! Sounds like a great setup for a boat that isn’t used every week.
Awesome. I'm sure You know Blue Seas make a battery switch that turns both batteries on or off but keeps them separate so they don't rob from each other with a VSR to charge them. Then if you need both to start your engine the switch also has a combined setting? Then you can turn both batteries to off when you leave the boat.
Nice setup Stu. The VSR is a great idea to keep both batteries charged. Me, I always seem to run on battery 1 and forget to switch to battery 2 or “both”. Maybe a VSR is in my future!
That was my problem. I love having something I can just set and forget. :)
Nice set up! I thought about this but went with a $25 lithium battery that has jumper cables and is strong enough to jumpstart my boat in case I’m listening to too many tunes in the middle of the ocean. I’ve already used it to jump start my boat and truck.
They are amazing the new lithium jump starters and definitely a great option depending on your personal needs.
Good stuff Stu, I really appreciate your educational videos.
Thanks Adrian, glad you like them.
I forgot to mention yesterday, but I am happy to see you are not using those stupid wing nuts to attach your cables to the batteries ! A bit of lanolin grease on all of the threaded connections will guarantee they will not corrode.
Yes, I hate those too. I put a packet of stainless nylocs for these batteries so I always have some on hand.
6:43 that VSR has the option to connect those looped wires to manually switch it on. You couls have saved the extra switch.
hi great review i just got a boat has dual batteries and a voltage sensor but in the niddle has a islate switch not sure to know if it is on ty
seeing a boat moored with lights on and no one in site is very tempting to practice random act of kindness
Good man! I've been saved many times by friends who have switched my lights off while passing by. :)
Here is a 'weird' question: I just started rewiring a 1962 17 foot MFG Runabout I have been restoring/'remodeling' into a 'custom' fishing rig and I plan on wiring it up with duel batteries due to the amount of electronics she will have on board. My 'primary' battery is going to be for the motor and navigation lights only, while my 2nd one will be for the fish finder, nav comp, bilge pump, ect. Here is my question: I was given a 4 position battery switch that was taken off of a 1989 Wheeled Coach/Ford Type II ambulance that had a 24 volt system. The positions are 'battery 1', 'battery 2', 'Both batteries On', and 'both off'. Will this type of switch work on a marine application and can I charge both batteries off the 2001 100 hp Merc outboard engine? Love your channel. Have learned more from you than just about every other like channel combined! Keep up the great work!
Yep, that setup will work well. You can put the VSR between the 1 and 2 poles so that both batteries with charge or just use the switch alone like I had in my original setup where on the battery currently selected will be charged.
how would you insert a battery monitor for instance a (victron 702) that can read both batteries?
Nice vid.. I'll just add that some VSR's have a feature that lets you connect bat 1 & 2 together with a momentary push button. This can be handy if you want to keep the setup a little simpler(?) and have a push button up near the ignition switch so if you do get a flat battery you just press the over ride button and then give it another crank. Only thing to be mindful of is if the VSR is rated to have the amps coming through it to send to the starter. Cheers :)
It's interesting the way all the different brands of VSR have extra features. I've been thinking about how this VSR would handle having cranking current passing through it and I think it should be fine. I am assuming that half the current will come from each battery which should have it down to about 70 amps according to the specs.
The over ride switches do put the batteries in parallel, but the idea is that if the crank battery is 'flat, you press the override, give the 2nd battery a few minutes to put a 'surface charge' on the crank battery, enough to crank the motor a few times any way. Much the same as those 'jump start battery' things work. That way only about 50 amps go through the VSR contacts. but note- a dead flat/shorted crank battery will kill the house battery pretty quick. A bypass switch that disconnects the usual crank battery and only connects the house battery to the motor crank wire. Stu has it pretty close to that configuration. Also a VSR lets you use two different sizes of battery for crank and house battery's, but they have to be the same technology type.
