posted 05-23-2010 12:56 PM ET (US)        

http://bluesea.com/files/resources/instructions/990310020.pdf

It struck me as odd that the device requires installation of fuses in every one of the five circuits that connects to it, yet the device itself does not provide for any of these fuses. I'd expect that if the device requires five fuses, the design of the device would have incorporated five fuse holders in the device itself.

Adding all the required fuses will add considerably to the cost of the installation. The main connections between the batteries and the ACR require a fuse in each leg with a minimum rating of 80-amperes and a wire conductor size of 6-AWG. A suitable device from Blue Sea would be their 5006 80-Amp MaxiFuse connector. Two will be needed, along with two 80-ampere fuses. The other three fuses can be simpler, less expensive, in-line fuses.

Added Parts:

2--Blue Sea 5006 MaxiFuse connector; $25-each
2--80-ampere MaxiFuse; $3-each
3--In-line Waterproof AGC fuse holder; $4.25-each
3--AGC fuses, 2-ampere, 10-ampere: $0.50--each

COST = $70.25

In addition, installation will require a great deal of terminal connectors:

8--6-AWG ring terminals; $2.50--each
12--miscellaneous butt splices and ring terminals; $0.50-each

COST = $26

We also need quite a bit of new wire to install the device:

2-feet 6-AWG; $1.25-per-foot
25-feet 16-AWG; $7.50

COST $10

These added costs now total $106.25, which is actually more than the ACR device itself cost!

posted 04-24-2012 01:49 PM ET (US)            

Jimh, you mentioned you had separate house and starting batteries "On my boat, the HDS is running from the HOUSE battery, which is not connected to the E-TEC engine." in this thread http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/003145.html . How do you charge the house battery while away from shore power? Since your evaluation of the Blue Sea 7610 was not economically positive, I assume you found a better way?

posted 04-24-2012 09:55 PM ET (US)            

Even if you installed it as described by jimh(and the linked instructions), it would still cost less than competing(BEP) products. The ACR in this system is more advanced (LED indicator, dual sense, and time delays) than the BEP ACR, making it a great value even when the fuses and connectors are factored into the cost. The battery switch used in this setup is also much simpler, and has many more mounting options. BEP products are still great options, especially the cluster for a two outboard, three battery setup.

Two of the wires mentioned are optional(the linked instructions reflect this) and rarely installed by most folks, the remote LED and the start isolation. There is not even a provision for these wires when using the BEP product.

I had very good luck calling BlueSea for advice. Their customer service is great and they put my on the phone with one of their engineers without hesitation. I was told that the unit has built in protection, it just wouldn't be usable afterward and that the only fuse I really needed for my application was the small in-line one on the ground wire. According to the afore mentioned costs, it's $4.25 plus $0.50 for the fuse. I used a slightly more expensive fuse holder on my boat($8), so all of my fuses would by the ATO style.