12 volt indicaters

Submitted: Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 at 20:37
ThreadID: 42601 Views:4674 Replies:8 FollowUps:16
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Hi all does anyone use those in car battery indicators they show you how both your battery's levels are.
Where do you buy them from and how much would you expect to pay and can you fit them yourself.

Many thanks
Eric
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Reply By: Derek from Affordable Batteries & Radiators - Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 at 21:26

Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 at 21:26
Hi Eric

You get Voltmeters, simple LED indicators and more advanced monitors.

What are your needs ?

Have a look here. monitors

Regards

Derek.
AnswerID: 223431

Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 21:56

Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 21:56
Derek I am after something to look at that lets me know on either my axillary or my cranking battery what charge or life is left in it.

I think thats how to say it.

All the best
Eric
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FollowupID: 485041

Follow Up By: Derek from Affordable Batteries & Radiators - Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:11

Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:11
Hi Eric

Our LCD monitor will show you the available capacity in a bar graph.



The bar graph on the RH side drops as the battery capacity decreases.

Regards

Derek.
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Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 06:22

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 06:22
Derek does it do both battery's at once or do you need 2. How much are they.

Many thanks
Eric
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FollowupID: 485089

Follow Up By: Derek from Affordable Batteries & Radiators - Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 08:51

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 08:51
I will send you some infor to your email.

We have a few options.



Regards

Derek.
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FollowupID: 485099

Reply By: Hairy - Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 at 21:34

Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 at 21:34
Yeh Mate,
About $30 from Tandy.
Had it in my car for a couple of years and works fine.
Cheers
AnswerID: 223434

Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 21:57

Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 21:57
Hairy what does it tell you and what is the model of it.

Many thanks Eric
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FollowupID: 485042

Follow Up By: Hairy - Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 23:39

Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 23:39
Gday,
Ive never even tried to use half the crap on it but from memory its
Volts
inside and outside temp
time
something to do with ice.

Just had a quick look.
Thermo-tech????
Blue...El...Ice..Alert?
Its a real cheapy that has done really well and chances are you would probably never find another one.
Id just go to tandys or your equivalent and take a chance.
Cheers
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FollowupID: 485076

Follow Up By: Gramps (NSW) - Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 23:52

Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 23:52
Eric,

Same thing from Jaycar. XC0116
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Reply By: Member - Ivan (ACT) - Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 at 21:58

Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 at 21:58
I used to have one in my car - but all it told me was the voltage while I was driving! - and I had to go look at it to see what the voltage was in between times.. Best thing I've done is install a voltmeter at the rear of the car - every time I visit the fridge, I can glance down and see what is going on - it's not an obsession - but I do have a good feel for what to expect from the battery now - and more importantly, when something is not quite right
Cheers,

Ivan
2008 D4D Prado

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AnswerID: 223438

Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:01

Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:01
Thanks ivan

All the best
Eric
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Reply By: Member - Garth (NSW) - Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 at 22:57

Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 at 22:57
Jaycar have them. Some with voltage readout and coloured leds. Bought 2, work fine. Around $30 I think from memory.
regards
Garth
AnswerID: 223451

Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:01

Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:01
Thanks Garth

All the best
Eric
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Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Friday, Feb 23, 2007 at 01:09

Friday, Feb 23, 2007 at 01:09
Yes, I use one of the Jaycar ones and they are OK.

I mounted the meter on the centre console using self adhesive Velcro tape.
Also have an additional "ciggy socket" under the dash connected to the auxiliary battery.

I can swap between the primary and secondary batteries simply by plugging the meter into the appropriate socket.

Works for me.
Bill


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AnswerID: 223465

Follow Up By: Ian from Thermoguard Instruments - Friday, Feb 23, 2007 at 09:32

Friday, Feb 23, 2007 at 09:32
Hi all,

Just a warning about the Jaycar $30-odd clock/voltage indicators. I put one on our caravan batteries and it initialy read about 0.3V low. It has a calibration potentiometer on the back. I suggest you check it against a good multimeter (or preferably a couple of different mutimeters, to be more confident) and adjust if necessary.

Ian
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FollowupID: 484362

Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Friday, Feb 23, 2007 at 15:33

Friday, Feb 23, 2007 at 15:33
Ian,

Your statement is fair enough mate, but one good thing a cheap voltmeter does is confirm that the Isolator has in fact cutover to charging the auxiliary battery.
The only other way (on my Piranha unit anyway) is to look under the bonnet and observe the indicator light.

Also, it will show you if the battery voltage is "dangerously low" when stationary, regardless of whether the true voltage is 11.6 or 11.3.

Accuracy is hardly a primary requirement in these circumstances.

For $30 I believe they are a good investment.
Bill


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Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:00

Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:00
Thanks Sand man

All the best
Eric
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Reply By: _gmd_pps - Friday, Feb 23, 2007 at 01:42

Friday, Feb 23, 2007 at 01:42
this is what I use for my Housebank (4 x 6V 220AH)
store.solar-electric.com/tm500-shunt.html

for the two cranking batteries I have a simple Voltmeter and an Amp Meter for the charge current into each .. shows me leaks in the system easily ...

the digital volt/amp meters are good with a good shunt when they are calibrated .. I prefer the two decimal digitals ..

To really monitor your batteries you need both Volt and Amp .. Volts only tell half the story ..

have fun
gmd
AnswerID: 223467

Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:02

Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:02
Thanks _gmd_pps

All the best
Eric
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FollowupID: 485046

Reply By: Robnicko - Friday, Feb 23, 2007 at 09:18

Friday, Feb 23, 2007 at 09:18
Eric,
If you have a Piranha dual battery system they sell a monitor which tells you voltages of both batteries. I beleive they now have a digital version as well.

Rob
AnswerID: 223496

Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:04

Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:04
Thanks Robnicko I do have a Piranaha duel battery system
I will look into it

All the best
Eric
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FollowupID: 485047

Follow Up By: Robnicko - Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 12:48

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 12:48
Eric,
If you have a DBE150 or 180S system I believe the battery monitor plugs straight into it.

Thanks,
Rob

PS : I just use my $16 dick smith multi meter.........
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FollowupID: 485172

Reply By: Trev50 - Friday, Feb 23, 2007 at 13:03

Friday, Feb 23, 2007 at 13:03
G'day all,
Does anybody have a parts list and circuit for a monitor that would show you battery volts and charge/discharge current?

Cheers,
Trev
AnswerID: 223532

Follow Up By: Robin - Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:13

Monday, Feb 26, 2007 at 22:13
Hi Trev

If your looking to do something at the electronics hobbyist level , check out current (feb 2007) silicon chip mag.

It has simple approach to measure amp hours based on a bicycle computer readout driven by a simple picaxe. Ther exact circuit is for smaller gel cells and panels , and sense resistor would have to be scaled

Robin Miller

(I just use a $40 dollar Jarcar volts monitor as it has low batt volts alarms , and temp sensors which can be placed on battery)
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