two battery set up. By jake aka:ventoscoot (Read 1,717 times)

[jake aka:ventoscoot]

OK, I want to put in a second battery that I have. I know there are two ways to hook it with the existing one. I am normally very good with 12v electrics but have never hooked up two batteries. I clearly want the charging system to charge both batteries, and when I plug in my trickle charger for it to charge both, and if I have to big of load for both to be used. I think the two main ways to hook up are in the bellow very rough drawing. Any info is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[jhbietz]

You would want to hook them in parallel like your first drawing. If you hook them in series you will get 24V. BTW the second drawing in NOT series. Its just a no no.

[scooteraddict]

never hook up the positive to negative and vice versa. this would only short out the batteries or like taking a wire across one terminal of the other terminal of the same battery. It go boom!!

If you are looking to charge both batteries at the same time, then you want to connect the positives together and the negatives together.

[jhbietz]

Well you can hook positive to negative with one wire then hook the other positive to the load and the other negative to ground. This is a series configuration and will result in 24V witch would probably fry your scooter.

[Alleyoop]

That is a fact, if you criss cross the postive to neg on both batteries you will get 24V, not what you want.

This explains it all;

www.nyc-arecs.org/Connecting_Batteries_and_Chargers_in_Series_and_Parallel.pdf

What you would want is two batteries of the same exact specs wire together in a parallel configuration. For instance if you put two 20AH batteries together by parallel wiring then you will double the AH which would in this case equal 40AH which gives one a lot of extra (amps per hour) for your scooter which is nice with a weak charging system especailly if you want to run several accessories.

Now if you put two batteries in a series you double the voltage so since your scooter is 12 volt one would have to put two 6 volt batteries together to have 12 volts. Would there be an advantage doing this? Depends? If you're wanting more AH then for sure wire them parallel but if you want more CCA (cold cranking amps) then series wiring will do the trick.

In a series wiring configuration you'll gain no AH but you can double the CCA. Why do that? High compression engine and cold temps are the two main reasons. One can take two 6 volt 125 CCA batteries and combine them is a series and come out with 250CCA.



Alleyoop

[jake aka:ventoscoot]

sounds like paralell is what I need then.

[damin69]

though if you are looking at running double batteries there is a rule you should remember. In series your VOLTAGE is added but your CURRENT(Amps) stay the same. If you run in Parallel your VOLTAGE is the Same but your CURRENT(Amps) is Added.

So if you Ran two 6 volt batteries in Series that were 9000 Ah you would be the same as running one 12 Volt 9000 Ah battery.

And if you put two 12 Volt 9000 Ah batteries in Parallel you would have 18000 Ah.

[runningslow]

I agree, in this case, you'd want them in parallel. My only concern would be with the charging system on the bike keeping both of them fully charged? Or are you going to rely on the trickle charger to keep them both fully charged?

Although, if the charging system on the bike works and keeps them both maintained... I have a second battery I could install on my bike. ;D

[damin69]

Because of the Charging problems I had on my Scooter when I bought it I carry a spare battery in the compartment. Since my scooter would draw the main battery down enought that it would not start it. I have a plug on it so that I can plug directly into the Battery tender plug which puts it in parallel with my main batter and used it to jump start the scooter then would dissconnect. This way I could ride all day without worrying about getting stranded and not being able to start scooter.

[jake aka:ventoscoot]

I will post pics when I do this this week. I have a trickle charger that I have plugged in almost all of the time now because I have a power drain (I think it is my O2 gauge) somewhere that will drain it in three days or so if I don't ride everyday.

[jake aka:ventoscoot]

OK, I didn't get around to this last fall because of a couple of things, but I think I am going to do it soon so look for updates!!!

[Bashan]

Ok buddy, we'll look forward to that. Hey Jake, um...er....this is kind of embarrassing , but will you punish me? Rich

[runningslow]

Mar 22, 2011 4:21:49 GMT -6 Bashan said:

Hey Jake, um...er....this is kind of embarrassing, but will you punish me Rich

Wow.... Rich. The more I learn about you....