My early post/request was incorrect (and thus confusing) in the details: I have a Xantrex battery monitor that replaced my old voltage switch when my dc power system was upgraded--my original post called it a Victron or something--anyway all it does is monitor the batteries. My current system has 2 Group 31 Northstar 'house' batteries and a Group 27 or 31 'start' battery. When this was installed, the old 1/2/all switch was eliminated and replaced by a Blue Seas Dual Circuit Plus switch with Off-On-Combine Batteries positions and an ACR from Blue Seas. At the dock, the batteries are charged by a Xantrex 20/40 (forget which). Otherwise they are hooked up via the Blue Seas switch with the ACR. All the batteries are located in 2 built in battery compartments in the port side of the aft cabin under the bunk. One compartment houses 2 batteries and the other has a single battery. The switch and ACR are located immediately above the batteries on the aft bulkhead with leads of about 3 feet. Now to my original questions: I would like to hook up a solar panel to trickle charge the system in my absence and would like advice on physically how to do it. I have a MPPT controller, etc. but need a simple/safe way to connect/disconnect it and how: directly to one of the battery banks? Similarly I like the idea of an emergency battery/charger (the portable kind that keeps its internal battery charged from AC but is light enough to carry on board) that can be hooked up to get going if all the above goes to hell, Where is the best place to patch such a connection to the system for an emergency start system--presumably this same place could be used also hook in the solar panel? My educated guess is to attach a buss bar to one of the batteries (the start or house?) and then attach the wires of the solar controller and the external charger to those. Maybe since I have the ACR, it doesn't matter since it will distribute the charge accordingly? (BTW, the shore charger delivers charge to the start battery and the house batteries via separate charger outputs.) Thanks to all who tried to answer my original post in spite of the mis-information it contained!! Charlie NelsonWater Phantom
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