2012 150 Speedster - Dual Batteries installed

[WaTeRMaNiaC407]

Hey Everyone,

I am working on completing my install of a 2nd battery to my Speedster 150. The hardest thing was finding the space for the batttery.

I removed the existing battery and tray from the boat.

I ended up measuring and cutting a piece of pressure treated wood and primed it with marine primer and then marine gray paint. I then used the original battery tray as a template and drilled holes in it so I could mount the wood to the boat using the existing screw holes. I then attached the original tray sideways onto the wood as well as an additional mounting tray specfically designed for the Optima battery.

The wiring itself is pretty simple. I connected the grounds together and ran an additional positive run to the switch. I replaced the existing switch on the boat with BEP Marine 701SPM which was an exact replacement as far as the size. Any other switch would have required some type of fabrication to install and I didn't see any reason to do that when they made a perfectly good switch designed for two batteries that fit perfectly.

I used stainless steel screws on everything. I was going to use some type of glue to mount the trays, but I wanted everything that I did to be reversible and be able to go back to orginal factory configuration if it ever needed to.


I just wanted to put this out there in case anyone ever wants to do this on the 2012. Here is one pic of the mounted batteries. I still need to connect the positive cables to each one.

 

[moochy]

looks great, I put mine in for dual batteries earlier this year. What selector switch did you go for?

 

[WaTeRMaNiaC407]

looks great, I put mine in for dual batteries earlier this year. What selector switch did you go for?

I used the BEP Marine 701SPM. The existing switch was a BEP switch so this one replaced the factory switch perfectly.

 

[cheappc]

Sorry for my ignorance, how does this exactly work.. so when your beached and playing your music for hours and then your boat doesnt start, then you can switch it via the switch to the other battery to start the boat?

 

[ken0276]

The original single battery is designed for starting the boat and listening music too, how often the radio would use all up the battery power? I sometimes turned on the not too loud radio for one hour and the battery still has strong power to firing up the engine.

 

[WaTeRMaNiaC407]

Having two batteries with an isolator switch installed guarantees that you will have a battery that will start the boat if the other one dies. I have an amp installed with stereo and I have had it kill the battery after listening to music all day long while tied up on the water. If you are not using an amp with your boat stereo then this is most likely not something that you would need to do.