However, this battery will only be charging while the motor is running. If your boat has one battery on it, you will have a single battery that handles everything. Why Some Boats Require a Battery Selector Switch All boaters could benefit from using a battery isolator switch, even if there are only some boats that require them. These items may include a radio, lights, fish finders, trolling motors among other items. This is very useful in keeping the battery that you run your boat with, fully charged while out on the water, especially if you have a lot of battery powered items on board your boat. These switches transfer batteries without reconnecting your wires each time you drain one battery. Jump To> Marine Battery Switch Reviews What is a Marine Battery Switch? They do not see the value behind them, and even if your boat does not have one, you may want to consider installing one. However, not everyone completely understands what the purpose of these switches are. Diode-type battery isolators are a lower cost alternative that is fraught with compromises, but still used in OEM installations to save a few dollars.Many people enjoy spending summers on their boat and a lot of boats come equipped with battery switches. ![]() Companies like Balmar, Blue Sea Systems, Charles Industries, Newmar, West Marine and Xantrex all produce suitable battery combiners today. They have minuscule amounts of voltage drop and do not generate the heat levels that the diode-type isolators do. The bottom line here is that today, a modern solid-state battery combiner is the best way to go for this application. All diodes used in electronic systems have an inherent loss of electrical voltage as current passes through them, typically about 0.6-0.7 volts, described by techies as “voltage drop.” This can adversely impact the efficiency of a boat’s battery-charging system depending upon how the installer connects the isolator into the circuit. ![]() Yet another drawback of the diode-type alternators is that diodes have a troubling little electrical nuance that can create some interesting problems with modern charging systems for batteries. Often boat owners install higher output alternators and forget that if a diode type isolator is installed (quite often), then it may also have to be upgraded to match the higher amperage output of the new alternator. These devices all have to be rated to handle the maximum amount of amperage the system alternator is rated for. Another cause for failure with these diode types is amperage rating mismatch. ![]() That said, one of the most common causes of failure for diode type isolators is that they get mounted in a location on the boat (like engine rooms) with inherently high temperatures and/or poor air circulation. The diodes used to facilitate electrical isolation of one battery from another generate a significant amount of heat that must be radiated away by those cooling fins to prevent the diodes from burning out, causing component failure. First of all, the finned case as shown is important because these isolators get quite hot when they are in operation. Diode-type battery isolators definitely have some disadvantages compared to the more modern electronic battery combiner devices available to us today. But to your question, they are not necessarily the best choice for modern systems. This device has been a mainstay in battery systems on boats for the last 40 years or so. Answer: You’re quite right, the device in the photo is indeed what is known as a diode-type battery isolator. ![]() Diode-type isolators like this one have drawbacks compared to more modern solid-state units.
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