Need help in buying a meter.
Let me start off by saying I'm not an electrical expert, you could say I have no clue, just + = red and - = black, hahaha . I need a meter to check the power coming from a solar panel controller an...
Forum Discussion
A multimeter is of course an important tool for your electrical toolbox. But with the OP's statement that they have "no clue" about electricity, I'm not sure how useful a multimeter is going to be in their hands without some training. How about keeping it simple with a display that plugs into a 12V plug in the camper? I used one of these for a couple years and it told me all I needed to know about the battery charging status.
http://www.amazon.com/INNOVA-3721-Battery-Charging-Monitor/dp/B000EVWDU0/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1443191300&sr=8-13&keywords=12V+meter+plug+in
Depending on what voltage it was showing me, I knew if the solar was in bulk, absorption, or float. After the sun goes down I start to see the battery SOC. First thing in the morning the reading will be a pretty good measure of SOC. I don't know Ah in or out, but after using my system for a while I realized that it doesn't really matter if I know this parameter. As long as my voltage is over ~12.2V first thing in the morning and >13V just after the panels are out of the sun in the evening, I know things are going to be fine.
We're weekend warrior type campers and the batteries always get a chance to return to bursting full from solar alone while the trailer is parked at home.
http://www.amazon.com/INNOVA-3721-Battery-Charging-Monitor/dp/B000EVWDU0/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1443191300&sr=8-13&keywords=12V+meter+plug+in
Depending on what voltage it was showing me, I knew if the solar was in bulk, absorption, or float. After the sun goes down I start to see the battery SOC. First thing in the morning the reading will be a pretty good measure of SOC. I don't know Ah in or out, but after using my system for a while I realized that it doesn't really matter if I know this parameter. As long as my voltage is over ~12.2V first thing in the morning and >13V just after the panels are out of the sun in the evening, I know things are going to be fine.
We're weekend warrior type campers and the batteries always get a chance to return to bursting full from solar alone while the trailer is parked at home.
