Outer Limits 4x4 Board

is anybody using a digital volt meter to monitor their battery? I don't have a volt meter at all in my 4runner and it'd be useful with the stereo and fridge etc chewing power.

I found a couple online just quickly but not really sure if they're suitable

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.store ... View/Q2220

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.as ... BCATID=669

are either of these any good? Are they acccurate enough? I would have thought that compared to the classic round needle type voltage guage these digital ones would be about as accurate

Are there other really good ones people are using???

I'm considering doing this myself as I seem to be having troubles charging my second battery (need to monitor...)

The DSE one is no good. requires 9 volts to operate and only measures 200mV (like .2 of a volt) if I understand it correctly.

THe Jaycar one sounds interesting... but do you really need a stop watch?

IMHO, I thought this one may be more practical - it has a dual zone thermometer. Inside temp and outside via a remote sensor. Monitor engine bay temp maybe? Also it can be used via the cigarette lighter if you don't want to permanently mount it in your vehicle.

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=XC0116

Cheers!

go the jaycar one

hi,
the first link youve got there is not a volt meter, its a digital display that you can use to display the voltage or currrent, but you have to make up the electronics to do it, we use these on our outback battery chargers, dc generators that we make at christie engineering.
the second is ok and will do the job, and basically uses a part similar from your fist link.
if you have a dual battery setup, you could put a switch in the wire to test either one battery or the other. dont test both at once, youll get a false reading.

of4x4 wrote:IMHO, I thought this one may be more practical - it has a dual zone thermometer. Inside temp and outside via a remote sensor. Monitor engine bay temp maybe? Also it can be used via the cigarette lighter if you don't want to permanently mount it in your vehicle.

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=XC0116

Cheers!

I've got one of these.. it does ok most of the time and you can see how cold it gets over night at roverpark in july!!! I think it got down to -2c one morning.. oh and its good for checking the voltage of your batteries..

MQHOON wrote:hi,
the first link youve got there is not a volt meter, its a digital display that you can use to display the voltage or currrent, but you have to make up the electronics to do it, we use these on our outback battery chargers, dc generators that we make at christie engineering.
the second is ok and will do the job, and basically uses a part similar from your fist link.
if you have a dual battery setup, you could put a switch in the wire to test either one battery or the other. dont test both at once, youll get a false reading.

ha thanks mate I suck with electronics

yeah I went the jaycar one its pretty neat actually. Going dual batteries in the next month or so but just ran out of time before the easter trip.

I want to take the fridge though so I need some way to keep tabs on the battery

I know it's now a bit late as you have already bought, but I bought one from Springers in Brisbane - $50, but it does time, volts, fridge temp and outside temp (plus has memory to measure overnight temp).

I hard wired (switched and fused) it into the back of the Patrol, and mounted the display inside the rear cargo door. When not in use, you simply roll up the temp sender that goes inside the fridge and tuck it away inside the rear panel. It is also back lit so you can see the display at night!

Basically, when I want to check the volts and the fridge temp, I flick the switch and get info. Then, switch it off so it is not always on with the back light running.

Came up a treat and works really well.

Can post pics if you like?

yeah give us a look that sounds cool

I have a fridge temp sensor but I fall over if I check it to often

if you just need something to check you battteries then get a multimeter. it should be in every toolbox anyway and if you check at breakfast and dinner you should be able to keep tabs on what your battery is doin.. if it gets low (eg under 11.3-11.5v? not 100% sure) then go for a drive for a few hrs! or leave it on with the hand throttle for a few hrs instead.

you can get multimeters pretty cheap from superheap so it could get you thru the easter weekend ok.

-Mick- wrote:yeah give us a look that sounds cool

I have a fridge temp sensor but I fall over if I check it to often

All done without drilling holes - except for the ones in the hatch cover for the fuse holder, switch and Engel socket! Just fed the wires back through the factory gromets, etc

P.S. I used a multi-meter until I purchased this unit - this is much easier as it is permanently mounted and switch operated! Otherwise you have to get the multi out and unplug the engel or pop the hood to test the battery. Much prefer a "flick of the switch".

how long is the external sensor on that last one, long enough to mount the unit on the dash and have the sensor in the fridge? If not does it look as though you could extend it?

BigMav wrote:how long is the external sensor on that last one, long enough to mount the unit on the dash and have the sensor in the fridge? If not does it look as though you could extend it?

The sensor is fairly long, but it wouldn't extend from the dash to the rear.

I wouldn't know about extending it as my electronics / electrical knowledge is fairly limited. I'm not sure how the actual sensor works and what rating or even what type of wire the sensor uses or if using the wrong wire affects the reading.

Any electrical experts out there able to shed any light?

I have one of the jaycar ones. It is pretty acurate but when it is really hot it always seems to go out of range 1 volt. So in hot days it reads 14.8 instead of 13.8

I still like it.



Will

same one as me Will.... glad to hear it works well

GU4800 that's tidy you're right I'd be too lazy to get out the multimeter a couple of times per day

I brought the Jaycar dual temp one mounted on the dash and extended the wires on the external temp sensor so I could mount it in the fridge. Works great I can check the temp of the fridge (also maxium/minium temp) and voltage of the second battery all from the comfort of my drivers seat. Great unit.
Regards Glenn

While everyone is on the topic of volt meters has any one ever seen a volt meter that uses led, say 13-14 of them so u have 1 led per 1 volt? Or is it possible to make one? I want something so i can see what my electric water pump is doing.

jeep97tj wrote:While everyone is on the topic of volt meters has any one ever seen a volt meter that uses led, say 13-14 of them so u have 1 led per 1 volt? Or is it possible to make one? I want something so i can see what my electric water pump is doing.

http://www.electronics-lab.com/projects ... index.html

We use something similar on a portable computer system. Not aware of anything off the shelf, but surely it exists.