It is running 24v system as normal and I am running 12v for accessory, since it is hard to find 24v accessories, so for my secondary batteries system is 2 x 120ah batteries together.
Now I would like to keep an eye on the voltage on them so I want to install a couple of gauges, one for each battery so that each can be monitored individually instead of as a system.
Can someone please suggest some gauges none expensive as I don't want to spend too much on them, as it is only just to keep an eye, as they will charge via the bus 24v system when driving,
via a solar panel when stationary, and if needed have a genie that can charge with 12v charger on it, or can plug my 240v 7 stage charger in to charge the batteries.
These gauges are just as a precautionary thing so I don't go running the batteries down too far before I really need to charge them up if the solar is not attached that is all.
Thanks in advance.
Barry.
-- Edited by wanderer51957 on Sunday 11th of January 2015 11:14:21 AM
aussie_paul said
01:00 PM Jan 10, 2015
Hi Barry, I fitted one of these yesterday and have not checked accuracy, or used in real life as yet.
Perhaps more expensive than you want or even need but my motorhome had a National Luna dual battery monitor on the house batteries and I think its great. So good I bought another to monitor my truck batteries too. And I own three multimeters.
They are made for battery monitoring and have a line of leds in red, orange, green to give an instant readout of battery voltage. 3 Red for low, 7 orange for working range, 4 green for charging range. They also have an alarm for faults. When you glance at it you can instantly see if the batteries are charging and how much, at night you can just glance to see how the batteries are going and if its time to call it quits.
Even my family understands it, no complicated mental arithmetics just don't go below 3 orange lights. During the day check it goes into the green ones two or three at least. Its the best voltage meter I have had. Simple They come in single or dual and they monitor the voltages independant of earths etc. They also have the voltages marked against the leds. Google for them or some 4WD shops sell them.
-- Edited by Jaahn on Saturday 10th of January 2015 03:11:57 PM
DeBe said
06:17 PM Jan 10, 2015
The top cig lighter socket type are LED & draw too mutch current. The LCD type 03_ Troopy shows Ive been using & draw very little current in comparison.
aussie_paul said
06:41 PM Jan 10, 2015
DeBe wrote:
The top cig lighter socket type are LED & draw too mutch current. The LCD type 03_ Troopy shows Ive been using & draw very little current in comparison.
I had better check the current draw then.
Aussie Paul.
wanderer51957 said
06:43 PM Jan 10, 2015
Thanks for that one Paul but remember my bus runs on 24v and that is what the Cigarette Lighter would work off but I want to be able to monitor the secondary batteries not the main bus batteries.
Thanks Barry.
wanderer51957 said
07:00 PM Jan 10, 2015
Jaahn
Thank you for your input but as you said a bit dear as I was thinking something cheap like the other ones, as I said it is only just to monitor them when the solar is not attached or the genie as they do already have meters on them, and as I have 2 batteries I didn't want to spend much.
Now as for Troopy's idea, for some reason I can not get it to load the page, it just keeps saying This page can not be displayed.
So Troopy the gauge you are talking about, are they the little square ones with 2 or 3 wires on them that you can get on ebay, as per the attached photo.
If so which gauge is better the 2 wire or 3 wire to connect as I have no problem connecting them, only need to know if need the 2 or 3 wire model.
I have a couple of those ciggie meters too which i use for a quick check on the charging of a car or battery health if suspect. They are a bit inaccurate but at that price I gave a couple away to my mates so they stopped borrowing mine I do not usually leave them in all the time as they draw a bit of current but its not so bad, just like a small light. All volt meters draw a small current to work, some less than others. The National Lunar draw 18ma I think and less if you turn off the displays which you can do with a push of a button. They are worth the cost to me for the instant clear display and the excellent way they work. I have never seen a better purpose designed meter and I have used quite a few of many types in my jobs. They read two batteries in parallel or in series.
