Battery monitor

Flyer51 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 01, 2013 7:33 pm

I would really like to get a better handle on the status of my house battery while we're out on the hook. I've found a Vexilar status indicator that I'm thinking of installing. It shows four levels of charge with a led light. I don't want to go through the hassle of installing if it doesn't really help. I'm also thinking I would need to put this on a switch of some sort so that it's not drawing current all the time just to tell me the status. The indicator I have is a T-130. Has anyone installed one of these or are they just a gimmick?

ric · **Posted:** Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:41 pm

I've used the faria battery gauge. Wasn't 100% happy with it, but it was more due to the installation. If you want a battery meter to read correctly it has to be within a foot or 2 of the battery. I had mine on the gauge cluster so it wasn't all that accurate due a minimum of 1v loss to the helm from wiring that long.

The losses from an LED battery meter will be so insignificant but just install it after the house battery switch. It turns off when you turn off.

wkearney99 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 02, 2013 4:17 am

The solution to battery life issues is to install more battery capacity. In the end, monitoring it won't help. Yeah, you'll know what's going on but is that how you want to spend your time? The only other way to approach it is to identify what's consuming the most power and finding ways to reduce that.

The AC/DC fridge is the biggest culprit on most boats. And unfortunately the DC circuit doesn't have a manual breaker that can be switched on/off. So you have to open the fridge and manually turn the thermostat to shut it off. Which loses that bit of additional cooling that was in the box during the switch. I keep some water-filled ziploc bags in the freezer to help provide a bit of added cooling.

Otherwise the next big drain is usually the chart plotter, radar and sensors. Radio audio amps draw a lot; more as you increase the volume.

I went through all this on our 348 and eventually settled on just adding two more 6V-in-series batteries to provided some added capacity.

firecadet613 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 02, 2013 8:34 am

Flyer51 wrote:

I would really like to get a better handle on the status of my house battery while we're out on the hook. I've found a Vexilar status indicator that I'm thinking of installing. It shows four levels of charge with a led light. I don't want to go through the hassle of installing if it doesn't really help. I'm also thinking I would need to put this on a switch of some sort so that it's not drawing current all the time just to tell me the status. The indicator I have is a T-130. Has anyone installed one of these or are they just a gimmick?

Run the genny! Ours goes on before we leave the dock and stays on until we return. The 268 was the same way as soon as we hit the water.

Flyer51 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 02, 2013 8:43 am

firecadet613 wrote:

Run the genny! Ours goes on before we leave the dock and stays on until we return. The 268 was the same way as soon as we hit the water.

I like the quiet of the cove in the morning and run the genny to finish breakfast then turn it off. I don't think I'm charging all that much the short period I have the genny on and I'm trying to get an idea of where my battery is at after I turn the gen off.

With that big boat of yours you probably don't hear the genny! :mrgreen:

wkearney99 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 02, 2013 8:46 am

Pfft, you hear the generator, there's no hiding from it.

Yeah, I like the idea of a quiet morning too. I only run the generator for the coffee and then it's off. I suppose I could rig it up to run off a 12vdc inverter, now that I have some extra battery capacity. But I'm betting that would eat up any added capacity.

neutron · **Posted:** Tue Jul 02, 2013 11:25 am

almost all the boats in our cove are running 1 or 2 EU2000 hondas and you have to be on top of them to hear them and even then its extremely quiet. and run long on one gallon of gas.. my friend has one and he runs his a/c also on it in the cove

thats my next big purchase soon

Alan_G_298Vista · **Posted:** Tue Jul 02, 2013 6:35 pm

wkearney99 wrote:

The solution to battery life issues is to install more battery capacity. In the end, monitoring it won't help. Yeah, you'll know what's going on but is that how you want to spend your time? The only other way to approach it is to identify what's consuming the most power and finding ways to reduce that.

The AC/DC fridge is the biggest culprit on most boats. And unfortunately the DC circuit doesn't have a manual breaker that can be switched on/off. So you have to open the fridge and manually turn the thermostat to shut it off. Which loses that bit of additional cooling that was in the box during the switch. I keep some water-filled ziploc bags in the freezer to help provide a bit of added cooling.

Otherwise the next big drain is usually the chart plotter, radar and sensors. Radio audio amps draw a lot; more as you increase the volume.

I went through all this on our 348 and eventually settled on just adding two more 6V-in-series batteries to provided some added capacity.

I'm with you Bill, we just add batteries! I'd love to have gone the 6volt route but learned of that benefit to late. We have three group 31 12 volt batteries in our house bank. Two fridges, vacuflush, lights, sterio, no worries for at least 4 days on the hook. I plain hate listening to generators, built in or portable they are all irritating IMO, we like the peace and quiet!

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Battery monitor

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