RJsfishin wrote:
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"
I agree with this practical response. I would even add that the battery lights are very useful if you take the time to check the battery voltage with a good digital meter a couple of times for one and possibly two lights off as a rough calibration. For example, I expect that my indicator will have one light off in the morning with basic fridge and water heater loads after a night of running a Maxaire fan. If I go check at the battery test points it will read 12.4V using a Sears DMM. I run the generator every morning so there is no use to check the voltage every morning when a simple push of the monitor button tells me everything is normal. I have never seen less than one light off (except when I had a bad battery) because I charge daily and our daily loads typically do not vary that much.
I do check battery charge current both initially after starting the generator and after we are through with breakfast to see if the current has tapered off enough to shut off the generator.
