Yesterday, I received a Battery Condition Indicator, sometimes called a Battery Charge Level Gauge. This one is for the deep cycle auxiliary (house) battery in the boat I'm building. I mention it because I'll be using the same indicator/gauge on the coach (house) battery bank in my motorhome.
This type of gauge is specifically designed for monitoring the charge level in deep cycle batteries. So, it's suitable for marine and recreational vehicle applications.
The gauge looks like a fuel gauge, with (left to right) E, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4. and F. To the far left, past the E mark, it reads 'Dead' and to the far right, past the F mark, it reads 'Charging."
Most automobile gauge manufacturers don't offer this type of gauge because of its limited application. I settled on a Faria 13012 because I've received indications Faria gauges are reliable. (Faria focuses on the marine market but there's no reason their gauges can't be used in a motorhome.)
Battery Condition Indicators and automotive voltmeters appear similar in function but each is intended for a specific purpose.
Before proceeding, I'll repeat what I've said before. Automotive ammeters are useless. They served a useful purpose over a half century ago, when the electrical generators and alternators had a relatively small output. (They are also a royal PITA to wire in correctly.)
Voltmeters now provide a better indication of electrical system performance. (Automobile and truck manufacturers are finally catching on to this fact and offering voltmeters instead of ammeters in the instrument clusters.)
So, I typically disconnect ammeters and install voltmeters instead. (The custom instrument panel for MLP will retain the late-60s Dodge truck appearance but with a voltmeter where the ammeter was originally.)
Voltmeters are suitable for monitoring the operation of an engine's electrical system, in the same manner as the fuel, coolant temperature, and oil pressure gauges. As such, the voltmeter should be active when the engine is running.
Battery condition indicators (BCIs) are not meant to be on continuously. Knowledgeable practice is to use a momentary (spring loaded) switch to activate the BCI when someone wants to check the battery's charge level.
(Leaving a BCI on continuously won't hurt most BCIs but will create an unnecessary drain on the deep cycle battery/bank.)
Questions and comments are welcome.
