Battery checker - thoughts?

[dlandersson]

Just saw this - I've had good luck with my Sea Dog 422-010 fuse switch panels. A battery test panel looked kinda neat.

http://www.sea-dog.com/groups/1947-batt ... ge-lighter

Input would be appreciated.

[Boblee]

The voltmeter is only so useful and only as useful when it is accurate and then as a guide only, many arent and imho digital is better especially if it can be verified accurate you are dealing with fractions of a volt to be useful as a real test of battery draw down and charge etc.
As for the cigarette lighter socket I personally think those type of sockets except for some better ones should be kept only for their original purpose especially if you have different types elsewhere as all your specific voltage outlets should be the same unless maybe you want one dedicated for a specific purpose only.
Mind you it looks flash.

[dlandersson]

Here's one with a horn - trying to think if I'd use it.

http://www.sea-dog.com/groups/1948-batt ... orn-button

The voltmeter is only so useful and only as useful when it is accurate and then as a guide only, many arent and imho digital is better especially if it can be verified accurate you are dealing with fractions of a volt to be useful as a real test of battery draw down and charge etc.
As for the cigarette lighter socket I personally think those type of sockets except for some better ones should be kept only for their original purpose especially if you have different types elsewhere as all your specific voltage outlets should be the same unless maybe you want one dedicated for a specific purpose only.
Mind you it looks flash.

[Matt19020]

I installed Xantrex LinkLite
Features:
Read your battery bank like a fuel gauge
Internal programmable alarm relay, to run a generator when needed or to turn off devices when the battery voltage exceeds programmable boundaries
Provides critical information about the status of your battery bank
Displays voltage, current, consumed amp hours and remaining battery capacity
Two battery inputs
Auto sensing battery voltage inputs
Large backlit LCD Display
Quick nut mounting construction
Programmable alarm relay
Shunt selection capability enables flexible system integration
Splash proof front panel
500 Amp shunt included

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?pa ... id=1130625
It is a little pricey but a very nice piece

[Russ]

Three switches is not enough.

I installed a digital voltmeter.
Before that, I used one of these
http://www.amazon.com/INNOVA-3721-Batte ... tmeter+12v

Then I learned my GPS has a voltmeter built in. Now I use that from the helm to see status of house batts.

[seahouse]

Just saw this - I've had good luck with my Sea Dog 422-010 fuse switch panels. A battery test panel looked kinda neat.

http://www.sea-dog.com/groups/1947-batt ... ge-lighter

Input would be appreciated.

Hey DL -

The term battery “tester” is a misnomer for what this does. It would be more accurate to call it a battery voltage “checker”. A true battery tester will apply a load to measure the battery capacity. But maybe “tester” means “checker” in Chinese? Still, it is a way to get a rough estimate of the state of your batteries, better than nothing.

Putting the “horn” button there is a joke... maybe they're putting some bull by the horn .

A horn needs to be readily available. Abandoning the helm in an emergency to go below to the fuse panel to sound the horn is one ludicrous scenario, I'd say.

-B.

[NavySailor]

Just saw this - I've had good luck with my Sea Dog 422-010 fuse switch panels. A battery test panel looked kinda neat.

http://www.sea-dog.com/groups/1947-batt ... ge-lighter

Input would be appreciated.

That's my panel!


I'll say that I don't have a lot of experience with it yet (only had the boat for 6 weeks) but it works just fine.

[Russ]

A horn needs to be readily available. Abandoning the helm in an emergency to go below to the fuse panel to sound the horn is one ludicrous scenario, I'd say.

You're correct.
This "horn" panel is best suited for a center console type of boat, not inside a cabin. When you need a horn, it should be at your fingertips. And also, VERY few sailboats have hardwired horns.

This panel is probably sufficient for a stock Mac 25. The standard DC needs are running lights, cabin lights and steaming light. Macgregor didn't include an anchor light as standard equipment. If you expand that to say Stereo, additional outlets, VHF etc, you should add more capacity.

[Crikey]

This let me find out just how sensitive my Admiral's hearing was:

She cussed me for two days!

[Y.B.Normal]

Crikey:

My Admiral had the same reaction last weekend when I used it to tell a boat I was passing on the right in the channel.

[Crikey]

Crikey:

My Admiral had the same reaction last weekend when I used it to tell a boat I was passing on the right in the channel.

I usually use it to tell a large powerboat, passing me at high speed, to FO!

[Highlander]

For those who don't know F/O stands for Full-Out right Ross

J

[hschumac]

I looked at that Sea Dog panel when redoing all my electrical as well. After reading Nigel Calder and other things, comments from the above people and others, decided that panel battery indicator doesn't really help. By not knowing what the measure of red / green is and the various interpretations of good/bad are, I went with a Blue Sea Systems analog voltmeter.

[tlgibson97]

Wife just got me this for my birthday. I always get boat parts for my birthday. Hooked it up last weekend and seems pretty nice. My fishfinder has voltage on it but it's not really accurate. It's a few tenths off probably due to the small gauge wire and run. I installed the battery test panel down on the galley close to the batteries to be as accurate as possible. I figure if I switch the battery at 50% while under a light load then it will be slightly higher once rested for a bit.



This is the power panel I have:



I still have one breaker available for something. I wonder what I can add. Wife wants a radio. GPS and VHF Radio is on the Accessory switch so I would have to see if a radio would work on that circuit or if I would put it on its own.
The switch between the power panel and bilge switches controls the steaming light so it can be turned off for sailing at night. Though I'm willing to bet the 90% of the people around here wouldn't know what it means to have the steaming light off.

[dlandersson]

Interesting. Do you have a picture of the battery tester panel on your galley? Inquiring minds want to know.

This is the power panel I have: