# Monitoring charge level on buried leisure battery



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Having just invested half an arm on a new leisure battery I'd like to do my best to look after it.

The only battery condition indicator I have is a red/green light which I think at best, indicates a charge/no charge.

I'd like to regularly put my multimeter onto the battery but it's buried under the side couch and a pain to get to.

I'd thought of running a couple of wires from it to some accessible spot but that sounds a bit Heath Robinson.

Any better suggestions? It must be quite a common issue.


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## HarleyDave (Jul 1, 2007)

Hi Tony

Have you not got an existing direct feed to a socket or other appliance that you could use for metering?

Perhaps with a meter attached onto a cig lighter plug??

Otherwise you could install a monitoring voltmeter permanently in (or near) your elec control panel.

This will give you more of a "confidence" reading than indicator LEDs would.

Cheers

Dave

Edit - Just had a look, there's loads on ebay - I would go for a 0 - 20v one.
D
PS The Holdsworth Villa is still going strong!


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

We have a pair of LED meters that we are fitting in the living section of the trailer so we can push a button and get readings as and when, rather than having to go into the engine room and look at the solar controller.

Don't forget to fuse the feed to the meter, and if you use a digital one, make it push-button operation as they do take a bit of current, more for LED than LCD.

Peter


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi Tony

A while back I posted about a clever little voltmeter that I had bought.... not many found my post interesting but for you I think it would be ideal just plug it into the gigar socket at the side of the worktop ..... here is what I wrote in the earlier thread...:wink: ( copied here to save you having to look for it .

I am still pleased with it so I Hope it helps solve your problem :wink:

Mike

[hr:d8bcde9902]
[hr:d8bcde9902]

I have just bought a Mini 12V/24V LED Display Digital Volt Meter that fits into any cigar lighter socket ....very inexpensive but it seems to be accurate enough ( checked against my larger multimeter) it will be just the job to carry in the glove pocket of the van. Honestly I am not obsessed with the battery voltages ....honest I am not :lol: ..... In reality I am sure we all are to some extent , especially when off hook up :wink:

The control panel display in our van is good but not very precise when it comes to battery voltages 12v - 12.5 - 13 volt etc are displayed ( 1/2 volt jumps) ... this little voltmeter can be plugged into any of the cigar sockets and will readily read out the battery voltage to one decimal place. At £4.30 including delivery it has to be a bargain.










I got mine from Amazon <<


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi.

Why don't you put a guage on somwhere accesable so you can just read off the voltage, can't be that hard to fit.
>Guage<

ray.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Thanks guys - lots of good info there.

Sorry Mike - they're now £3.29 delivered


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## gj1023 (Feb 23, 2010)

Thanks just ordered one, a bit of a bargain at £3.29
Gary


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

tonyt said:


> Sorry Mike - they're now £3.29 delivered


 :lol: wow ... I think I will order another one for the car at that price.

Mike


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

spykal said:


> tonyt said:
> 
> 
> > Sorry Mike - they're now £3.29 delivered
> ...


Another missed opportunity - I should've bought the job lot and sold them here at £3:50! :lol:


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

Ok...so now I have a gauge and a LED display my obssesion with those errant amps will now be complete :lol: . 
Sorry for the one-up-manship but Fleabay have them for £2.24 free P&P...might even have it by the New Year!


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Not wishing to rain on anyone's parade but if one plugs sptkal's nice little voltmeter into the cigar lighter isn't one reading engine not habitation battery voltage. Or have converters re-wired the sockets to run off the habitation batteries.

I have a DIN socket and adaptor in the kitchen so could use it there. Although my voltmeter on the panel is accurate.

I might by one of Skypa's for the boat. Thanks Mike.

Geoff


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

nicholsong said:


> Not wishing to rain on anyone's parade but if one plugs sptkal's nice little voltmeter into the cigar lighter isn't one reading engine not habitation battery voltage. Or have converters re-wired the sockets to run off the habitation batteries.
> 
> I have a DIN socket and adaptor in the kitchen so could use it there. Although my voltmeter on the panel is accurate.
> 
> ...


Thanks but I think we all understand we're talking about a socket wired to the leisure battery. Mike's posting refers to a socket at the side of the worktop.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Tony

Sorry, I stand corrected - I just saw cigar lighter which I associate with the base vehicle and missed the 'worktop' reference and as I said my worktop one is DIN.

Geoff


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## gj1023 (Feb 23, 2010)

I have a power socket wired into mine , attached to side of the sofa behind drivers seat , so will be useful

Gary


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

I got one of these fitted & it tells me everythingi need to know re battery condition
http://www.force4.co.uk/3523/Nasa-Clipper-BM-1-Battery-Monitor.html


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## HarleyDave (Jul 1, 2007)

Hmmm

Nice but a bit pricey though...

Cheers

Dave


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

spykal said:


> Hi Tony
> 
> A while back I posted about a clever little voltmeter that I had bought.... not many found my post interesting but for you I think it would be ideal just plug it into the gigar socket at the side of the worktop ..... here is what I wrote in the earlier thread...:wink: ( copied here to save you having to look for it .
> 
> ...


I ordered one from Amazon and £3.29 including P&P. I got the notification of dispatch from Amazon with a delivery date of 18th December!! It's coming from Singapore apparently, all that way with zero postage so must be on a boat in a 40' container.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

The one I am looking at is more expensive but seems to do a great deal more than a simple digital voltmeter would do - and possibly more than the NASA one does;

http://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Datasheet - Battery monitoring - rev 02 - EN.pdf

The installation instructions for this one are simple to follow and seem to be very sensible and it gives all of the informationn about current charge levels, current discahrge levels, time remaining at that discharge rate and so on, it also has the facility to be able to reset to 100% very quickly once the battery is fully charged so that you actually know what figure to start with.......

As has been said, such things are pricy but what price is peace of mind?

We have been left in the uncomfortable position of having the TV picture go off due to the voltage in the leisure battery being insufficient to run it....... not good when it occurs BEFORE the evening has finished and you know that you will want to use the water pump to supply water before the solar panels have any chance to charge the battery.......

Dave


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## blongs (Jan 12, 2009)

I went for one of these Ebay Blue Voltmeter and a simple on/off switch I had lying around from a previous something or other job.

It's made me paranoid though when off electric, especially when my daughter keeps the water tap/pump going for way too long and you see how much the voltage drops.

Ben


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## JohnWebb (May 1, 2005)

I use the compact version of this, looks a bit more elegant. I have the full version in our boat. They give peace of mind!



vicdicdoc said:


> I got one of these fitted & it tells me everythingi need to know re battery condition
> http://www.force4.co.uk/3523/Nasa-Clipper-BM-1-Battery-Monitor.html


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

I have one of these permanently connected to my battery,

http://www.ctek-chargers.com/?gclid=CN7Y4LCe47MCFSnJtAodbE8A_g


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## gj1023 (Feb 23, 2010)

rayc said:


> spykal said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Tony
> ...


My Amazon said the same date , it arrived today. Neat little item, just checked my cigar socket attached leisure battery 12.7V, but engine battery is reading 11.6V. That`s not good as my only vehicle and it used at least 3 times a week. I will have to get a new battery me thinks before real winter hits. Someone posted on a forum a battery on Ebay £62 delivered, 4 year gurantee so not to bad.

Gary


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