Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:45:08 -0500
Reply-To: Paul Guzyk <paullist08@GUZYK.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Paul Guzyk <paullist08@GUZYK.COM>
Subject: Re: How do you tell how much juice a battery has/?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
This is an adequate HF load testing unit for testing strength of "starter" batteries.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90636
Also useful for spot checking your camping battery.
I got mine on sale for between $15-$20 if I remember correctly.
Testing your start battery with a voltmeter at rest without a load doesn't tell you too much...a "dead" battery could still read close to 12V.
You should at least measure voltage when cranking or headlights and blowers on etc ...
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Alan Felder <dieseldoofus@GMAIL.COM>
Reply-To: Alan Felder <dieseldoofus@GMAIL.COM>
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:53:15 -0600
>Here is a device that will test your battery:
>
>*http://tinyurl.com/352k4l*
>**
>It's not portable, but you should use a load around half your battery's CCA
>rating, and since I have a diesel and 800 AmpsI needed this larger one. You
>may get by with a smaller one which HF also has a variety of. It puts your
>battery under a known load (inside the box) and following directions, will
>let you know what shape your battery is in, in static mode that is.
>
>Alan Felder
>
>
>On Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 1:49 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Is there a way to tell about the auxilliary battery condition in a VW (or
>> any rig, for that matter)? I've been working with all kinds of batteries
>> over the years and I always have been puzzled about how to find out what I
>> might expect from the battery. I have a digital multimeter and I get
>> voltage readings but I'm told that is no real indicator of how good the
>> battery is charged or is capabale of being charged...
>> Is there an instrument that I could wire into my systems (I have a few
>> different vehicles with multiple battery systems) where I might get an
>> actual meaningful readout that would tell me..."Hey, don't expect much more
>> from this battery till you charge it more" or "this battery is shot" or
>> "all
>> your batteries are in fine shape with 100% charge"?
>> I have seen battery condition indicator gauges in yachts..I've seen
>> voltage indicators on some rigs. My travel trailer has an LED readout and
>> for that matter, so does my semi-westie van...but those things seem pretty
>> much a joke...
>> What should I wire into my systems to give me a better handle on how much
>> juice I have in the batteries? Is there anything that works..or do I just
>> have to keep guesstimating as I have been doing all these years?
>> Thanks, Don Hanson
>>
>
>
>
>--
>Alan Felder
>Austin TX
>82 Diesel Westy
>
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