Connect Power (Red) from Amplifier directly to House Battery or Dual Battery Switch?

[Kennc]

Where do you connect the positive power line from the amplifiers?

I installed an m600/6 and an m200/2 and ran 4 lines (power and ground for each amp) of 4 gauge from helm to battery compartment.

Currently, they are connected directly onto the house battery (with fuses), but I am thinking they should be connected to the dual battery system.

Best I can tell, the "D" post of the BEP system (716) is the correct mounting point.

Anyone have any advice to offer?

And I promise, pictures are coming!

Thanks
Ken

 

[PaulyB]

What battery switch are you using? The battery switch I have has 3 posts, Battery 1, Battery 2, and Common. The common post it the one you would connect the amp cables to....

 

[jawsf16]

Switch matters. I have an on off combine and the amps go to the side of the switch that the house battery is on. if you go direct to battery then you can't completely disconnect them and isolate battery. Don't forget to fuse them as well...

 

[Kennc]

BEP 716 is the switch. Three independent switches and the VSR. You can set starter "on or off," House "on or off", emergency parallel "both on".

 

[jawsf16]

I would send the amp positive cable through the house switch then.

 

[Kennc]

That is what I am thinking. Thanks.

 

[jcyamaharider]

To minimize wire you could have done one big power and ground ( 0-2awg) to where the amps are and then done the appropriate wire off of a fused distribution block for the power and a ground block for the negative. Just an idea.

 

[Kennc]

@jcyamaharider I agree, but when you buy the slampaks you get what you get. It would be nice if they could recognize if you were going to buy both the interior and the tower kit and provide a more elegant install solution, but I guess that would not be expedient for JL Audio and/or yamaha.

In any event, yesterday I dis-mounted the BEP 716 and connected my two power lines. Re-mounted and all seems good.

Except now I am thinking that I may need a busbar for all the grounds, but I know nothing about busbars???

 

[Julian]

Agree with @jawsf16 you want to attach to the house battery switch. Your ground will be common across them all.

 

[jcyamaharider]

@jcyamaharider I agree, but when you buy the slampaks you get what you get. It would be nice if they could recognize if you were going to buy both the interior and the tower kit and provide a more elegant install solution, but I guess that would not be expedient for JL Audio and/or yamaha.

In any event, yesterday I dis-mounted the BEP 716 and connected my two power lines. Re-mounted and all seems good.

Except now I am thinking that I may need a busbar for all the grounds, but I know nothing about busbars???

Gotcha!!

I just installed some blue sea 1/4-20 bus bars on my boat. 150amp max should be more then enough.

 

[Kennc]

@jcyamaharider In my system there are a number of grounds going to the house battery (especially with the two new ones from the amps) and a number to the starter battery, I am assuming they each need their own bus? Would you agree?

In other words, I connect all the blacks from the house battery to a bus, and then connect one from that bus to the house post.

Same, but separate for the starter?

 

[maboat]

Switch matters. I have an on off combine and the amps go to the side of the switch that the house battery is on. if you go direct to battery then you can't completely disconnect them and isolate battery. Don't forget to fuse them as well...

I'm not certain from your description, but....
If your amp positive is connected to the post of the switch that also goes to the house battery then that is electrically the same as going directly to the battery and you aren't isolating the battery from the amp when the switch is off.

See PaulyB's post above. It sounds like you have the 3 post battery switch (on-off-combine) which means your amp cable should connect to the common post, not the battery 2 post

 

[Kennc]

@jcyamaharider Also, would the same hold true for the power lines. Could I do 4 buses? Two red, two black?

Then, if I add an onboard charger, do I hook that to the bus or the actual battery post? Finally, can you double up on a post (i.e. can I put both my amp 4 AWG grounds on one post on the bus).

I hope this make sense, I am totally new to this.

Thanks
Ken

 

[jcyamaharider]

@jcyamaharider In my system there are a number of grounds going to the house battery (especially with the two new ones from the amps) and a number to the starter battery, I am assuming they each need their own bus? Would you agree?

In other words, I connect all the blacks from the house battery to a bus, and then connect one from that bus to the house post.

Same, but separate for the starter?

Sounds right!

 

[jcyamaharider]

@jcyamaharider Also, would the same hold true for the power lines. Could I do 4 buses? Two red, two black?

Then, if I add an onboard charger, do I hook that to the bus or the actual battery post? Finally, can you double up on a post (i.e. can I put both my amp 4 AWG grounds on one post on the bus).

I hope this make sense, I am totally new to this.

Thanks
Ken

Yes you could do that with the power wires as well. AS long as you do not exceed your amperage for your bar you are free to add as many as you would like to a post. I would try to evenly distribute though.

I would hook the onboard charger directly to the batteries but I do not have a VSR so this may be wrong, hopefully someone who has a VSR will chime in.

Am I correct in assuming that the VSR only applies to the stators when charging the boat batteries while running and the dual bank charger has no effect on this at all?

 

[Williamsone46]

@jcyamaharider I agree, but when you buy the slampaks you get what you get. It would be nice if they could recognize if you were going to buy both the interior and the tower kit and provide a more elegant install solution, but I guess that would not be expedient for JL Audio and/or yamaha.

In any event, yesterday I dis-mounted the BEP 716 and connected my two power lines. Re-mounted and all seems good.

Except now I am thinking that I may need a busbar for all the grounds, but I know nothing about busbars???

Technically each amp should have its own power and ground wire, regardless on weather your installing both kits or not. A lot of times people will use a larger wire and jump them from amp to amp which technically is incorrect.

 

[Williamsone46]

I installed mine through the house switch.

 

[jcyamaharider]

Technically each amp should have its own power and ground wire, regardless on weather your installing both kits or not. A lot of times people will use a larger wire and jump them from amp to amp which technically is incorrect.

Good way to cause a huge issue ( fire, overloading )right there!!

That's why they make distribution blocks So one doesn't loop amp to amp.

 

[Julian]

I was under the impression that a single ground bus is fine across the starter and house circuits (as long as that bus can handle it)

 

[jcyamaharider]

I was under the impression that a single ground bus is fine across the starter and house circuits (as long as that bus can handle it)

It is but for simplicity is all @Kennc is eluding too.