Jumper/battery tender hook up

[Broncohauler]

 

Wired in a couple battery jumper posts so now I don’t need to remove the battery box cover to hookup a battery tender or for jump starting. 
So far real happy just need a higher out put tender. 
One thing I did notice though is that for some reason both the main ground cable and positive to the starter are coming from the same battery??

I would think  the negative wire be at the last battery of three in the battery bank?

[rickeieio]

I would agree, though I'm no 'lectric whiz.

[DJohns]

I think you opened up a can of worms! I have the same battery tender you have. I move it from one battery to the next when charging. Some say charge all the batteries at once some say one battery at a time. This will be fun to watch the engineers on this on.

[RayJay]

If the batteries are connected in parallel, connect the charger to any one battery, it will charge all, only at a slower rate.

 

[Imurphy907]

The Battery cables should be on different batteries. The + on the front battery and the - on the back or vise versa. What you are looking to do is have all the batteries be the same electrical path length so they share the load equally. Having both connections on one battery puts that one under more load since its the shortest electrical path. This is more important under high loads like turning over a cold 14 liter diesel. Where I come from in the Telco world this type of thing is even written into our codes.

 

And as far as charging with a small charger it does not really matter. Even if hooked to one battery they are all connected together. I usually do the same with my charger as the main leads thou. offset them end to end. but again a lot of that is just habit.

Edited February 24, 2020 by Imurphy907

[noteven]

I was learned to treat batteries connected in sets as one battery re: charging / maintaining etc.

I also saw an article I can’t find with a diagram of how to connect multiple batteries and the science behind the recommendations. 
 

It kind of showed poles connected together and load connected each at opposite ends of the batteries...kinda factory Kenworth style...

Edited February 24, 2020 by noteven

[Darryl&Rita]

The engineers know how to build it, properly. The accountants know how to make money off of it. The marketers know how to sell it at a set profit margin. Guess who won the 3 way tug-of-war when it came time to spec the battery cables. 

[noteven]

A first drive in a Mack with a Triplex compound transmission is a humbling thing. Many “busy signals”. 
 

now back to the thread subject...

[Big5er]

Dumb question: Why don't you just mount your charger and hardwire it to the battery posts, just like the starter should be, positive on one battery and negative at the other end? That is a much better connection than those clamps to a battery post.

As far as a charger/maintainer I use a Noco Genius G26000

Edited February 26, 2020 by Big5er

[Broncohauler]

On 2/25/2020 at 5:47 PM, Big5er said:

Dumb question: Why don't you just mount your charger and hardwire it to the battery posts, just like the starter should be, positive on one battery and negative at the other end? That is a much better connection than those clamps to a battery post.

As far as a charger/maintainer I use a Noco Genius G26000

Not a dumb question at all Phil. 
This charger is actually temporary until I get one specifically for the truck. 
When I decide what charger I want, I’ll  hard wire and mount it in the battery box. 
the posts are more for emergency jump starting without taking off the battery box cover. 

[Steve from SoCal]

I have an Anderson plug in the left saddle box on my truck.     With jumper cables and a charging harness.    In my truck it is imperative I have a remote battery connection, my batteries are behind my fifth wheel under the deck.

The chargers I have would drain the batteries IF left connected and unplugged.

 

Steve