Will a small digital meter work for battery voltage?

Round or Retangular: Well it is easier to DRILL a round hole, or CUT a Retangular, but it's easier to DRILL than CUT.. I'm serious that's the only differnece.

However I'd not recommend either of those meters, I would want at least a 3 1/2 digit meter (those are 2 1/2 digits)

1Y.ZZ like the plug in model someone posted a link to

(You ask what is a "half digit" well the 1, Since it can only be a 1, they only put in the segments needed for a 1, So that's called a "half Digit".

NOTE: Some meters are designed for use on 25 volt vehicles so they would be full 4 Digit meters (work on 6, 12 or 24 volt)

But the bottom is I want at least 2 digits to the right of the decmil. Since SOC is a matter of HUNDREDTHS not tenths of a volt .

Muddydogs wrote:
..I know my heater will drop the voltage reading .2 to .3 volts so when the heater is running and I see 12.3 volts I know my resting voltage is 12.5 or so.

Sounds like 1 or maybe 2 batteries?

Trackrig wrote:
I have a Nash 26X trailer. It's a nice TT, but it has the standard stupid idiot lights that don't really tell you much. Will a little, easy to mount, cheap digital gauge like this work to tell me my battery condition?

Round Voltmeter

Rectangle Volt Meter

Other suggestions?

Bill

Bill
I used both the meters you have links to. The rectangle one in my RV and the round one on my ATV. Both meters read as they should and help me keep an eye on my battery voltage. They may not be as fancy as some of these guys use but they tell me what I need to know. I often check the RV voltage on my way to bed after all the lights have been shut off so the load is minimal, I do the same in the morning. Everyone keeps saying that they won't give a true reading with a load but once you get an idea of your loads you can get a good idea, for instance I know my heater will drop the voltage reading .2 to .3 volts so when the heater is running and I see 12.3 volts I know my resting voltage is 12.5 or so.

The meters may not be fancy but for the few bucks they cost they work just fine for the guy that needs to be in the ballpark and doesn't make a hobby out of power management and voltage tracking.

You don't need a 3 digit for your (and my) purpose. The only good the 3rd digit does it tell you when the 2nd digit is about to change.
And accuracy (w/ in 1/10th) is not that important, as long as it is consistent, and most all voltmeters are.
Knowing the SOC is easily learned by consistent loads. Like I know what the voltmeter reads when I get up in the morning, and I know what it reads when I go to bed at nite, having the same loads both times.
If the fridge happens to be running, that does not change the voltage enuff to change anything.
If you must check voltage at other times when heavier loads....like tv, sat DVD etc, then you must put the more loads into the voltage picture.
I know my system so well, I have no use for a "monitoring system"

The 5-digit DROK is accurate. The others keep me smilimg. I bpught a bunch od cigarette lighter meters and they ranged from 12.4 to 12.9 so I ****canned the whole box. I don't have enemies to get even with. I simply ignore the rightmost 2 digits om the 5 digit DROK. But they sure will pick out an unstable power source.

Trackrig wrote:
This DROK?

Possibly. Though if you need to measure only volts, another DROK will do as well.

There is a good chance that your future solar will have a volt meter in controller. Lower-end PWM controllers seem to have built-in meters often, probably to compensate for lack of other features ;)

Cig lighter or built-in, is not too important.

In single-digit meter this digit is rounded to either higher or lower voltage, and you don't know where. Not to mention that this digit can already be inaccurate.

Cheap meters from Amazon are amazing things. I hooked up one to very stable DC power supply and it was changing the reading on the go: 12.1, 12.15, 12.2 - while the circuit was warming up. Waited 20 minutes, it never stopped. Disconnected for a few minutes and reconnected, - it started from a different voltage this time.

DROK is a little more reliable, - mine was some other brand.

This DROK?

Bill

Trackrig wrote:
Will a little, easy to mount, cheap digital gauge like this work to tell me my battery condition?

Round Voltmeter

Rectangle Volt Meter

Other suggestions?

It will, sort of. In absence of loads and preferably 12-15 hours after charging has been finished (if there was any). Under load the picture is different. During the charging - different again.

Another suggestion would be - avoid meters with only one decimal point. Both linked meters don't fit the criteria. I think DROK have some with 2 decimal points.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Where's my DEPENDS horsee?

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

Just to check that I'm not letting the batteries get to low before I start the generator or find a place to plug in. I should have solar installed sometime next summer.

Bill