Battery monitor- Voltwatch alternatives?

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RobBrown

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I have been planning to get a relatively inexpensive & simple battery monitor for my two bank (2 battery house & separate start with 1-2-both switch) system. The Attfield Voltwatch was recommended by quite a few people & seemed to be about the right level of info & simplicity for me, both in use & installation, but sadly, having finally got round to following this up, I find that the co has stopped manufacturing & has sold off all remaining stocks.

Can anyone recommend anything similar I could consider? I am aware of more comprehensive monitors like the Nasa, BEP and Smartguage, but I feel these are too complex for me really & most well above the sum I would like to pay!
 
We have a Sterling battery monitor which we are very happy with. Monitors voltage, current and amp hours used. It counts back down as you are charging and allows for battery losses - all automatic and just press the button to choose which battery you want to measure.

If this type is too expensive, the cheapest and simplest way of monitoring a battery is with a reasonably accurate voltmeter. Percentage charge is a function of battery voltage, but you have to be sensible in using the readings. Surface charge, age and condition of the batteries all affect the voltage/percentage charge graph. If you go this way, you need to find a digital voltmeter or 'expanded scale' analogue meter.
 
Have a look at Scheiber go to "Les Produits", then "Gestion d'energie" then to "Volmetres" . Stay in the french part, as I was not able to find them in the english part :-(
I have one "Affichage de tension" for three batteries and am fully satisfied with it.. A little basic, but absolutely sufficient for me.
... and cheap at around 50 -55 € for the 3 batteries voltmeter.
 
Maplins may have a suitably low cost offering, and they have branches all over the country as well as internet sales.

I recently bought all the components I needed for an exhaust temperature alarm, for two engines, with separate warning lights etc all for less than £20. OK so I have to solder the bits together but I should be able to follow the instructions. They do a range of really good kits for all sorts of applications, quite interesting!

Alternatively you could try rs components, rswww.com

I have a Nasa batt monitor and it's fine, and I thought relatively simple. Certainly cheaper than the Sterling alternative, but I can understand if you only want a basic voltmeter.

Another way of achieving it is to hardwire install a cheap multimeter, which can be picked up from a market stall for around a fiver. Even in electronic shops they're less than a tenner. Not sure if they need their own (internal) battery to power them for reading voltages though.

Good luck
 
[ QUOTE ]
Not sure if they need their own (internal) battery to power them for reading voltages though

[/ QUOTE ] Yes they do.
Maplin do one for about a fiver, sometimes even two for the price of one. Well worth having a couple.
 
Amps and volts are both very important, on the house battery(ies). If you have a dedicated start battery, then leave it alone just as you do a car battery.

I have the BEP but I seldom bother to take notice of the clever trickery - I can tell where my batteries are from the terminal volts at a given current but then again, I liveaboard and know the batteries as well as our lifestyles. As a voltmeter and ammeter the BEP is good. You also get a bilge pump monitor with the BEP and that is VERY useful - I wouldn't be without it. I can tell in good time if anything is weeping - e.g. the stern tube needs greasing. Once, I had a weep from a pipe and again the bilge monitor told me that the pump had run more often than I expect (never, in harbour).
 
Thanks for helpful replies. I am looking in region of £40-£50. Sadly my electrical skills are somewhat limited, so the prospect of building anything from a kit is more than speculative! I do have a multimeter, from Maplin in fact, but I would like some sort of permanent display that didn't need interpreting- eg leds that will warn if getting to 50% discharge, close to full charging, on float etc - & cope with a dual bank without requiring complex wiring and shunts in fitting, which were the nice features of the Voltwatch.

I will follow up the suggestions here, but just for info, from an earlier battery post link, I have just found this US co & product which looks to be the sort of thing I have in mind, tho dont know if it can be modified for 2 banks or even if I can source it:

http://www.etaengineering.com/meters/bcm.shtml

And here was the original Voltwatch product

http://www.attfield.dircon.co.uk/

rob
 
[ QUOTE ]
original Voltwatch product

[/ QUOTE ] Is almsot the same as the LED battery condition monitor on the Index marine site I gave you the link for.
The Index marine one even has switching so that it can monitor either battery of a two battery installation
 
Thanks Vic- - I have just had a look @ the Index site & ones suggested by Paul & Brian also look possibles- I will do some comparisons of functions and costs and look at what best compromise unit might prove to be. Again thanks to all. I've said it before & I'll say it again, this is a great forum for help & advice- especially, but not exclusively- on boaty things!
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
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