Current is measured in amps or milliamps in this case. That is a flow of current like a flow of water. If you want a quantity of electricity it is amp hours, that is a current of say, an amp for an hour is an amp hour. That is like a quantity of water over some time, eg a liter. That is what a battery stores, amp hours of electricity.
cheers Jaahn
-- Edited by Jaahn on Saturday 10th of January 2015 10:52:40 PM
DeBe said
10:53 PM Jan 10, 2015
Heres the LCD meter & current draw. I fited a switch to disable the back light for minimum current draw 3.69Ma or if illuminated 8.21Ma
42 milliamps/hour is what my LED voltage indicator draws. Is that good or bad?
Aussie Paul.
Hi Paul
Getting electrical terminolgy right can be a Bugger
But it is important to avoid misundertstandings
The current flowing at any instant is measured in:Micro A,Milli A or simply A
TIme [Hrs] only come into when it is AMPS by time actually used
So 10A used for 1hr is 10Ahrs
But 2A used for 5hrs is also 10Ah
or a step further:
10A used continuosly for 24hrs = 240Ahrs, [can also be shown as 240Ah]
2A used continiuosly over 24hrs=48Ahs
so in your case ,the meter consumes 0.042A, over 24hrs it will be 0.043A x24hrs = 1.008 Ahs used in 24hrs
Hope that helps!
PeterQ
-- Edited by oldtrack123 on Saturday 10th of January 2015 11:34:55 PM
WAssa41 said
09:59 AM Jan 11, 2015
If you have the battery connected together then you would only need 1 meter. Connecting a meter to each battery will read the same as just having one connected. If you have a battery switch which allows you to select no 1 battery or no 2 or both then you would still only need 1 meter or have I missed something.
Wassa
03_Troopy said
10:28 AM Jan 11, 2015
Barry, my link was a search on Ebay for 0V to 30V digital voltmeter. There are many different types including dual readout so you can monitor the 24V system as well, or fit shunt and measure curent at the same time.
03_Troopy said
10:33 AM Jan 11, 2015
WAssa41 wrote:
If you have the battery connected together then you would only need 1 meter. Connecting a meter to each battery will read the same as just having one connected. If you have a battery switch which allows you to select no 1 battery or no 2 or both then you would still only need 1 meter or have I missed something.
Wassa
He has a 24V system as the vehicle running system, and a 12V accessory system
wanderer51957 said
11:13 AM Jan 11, 2015
WAssa
Even though they are connected I would still like to have them monitored individually as I finally got the system to show me the link that Troopy wanted me to see I have found that I can get a couple of those for around $10 which is perfect to monitor both batteries, plus I can get another one to keep an eye on the 24v setup that the bus runs, which is what Troopy has pointed out above.
So anyway thank you very much for that guys, but as for those gauges you said Troopy which ones would be the best a 2 wire or 3 wire setup, as I have said they are so cheap I would get 3 of them and have them running full time to even make sure that the meters on the solar panel and the generator are also running properly.
Because what I will do is run a different colour for each battery so it just makes it easier to monitor.
Barry.
wanderer51957 said
11:21 AM Jan 11, 2015
Sorry forgot to answer you Baz and the answer is yes 2 x 120 ah Batteries connected in parallel.
I have it coming from the main bus batteries thru an isolator to the batteries, and I also have solar to charge them, and for another backup my generator has a 12v charger built into it, and I also a 7 stage battery charger.
So hopefully I will have all my bases covered but just needed to know what was a good cheap gauge to monitor the batteries as I didn't want to pay over $50 for them as I want all 3 batteries covered individually.
Anyway thanks for the info Baz.
Barry.
aussie_paul said
02:33 PM Jan 11, 2015
oldtrack123 wrote:
Hope that helps!
PeterQ
-- Edited by oldtrack123 on Saturday 10th of January 2015 11:34:55 PM
Thanks Peter, back in 1970 when I was 20 I developed type 1 diabetes. In the late 70s I went from farming to owner operating a motel with Eril and a 12 week old baby. I was interested in communications after flying around the country side, and as moteling is a 24/7 job I needed a hobby so I chose CB radio. I realised that I needed to get a Amature/Ham radio ticket when the CB become unbearable due idiots etc. I studied enough to achieve my full Ham ticket. So, a long time ago and most of the info I learned is rusty!!!!!!!!
