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Post by Clinton Cool on Nov 1, 2016 10:22:31 GMT
Following on from my thread about changing to a Trojan battery:
I'm still undecided about which way to go but I'm probably going to take the advice given to improve my battery monitoring. That means buying a Smartguage. I've read the blurb which says that installation is simple, just 3 wires. Any new wires I run will involve drilling holes through the steel bulkhead. Not rocket science but due to limited access hardly simple either. To prepare me for this could someone advise where the 3 wires go to, how thick they may need to be? I assume the wires aren't supplied?
Thanks
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Post by Telemachus on Nov 1, 2016 10:26:16 GMT
The wires have to go directly to the battery terminals. One to domestic -ve terminal, one to domestic +ve terminal, and one (optionally) to engine battery +ve terminal. The wires are not supplied I think, don't have to be thick, I think the manual gives suggestions, I'll check in a minute. Fuses need to be installed near the battery +ve terminals, they are included.
edit - wires 1mm^2 minimum.
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Post by tonyqj on Nov 1, 2016 11:01:11 GMT
The wires have to go directly to the battery terminals. One to domestic -ve terminal, one to domestic +ve terminal, and one (optionally) to engine battery +ve terminal. The wires are not supplied I think, don't have to be thick, I think the manual gives suggestions, I'll check in a minute. Fuses need to be installed near the battery +ve terminals, they are included. edit - wires 1mm^2 minimum. The wires carry virtually zero current (just a few milliamps) and the suggestion for minimum size is really just so that they're physically strong enough. As an aside, note that any engine bay cabling should ideally be tri-rated. The rest of the wiring probably won't be but it doesn't hurt to use the 'correct' stuff for new wiring.
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Post by tonyqj on Nov 1, 2016 11:02:17 GMT
Oh, and heed the instructions. The wires MUST go directly to the relevant battery posts.
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Post by Telemachus on Nov 1, 2016 11:06:01 GMT
The wires have to go directly to the battery terminals. One to domestic -ve terminal, one to domestic +ve terminal, and one (optionally) to engine battery +ve terminal. The wires are not supplied I think, don't have to be thick, I think the manual gives suggestions, I'll check in a minute. Fuses need to be installed near the battery +ve terminals, they are included. edit - wires 1mm^2 minimum. As an aside, note that any engine bay cabling should ideally be tri-rated. Someone mentioned that recently, first I'd heard of it. Where does it actually say that?
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Post by tonyqj on Nov 1, 2016 11:07:04 GMT
As an aside, note that any engine bay cabling should ideally be tri-rated. Someone mentioned that recently, first I'd heard of it. Where does it actually say that? RCD documentation. Nothing to do with BSS and therefore not 'required' per se.
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Post by Telemachus on Nov 1, 2016 11:22:37 GMT
Someone mentioned that recently, first I'd heard of it. Where does it actually say that? RCD documentation. Nothing to do with BSS and therefore not 'required' per se. Do you mean in the relevant ISO for ELV DC wiring for boats - 10133? I'll have a look.
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Post by Clinton Cool on Nov 1, 2016 11:30:22 GMT
Thanks for the replies. I have solar and a wind turbine. Will the guage give an accurate figure for energy going into the batteries, or is it just show state of charge? reason I ask, I have an ammeter wired into the wind turbine circuit, would be good to get rid of it, free up the space for the smartguage.
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Post by Telemachus on Nov 1, 2016 11:30:27 GMT
It says the cable must be rated for 70C and oil resistant, or in a conduit or sleeving. I don't think that is the same as saying tri-rated is it? But perhaps trirated cable meets those requirements?
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Post by Telemachus on Nov 1, 2016 11:32:56 GMT
Thanks for the replies. I have solar and a wind turbine. Will the guage give an accurate figure for energy going into the batteries, or is it just show state of charge? reason I ask, I have an ammeter wired into the wind turbine circuit, would be good to get rid of it, free up the space for the smartguage. No the SG will only give the SoC. It doesn't know about current or energy. I'd try to keep an ammeter but it would be better if it showed the current going in / out of the batteries, rather than the turbine output. That way you can use it to determine when the batteries are fully charged, something which the SG is not that accurate at (it is much better for getting SoC during discharge).
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Post by tonyqj on Nov 1, 2016 13:56:11 GMT
Thanks for the replies. I have solar and a wind turbine. Will the guage give an accurate figure for energy going into the batteries, or is it just show state of charge? reason I ask, I have an ammeter wired into the wind turbine circuit, would be good to get rid of it, free up the space for the smartguage. No the SG will only give the SoC. It doesn't know about current or energy. I'd try to keep an ammeter but it would be better if it showed the current going in / out of the batteries, rather than the turbine output. That way you can use it to determine when the batteries are fully charged, something which the SG is not that accurate at (it is much better for getting SoC during discharge). Absolutely this. With a SmartGauge to show accurate SoC during discharge and an ammeter showing when the batteries are at nearasdammit 100% during charging you are sorted.
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Post by Graham on Nov 1, 2016 14:20:27 GMT
Gents question what is the effect of the solar panels charging on the Smartgauge?
Ricco, the Smartgauge will give you a good idea of the SoC during discharge, but it is 10% inaccurate during charging thus when it say 100% the batteries could be only at 90% and this is the most important point getting those batteries to full charge.
There is only one way I know and that is a good ammeter in the main lead of the battery which will tell you when in going charge rate has dropped to, in your case, 1 Amp and is not decreasing for the next 30/60 minutes. Hence why earlier I pointed you to an Amp reading device.
Additionally I understand that the Solar cells while charging the batteries will lead the Smartgauge to give inaccurate reading.
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Post by Telemachus on Nov 1, 2016 14:23:24 GMT
UP TO 10% inaccurate during charge. If it was always 10% inaccurate it would be a simple matter to correct it!
As to the effects of solar on SG, I don't have it but plenty of people do and have no problem with their SGs. One or two people have had, but that suggests that something else is wrong.
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Post by tonyqj on Nov 1, 2016 14:24:50 GMT
UP TO 10% inaccurate during charge. If it was always 10% inaccurate it would be a simple matter to correct it! Plus, it gets more accurate with repeated cycles.
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Post by tonyqj on Nov 1, 2016 14:27:32 GMT
Additionally I understand that the Solar cells while charging the batteries will lead the Smartgauge to give inaccurate reading. It can cause it to be up to 10% out when charging as already described, but as soon as the batteries are back to discharge it will re-synch and it then becomes a non-issue.
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