Is this necessary in an RV solar panel set up with a battery isolator? Thanks
You've just pretty much described a PROJECTA IDC25 and they're under $300. I did the VSR thing but most alternators these days don't hit the voltages to keep a deep cycle battery more than 60 - 70% without a dc up convertor
Nice feng shui on battery comparment in your boat ;)
I'm not cleaning it up until the solar cell is done! ;)
Solar cell on powerboat? Will you live on it?
Hi Dangar, great videos mate. Is there any difference between a Voltage Sensitive Relay and an Automatic Charging Relay. From what I can gather, they do a similar job, but are they different in any way? I was thinking that there may be different terminology between different countries?? I cant seem to find a definitive answer in my online searches. Appreciate if you could let me know. Thanks mate.
will the main engine battery be overcharged with both engine and solar charging concurently?
Hallo from Greece,
As I understand there is no switch between the starting battery and the engine?
Is it possible to use VSR with GEL batteries? Since the chemical content of GEL batteries very sensitive to the sudden&high current I really suspected to use it..
what prevents the batteries going flat if a light . radoi or blower is left on?
Hi ! The light on the voltage relay needs to be on all the times ?
Hey Stu, love your videos... I'm preparing to install a second battery in my boat, which is a large gel cell for running a fridge and lights, etc. Because of the different chemistry I've opted for a dc-dc charger between them, but I can't seem to think my way through the problem of having the charger running from the battery that it's charging, if I ever switch the 1-2-both switch to 'both' in order to jump start myself. Any experience with that kind of setup?
Hmm, can't say I've ever seen a setup like that. I'd have to sit down with a bit of paper and see what options you have. You might simply be better off having a simple 1/2 switch so the batteries can never be in parallel.
Can you use the same eletrical setup you have on the green machine on a larger cruiser with an inboard engine. Will the larger starting amperage of a diesel engine affect this setup.
I'm about to rewire my new trawler and will be using a similar setup. The only issue is having large enough wire to carry the current.
hello, WHEN ENGINE OFF, If i have de sensitive terminal to Starting battery, when the auxiliary battery drains off or less to 12.8v... the VSR let pass power to auxiliary battery?
It lets current though when the starting battery has over a set voltage, not when the auxiliary is low.
V good mate as always. Polyester or nylon tow rope?
I would go Nylon but you can use either.
A bit late to the party but these days you could buy a dual sensing VSR with an override in the actual VSR which would allow you to connect the two batteries in parallel should your main battery is discharged.
Is it possible to add a VSR and keep the 1-2-all switch also connected. Or is the ALL connection a problem?
Yep, you can. The both switch is essentially just the same as my bypass switch in that setup.
Am I correct to assume, the main idea here is to turn the outboard into a fully automatic two bank charger?
Nice video Stu!!!
Pretty much, although this is also about getting ready for the solar cell install.
Hi Stu,
i'm a big fan of your channel but in this instance i think you made a meal of this job. You now don't have any way of disconnecting the batteries at all. it would have been better to keep your 1-2-both switch and just piggy backed the VSR on the 1-2 terminals. this means with the switch selected to your start battery the VSR would fire and connect the other battery without you having to select it on the switch. And also you could turn it all off if you need to work on anything without removing the battery terminals. It would also do the job of the parallel switch you installed.
Hope you're feeling better...
I can see where you are coming from but there is a bit of missing history here. Firstly, I never mentioned that the original battery switch died quite a while ago and had been replaced with nothing more than a stainless bolt. Because the boat gets used several times every day I never turned the switch off or even switched between batteries so I'm quite happy to have this simple setup with a cheap emergency start switch that fingers crossed I'll never need. The trouble with my boating circumstance is that it isn't really representative of what most people do hence the apparently odd setup some of the time. And yes, feeling much better now!
And the plot thickens....
Ah, just what I was thinking, use the old switch, but the old "switch" is now a bolt so not usable this way... :)
RichE San Diego, CA
Yeah, it is, just take a lot longer to use- knowing Stu that means a plumbers adjustable wrench and pair pliers.
