jamie N
Well-known member
KETOTEK Ammeter Voltmeter Digital DC 6.5V~100V 100A V…
£21.99
£21.99
Cheapish battery monitoring
- Thread starter slawosz
- Start date
BabaYaga
Well-known member
As far as I can see it will measure amps in or amps out, depending on how it is wired, but will not do both.
jamie N
Well-known member
I've got one, and it will only measure amps out, that is correct.
zoidberg
Well-known member
I'd like to acquire a pair of these. Could you point me in the right direction, please?
superheat6k
Well-known member
Here you go ...
LCD Digital 12V Battery Charge Capacity Status Display Indicator Monitor Meter | eBay
Mine are due in the next couple of days, so if you want to hold on a while I can advise on what they look like, but might be a few weeks before they are installed and working.
zoidberg
Well-known member
I'll happily await your verdict/impressions.
There are lots of sellers on eBay....
There are lots of sellers on eBay....
steve yates
Well-known member
I have two house batteries on a 1-2- both switch, like the op I use batt 1 one day then batt 2 next day and soon. There is no engine starting or charging at all. I currentlyhave a nasa bm1 mini monitoring, I believe, just one battery ( ie, batt 1 and if I move isolator to batt 2 Ipresume the bm1 is not reading that , just giving me voltage)
Could I bet two of these and wire them to each battery so they always tell me the state and amps in and out of each one?
Molteni
Member
Yes, that's how mine are wired. Total capacity is first calculated, but in practice the actual capacity will always be a bit less than the quoted Ah as the batteries age.
These are the guages They're a far east copy of the Victron guage omitting just the bluetooth and alarm facilities.
It's often recommended that in use, the "both" setting is used so that batteries are less deep cycled for longer life. e.g it's preferable to drop each battery/bank when sailing to 80% rather than one battery/bank to 60%.
Battery monitoring is not a precise science, but I've found the above set up works well enough.
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Plum
Well-known member
Agree, linking both house batteries together, then using just one monitor, will give longer battery life.
Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
awol
Well-known member
As long as you have a starting handle!
Plum
Well-known member
I was responding to a reply to Steve Yates who was refering to two house batteries being linked by a 12B switch, he said "no engine starting or charging at all".
Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
steve yates
Well-known member
Interesting, so if the bm1 shunt is wired to one battery, when the selector switch is set to both does it give an ave across both? Or is it always reading just the battery its wired to?
awol
Well-known member
I don't know the BM1 details but if the shunt is in the negative (assumed common) then it won't matter which battery is in use.
steve yates
Well-known member
It is, but there is a positive lead from monitor to one battery. My understanding was it would give you a voltage for either battery but only amps in/out for the battery the positive lead was attached to. Would like to be wrong about that 
awol
Well-known member
If you take the +ve feed from the 1/2/both output that should solve the problem.It is, but there is a positive lead from monitor to one battery. My understanding was it would give you a voltage for either battery but only amps in/out for the battery the positive lead was attached to. Would like to be wrong about that
TC Tuckton
Well-known member
Another vote for the Ketotek.
VOLTAGE to two decimal places along with the CURRENT and POWER displays helps me keep my "leccy" diet under control. I don't use the ENERGY display.