If, like me, you purchased a boat with an in-built, panel mounted, analogue voltmeter ("Battery Test"), you may have found that it was pretty much useless at showing battery status - given that the difference between 12.8V (full) and 12.2V (<> 50%) is only a couple of degrees on the meter. I recently replaced it with a 2 wire, single hole, panel mounted digital voltmeter from Lascar Electronics (www.lascarelectronics.com), part No EMV1200. It cost me £20 and was simple to fit (I would also suggest installing an in line fuse – though, that said, the analogue meter didn’t have one). It remains in serial with the "battery test" switch to enable it be turned on and off - and is usually turned off. At a glance now I get spot readings – only, of course, of use when there is no serious load. "OK", "OK" I know it's not theoretically accurate for determining remaining capacity, but as a former musician I would say it's "good enough for jazz" – will indicate problems early, and certainly be more use than the old analogue meter. Footnote: … No idea how it might cope over time with any alternator spikes etc – though thus far it has been OK. Either way, as I usually only turn it on when the engine is off this is unlikely to be an issue … as always, only time will tell. All usual warnings, disclaimers and caveats apply when undertaking DIY electrical work !
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Battery Status Meter
Thu, 19/06/2003 - 17:02
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Anonymous (not verified)
Battery Status Meter
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