I would like to add a voltage meter to monitor the voltage from the alternator I think I could put a diode on the plus side of the regulator and run a wire to my meter. What go you think?
I normally just monitor the battery voltage as it will show how the battery is going when the motor is off and will show the charge voltage when the motor is running. Been meaning to do a video on that for a while.
@@DangarMarine I have a meter on the batteries it doesn't seem to increase voltage when the motor is revved I'll check the rectifier I may have a problem.
3:04 did that hook catch ya Stew ? :)
Hi, I have a question. I have a 1988 115hp Johnson outboard and I have weak spark in all 4 spark, what can be the problem
Possibly damaged coil under flywheel, ignition coils or leads.
@@DangarMarine ok I am going to check it out. Thanks you sir.
At about 3:20 you said the boat has been sitting around for a while not being used. I thought that was your daily driver. Did you get a new boat?
No new boat. Every couple of years I pull the Green Machine out of the water to antifoul the hull so I coincide this work with when a friend heads overseas so I can borrow his boat while I'm doing it.
👍👍
What would happen if (like mine) I have 150a house battery and a75a start battery? When Gen gets start battery above 12.8v it lets Gen top up house battery as well. So if both being charged or both sitting above 12.8v then VSR is closed and both batteries are in parallel. Will this harm the batteries?
You can run different capacity batteries in parallel, just not different voltages!
@@davidjulian8536 does it overcharge
@@jussikankinen9409 Only if there is something wrong with the alternator/regulator and the voltage is too high. The VSR won't cause a problem.
so the earth lead length is proportional to the water depth you are running in???? lol j/k maybe it just a floating ground lol nice setup that'll give you some peace of mind
They also make good anchors. ;)
Hello Stu, thanks for sharing these amazing videos. I am working on my first boat project and your diagram is exactly what I intended to instal a solar panel with two batteries.
I have two twin motors Mercury 250. Could this set up be used with the two motors running to the same battery (meaning, would it be Ok to connect both motors to the Starting battery)? I am not sure if when running the two motors it could cause the “Start” battery to be overcharged.
As to the gauges of the cabling, did you use 6 gauge for the parallel connection between the two batteries? Also, what gauge did you use for connecting from the house battery to the switch board? I am aware i will need to calculate the gauge based on the distance, though it’s just to have an idea.
One last thought...if i am planning on adding 4 bluetooth speakers and charge cell phone gadgets at the same time, should I worry about adding a bigger solar panel of maybe 200 to 350 Watts? If I plan on adding additional solar panels later on, should I worry about having a bigger charge controller?
Thank you for explaining it clearly, although i have to confess i have watched each video over 10 times to understand it better. Thank you
If the outboards are identical you can charge a single battery, but you may be better off having a second battery and installing a battery switch. 6 gauge will be fine to handle the charging current, but not starting current if you parallel the batteries to crank. I would definitely start with the biggest solar control you think you will need. I have already upgrade mine twice!
I thought "A bit of a mess" was pronounced "Dog's breakfast" in AU ( - :
Great video, as usual.
But i´ll think that the bypass switch is slightly over complicated. You might replace the switch with just a spare jump start cable in case of a bad day.
The trouble is when I my wife called to say the boat won't start it's much easier to tell here to just flick the switch that explain where to put the leads.
Someone is going to leave the switch on and run both batteries flat. Better to have a relay and momentary button you have to hold when cranking to momentarily engage the house battery for starting. Or a momentary button and a VSR with start assist to momentarily engage the internal relay for starting.
That's definitely one way you could go. I'm personally leaning towards and LED on the dash.
If you go for a VSR like this one (rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com.au%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F252477455461) can you have the on/off switch somewhere else in the circuit so you only use it for turning the power on and off? This VSR has a manual override switch so you can use both batteries at the same time if needed.
I saw this video (czcams.com/video/Z9c1hVXBggk/video.html)
Yes, I bought this VSR from a local store in a rush, I definitely think there are some better choices out there.
Just drill out the lugs to 10mm