Aussie Paul.
wanderer51957 said
04:33 PM Jan 11, 2015
Hey guys I just want to say thank you for all the information about the gauge as I have just been on eBay bought 3 of the square ones you suggested AUSSIE Paul and it only cost $6.41 for the 3, so I can now mount them above the door as you come in the side. That way I will run the wiring down the pillar through the floor as the bus batteries are just there and the secondary ones are next to them towards the rear wheels, so it should be the best spot.
Again thank you very much for the information.
Barry.
Hello all, here is my question.
I have a Toyota Coaster setup.
It is running 24v system as normal and I am running 12v for accessory, since it is hard to find 24v accessories, so for my secondary batteries system is 2 x 120ah batteries together.
Now I would like to keep an eye on the voltage on them so I want to install a couple of gauges, one for each battery so that each can be monitored individually instead of as a system.
Can someone please suggest some gauges none expensive as I don't want to spend too much on them, as it is only just to keep an eye, as they will charge via the bus 24v system when driving,
via a solar panel when stationary, and if needed have a genie that can charge with 12v charger on it, or can plug my 240v 7 stage charger in to charge the batteries.
These gauges are just as a precautionary thing so I don't go running the batteries down too far before I really need to charge them up if the solar is not attached that is all.
Thanks in advance.
Barry.
-- Edited by wanderer51957 on Sunday 11th of January 2015 11:14:21 AM
Hi Barry, I fitted one of these yesterday and have not checked accuracy, or used in real life as yet.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/291318635718?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
Aussie Paul.
Try these on Ebay if you want to fit one into the dash or a panel 0V to 30V Digital Volt Meter..
HI Barry,
Perhaps more expensive than you want or even need but my motorhome had a National Luna dual battery monitor on the house batteries and I think its great. So good I bought another to monitor my truck batteries too. And I own three multimeters.
They are made for battery monitoring and have a line of leds in red, orange, green to give an instant readout of battery voltage. 3 Red for low, 7 orange for working range, 4 green for charging range. They also have an alarm for faults. When you glance at it you can instantly see if the batteries are charging and how much, at night you can just glance to see how the batteries are going and if its time to call it quits.
Even my family understands it, no complicated mental arithmetics just don't go below 3 orange lights. During the day check it goes into the green ones two or three at least. Its the best voltage meter I have had. Simple
They come in single or dual and they monitor the voltages independant of earths etc. They also have the voltages marked against the leds. Google for them or some 4WD shops sell them.
Jaahn
http://www.kulkyne.com/au/Recessed-Dual-Battery-Monitor.html?gclid=CJnxk6rHiMMCFYcsvQodOU4A3A
-- Edited by Jaahn on Saturday 10th of January 2015 03:11:57 PM
The top cig lighter socket type are LED & draw too mutch current. The LCD type 03_ Troopy shows Ive been using & draw very little current in comparison.
I had better check the current draw then.
Aussie Paul.
Thanks for that one Paul but remember my bus runs on 24v and that is what the Cigarette Lighter would work off but I want to be able to monitor the secondary batteries not the main bus batteries.
Thanks Barry.
Jaahn
Thank you for your input but as you said a bit dear as I was thinking something cheap like the other ones, as I said it is only just to monitor them when the solar is not attached or the genie as they do already have meters on them, and as I have 2 batteries I didn't want to spend much.
Now as for Troopy's idea, for some reason I can not get it to load the page, it just keeps saying This page can not be displayed.
So Troopy the gauge you are talking about, are they the little square ones with 2 or 3 wires on them that you can get on ebay, as per the attached photo.
If so which gauge is better the 2 wire or 3 wire to connect as I have no problem connecting them, only need to know if need the 2 or 3 wire model.
Anyway thanks for info so far guys.
Barry.
Barry, ths is a screen shot of the link from Jaan.
Aussie Paul
-- Edited by aussie_paul on Saturday 10th of January 2015 07:09:53 PM
42 milliamps/hour is what my LED voltage indicator draws. Is that good or bad?
Aussie Paul.
Have I stuffed up with terminology Dorian?
Here is where I had the multimeter set to.
Aussie Paul.
By the sounds of it the OP has 2 X 12V accessory batteries in parallel guys.
Am I correct Barry???
