Will a small digital meter work for battery voltage?

Where's my DEPENDS horsee?

Digital is better than lights no doubt about it. What is your objective?

Those will certainly tell you battery voltage, and give you a better idea of the state of your battery than the three idiot lights.

I put in a DROK one that also has a clock and a thermometer, along with an ammeter so I can see the charge or discharge current. For my needs, it's worked out very nicely. (If you get an ammeter, be aware that many cannot work bidirectionally, and many of those that can require an isolated power supply to do so. I put in a little isolated DC-DC voltage converter chip to power the ammeter.)

1492 wrote:
Moved from Forum Technical Support

Thanks, it needed to be.

Moved from Forum Technical Support

I'm'a get me one of those cig lighter ones!

For accurate readings, check you battery after it's been disconnected from all loads in/out for at least a couple hours.

Actually no, in that no pure voltage meter will tell you the SOC (state of charge). Unless there is no current in our out for a number of hours. The only accurate way is with a battery monitor, Trimetric, or Vectron.
What a volt meter will tell you is if your converter is working.

Either would do nicely.

I use this one from AMAZON for around $10... It pivots and has a small graph scale on the edge and also has three lights that tell you your approximate charge status...

I went for a long time with my truck without being able to monitor the 12VDC battery in it...

This sure has helped me in this regard

INNOVA 3721 Battery and Charging System Monitor

google image

My 12V socket is in reach so when I stop my truck and shut it down I reach over to the plug-in Voltmeter and slight pull it out of the socket where the display goes off. Then when Iget back into the truck to use this is the first thing I do is push the DC Voltmeter back into the socket before I start the engine...

Roy Ken

gbopp wrote:
If you have a 12 volt socket (cigarette lighter type) try one like This

I have no idea what happened to the clicky. I tried to fix it a few times.

Your clicky looks weird, but it works. Just ordered two of them. Thanks.

Bill

I use both types,the plug in one to monitor the chassis battery,the cigarette lighter in the cab is hooked to the chassis.

Then a square one at my control center to monitor the house batteries.