When I started out this year I thought all I had to do was install and cable up the batteries. However during the summer the old Freedom 458 Combi Inverter/Charger failed. I had to keep resetting it until it quit altogether. It has been working 24/7 for 7 years now so it doesn't owe me anything. I am replacing it with a MS-2812 Magnum Inverter/Charger, 2800 Watts, Pure Sine Wave. Now my cabling needs to handle 400 Amps so I need to use 4/0 cable throughout. The 5 batteries are Odyssey PC-2150S units at 100AH each.
These are the Coast Guard approved battery holders. 2 on the Starboard side.	The port side will receive 3 batteries. The older battery installed in 2016 you see here will be moved to the forward position.
Phew.. These suckers weigh 78 pounds each. They are in place on Starboard side. I installed all the batteries so the negative post is facing amidships. That way when I am working in this area there will be no danger of a short to ground.	All 3 now in position on Port Side. With all 5 batteries I've added 390 pounds to the ballast. The inverter/charger is another 50 pounds, for a total system weight of 440 pounds.
Battery wiring for the inverter requires 4/0 wire to allow for 400 Amps of current to flow without too much resistance. I had to buy a 16 Ton crimper so I could cold weld the heavy duty terminals. No soldering for Gary for this project.. Should have bought one of these a long time ago. It will also crimp stem ball sleeves for stainless wire rope.	First completed short cables ready to go. These will be used to connect the batteries together in parallel.
Starboard side batteries are connected. In order protect the cables from any chance of shorting together, I installed a 2" PVC pipe across the back bulkhead and ran the 4/0 cables through it.	Here is the port side. You can see I ran the black cable through the side of the PVC pipe. I also covered each battery terminal with a piece of lexan. This will prevent a short should anything metallic be dropped across the batteries.
MagnaSine Inverter/Charger Installed. It also included a temp probe (BTS Tag) for the batteries. I mounted it on the battery farthest from the unit.	New AC distribution box installed. The old Freedom unit had this built in. The 20 Amp is for the port side and the galley. The 15 amp is for the starboard side and the aft cabin.
Remote control installed and working. It was designed to directly replace the Freedom remote. It's showing the 5 batteries charging at 102 Amps. No wonder they spec'd 4/0 Cable.