DUAL BATTERIES

[BLACKMAGIC]

WANTING TO HOOK A SECOND BATTERY FOR A BIGGER AMP. JUST WONDERING IF THERES A POST SOMEWHERE OR A CHART THAT TELLS HOW TO HOOK THE BATTERIES TOGETHER AND WHICH BATTERY TO HOOK MY AMP TO.

[Rex_foxhound]

Thats a good question. I've been looking into the same thing myself. Just not real sure how...

[Mr RadioActive]

Hooking up two batteries is easy, they run pos to pos, neg to neg. Doesnt really matter which one you hook to the amp, when run like that they act as one.

[BLACKMAGIC]

THANKS FOR THE INPUT MR RADIO ACTIVE.

[Duck Commander]

what if you hook 3 up i heard a guy @ cb city the other day i wuz haulin a load thru tyler he said u want to hook to the middle battery so it isnt pulln off 1 side of em. Seems to me like if they were hookd up in line it wouldnt matter it wood pull from all of em rite?

[THUMPER]

Hooking up two batteries is easy, they run pos to pos, neg to neg. Doesnt really matter which one you hook to the amp, when run like that they act as one.

i like to run the amp off the second Bat that way the truck can pull off one and the amp can pull on the other . but ya they do work as one

[KEEP-IT-REAL]

Make sue both batts are the same amps. Don't run one 650 cca and one 1000 cca. Both have to be the same or your going to have problems...

[jeepTJ]

there are many ways you can hook up 2 batteries. you have to have 2 brand new exact same batteries with the same date code on them if you want to go pos to pos, neg to neg, or else they will drain each other with the different charges between them. [Please login or register to view this link] is another way. Batt 1, Batt 2, or Both.

[Amish Joe]

I know of setup but I'm not sure I can post it here... if anyone wants the link send me a pm and I'll forward the link to ya.

[Phaze91460]

there are many ways you can hook up 2 batteries. you have to have 2 brand new exact same batteries with the same date code on them if you want to go pos to pos, neg to neg, or else they will drain each other with the different charges between them. [Please login or register to view this link] is another way. Batt 1, Batt 2, or Both.

Not realy relavent. You can use one battery that is a high CCA batt and another that is a deep cycle and they will be fine. The voltage has to be 12v batterys but amp output will not matter or hurt the vehicle or radio in any way.

[Sly Dog]

what if you hook 3 up i heard a guy @ cb city the other day i wuz haulin a load thru tyler he said u want to hook to the middle battery so it isnt pulln off 1 side of em. Seems to me like if they were hookd up in line it wouldnt matter it wood pull from all of em rite?

Everyone has their own spin on this and they swear their version is correct.
All the batteries hooked in parallel should be identical and it doesn't matter which battery you hook the amp to.

[Duck Commander]

Rawjee i thouight that sounded kinda funny wasnt sure tho thanks.

[Shaft]

If you hook up two batteries in parallel <+,+ and -,-> the batteries have to be the same. It won't matter which battery you connect to. I do not recommend running Yellow Top Optima batteries like this. I have personally run them in my own truck and have used them in several show cars I've built. They generally have life of 2-3 years. When one of them goes bad (and they will go bad) you'll have starting problems.

The only other way to hook up two batteries would be to use a dual battery isolator. If you are wanting your setup to run off just one battery, this is the way to do. It allows the alternator to charge both batteries, but supplies power to independent components.

In either case, be sure to fuse your amps as close to the battery as possible.

[Eugene]

An isolator is very nice. I bought the second battery tray for the factory diesel truck and put my battery there, then built a bracket to mount my isolator, then ran a couple fused circuits to a fuse block under the dash and then fuse my CB and other loads individually there. No voltage drop when starting since the battery powering all those loads is isolated and I can leave my CB on all the time and get the Wx alerts from it when I;m out on the farm.

[Crusher]

I find that the HP-31 series battery works nicely. make sure it is high cycle not a deep cycle Battery. 2 of these batteries in parallel give and hold more power than a D8 and I mean the expensive $450 one. The HP-31 will do 1000CCA and 1300CA. Also, use a heavy cable, at least 4 gauge minimum. In some setups or like in semis, they use a heavy duty copper bar to connect 3 or 4 batteries. the bar is like 1/4 inch thick and 1.5 inches wide. it'll handle just about any amp draw. From the front to were you are storing the extra batteries, make sure to run as heavy a wire as possible. The heavier the wire, the less of a voltage drop you will see. I have seen guys use as many as 16 batteries in the back of there pickup that they use everyday. Man that sucks on gas. the key to keeping the rear or extra batteries fully charged is to have a charging system that is able to keep up with the demand. (make sure you have at least 1 alternator that can handle the amps. many have 2/3/4 or more depending what they are running or who they are fighting (competition)