Hi aussie paul,
I have a couple of those ciggie meters too which i use for a quick check on the charging of a car or battery health if suspect. They are a bit inaccurate but at that price I gave a couple away to my mates so they stopped borrowing mine
I do not usually leave them in all the time as they draw a bit of current but its not so bad, just like a small light. All volt meters draw a small current to work, some less than others. The National Lunar draw 18ma I think and less if you turn off the displays which you can do with a push of a button. They are worth the cost to me for the instant clear display and the excellent way they work. I have never seen a better purpose designed meter and I have used quite a few of many types in my jobs.
They read two batteries in parallel or in series.
Current is measured in amps or milliamps in this case. That is a flow of current like a flow of water. If you want a quantity of electricity it is amp hours, that is a current of say, an amp for an hour is an amp hour. That is like a quantity of water over some time, eg a liter. That is what a battery stores, amp hours of electricity.
cheers Jaahn
-- Edited by Jaahn on Saturday 10th of January 2015 10:52:40 PM
Heres the LCD meter & current draw. I fited a switch to disable the back light for minimum current draw 3.69Ma or if illuminated 8.21Ma
Well, there you go, learn more and more every day. Just love my new found friends on Cindy's forum.
Where did I go wrong with Milliamps/hour?
Aussie Paul.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Blue-LCD-Digital-Voltmeter-Battery-Monitor-Panel-Meter-/170868792819?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item27c892ddf3 This should be the meter im using.
Hi Paul
Getting electrical terminolgy right can be a Bugger
But it is important to avoid misundertstandings
The current flowing at any instant is measured in:Micro A,Milli A or simply A
TIme [Hrs] only come into when it is AMPS by time actually used
So 10A used for 1hr is 10Ahrs
But 2A used for 5hrs is also 10Ah
or a step further:
10A used continuosly for 24hrs = 240Ahrs, [can also be shown as 240Ah]
2A used continiuosly over 24hrs=48Ahs
so in your case ,the meter consumes 0.042A, over 24hrs it will be 0.043A x24hrs = 1.008 Ahs used in 24hrs
Hope that helps!
PeterQ
-- Edited by oldtrack123 on Saturday 10th of January 2015 11:34:55 PM
If you have the battery connected together then you would only need 1 meter. Connecting a meter to each battery will read the same as just having one connected. If you have a battery switch which allows you to select no 1 battery or no 2 or both then you would still only need 1 meter or have I missed something.
Wassa
He has a 24V system as the vehicle running system, and a 12V accessory system
Even though they are connected I would still like to have them monitored individually as I finally got the system to show me the link that Troopy wanted me to see I have found that I can get a couple of those for around $10 which is perfect to monitor both batteries, plus I can get another one to keep an eye on the 24v setup that the bus runs, which is what Troopy has pointed out above.
So anyway thank you very much for that guys, but as for those gauges you said Troopy which ones would be the best a 2 wire or 3 wire setup, as I have said they are so cheap I would get 3 of them and have them running full time to even make sure that the meters on the solar panel and the generator are also running properly.
Because what I will do is run a different colour for each battery so it just makes it easier to monitor.
Barry.
Sorry forgot to answer you Baz and the answer is yes 2 x 120 ah Batteries connected in parallel.
I have it coming from the main bus batteries thru an isolator to the batteries, and I also have solar to charge them, and for another backup my generator has a 12v charger built into it, and I also a 7 stage battery charger.
So hopefully I will have all my bases covered but just needed to know what was a good cheap gauge to monitor the batteries as I didn't want to pay over $50 for them as I want all 3 batteries covered individually.
Anyway thanks for the info Baz.
Barry.
Thanks Peter, back in 1970 when I was 20 I developed type 1 diabetes. In the late 70s I went from farming to owner operating a motel with Eril and a 12 week old baby. I was interested in communications after flying around the country side, and as moteling is a 24/7 job I needed a hobby so I chose CB radio. I realised that I needed to get a Amature/Ham radio ticket when the CB become unbearable due idiots etc. I studied enough to achieve my full Ham ticket. So, a long time ago and most of the info I learned is rusty!!!!!!!!
Aussie Paul.