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Battery Test Switch PN:422020-1 - FYI

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swanny
Deckhand

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USA
24 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/24/2008 : 22:59:15

Ahoy,

I felt compelled to share my test results with all you "thrifty sailors" out there such as me.

Let me start by quoting a common phrase "you get what you pay for" and then another "everybody wants something for nothing"...that's last one is me...sort of ;)

Also of important mention, when I did contact the manufacturer about my findings, they were very responsive and honest in saying "Corey, it's basically an inexpensive indicator, you can adjust the needle by removing the tape and adjust the needle to the desired position. If you want a very accurate reading get an analog meter or digital meter. Thank you." I do not see any negative in this...I totally appreciate the honesty.

I'm not trying to encourage anybody from buying this product, I am only trying to share my experiences (is there a lawyer in the house :)

OK, that said:

I recently purchased the Sea-Dog Battery test Switch (PN:422020-1 $17.95) online and hooked it up to a battery in my garage. My indication was not everything I had hoped for, so...I took the unit to work (on my off time...I swear!) and hooked it up to some test equipment to see how this unit really reacted. The swing of the needle withing the typical operating range of a marine battery was a fairly short throw.

The below images indicate my results of applied voltages of 10VDc - 15VDC at 1VDC intervals:

If anybody out there has a recommendation for this specific application (you know....on the cheap :) I'd appreciate your input!

Thanks All!
Corey

Corey
1988 Catalina 25 WK
Cornet Bay, WA

Edited by - on

Happy D
Admiral

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921 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2008 : 07:56:53

My suggestion would be to use that yellow meter in the background

I know what you mean about the meters that are available for this purpose seem to have a rather course resolution for the fine voltages were are looking for. Anything with a very fine resolution seems to be pretty expensive.
I plan on installing a 12V outlet and I'm just going to use a digital meter to check battery voltage.

However, I just found [url="http://cgi.ebay.com/3-12v-Digital-Red-LED-20V-DC-Volt-panel-meter_W0QQitemZ350112120942QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item350112120942&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1419%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318"]these on eBay[/url] which ought to work pretty well. As long as you can verify the calibration, it should work OK.
Dan

Edited by - Happy D on 10/25/2008 10:34:02

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2008 : 08:35:38

I have had several of those "Battery test meters" and that is all they are intended to be. My batteries always slam the needle hard to the green extreme and that tells me all I expect from a meter like that, that my charger has been functioning while I was gone. It's one thing to shop for the best deal you can find, it is quite another to order horse and demand that it taste like beef. I find sailing much more fun when I buy the best I can afford, remember if you have not gotten what you needed you have wasted the money you have spent. Cheap cordage, cheap sails, cheap hardware, cheap battery chargers, etc; are all dubious choices. How cheaply do you want the Boeing 737 you are in outfitted? Places to save money on a sailboat pretty much stop at upholstery! You have an '88 wing, treat her right; spoil her.
Cornet Bay, I googled it, holy crap! What an amazing place to have a boat! But once again, you are a blue water sailor, don't scrimp on anything. How old is your standing rigging?

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Renzo
Admiral

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USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2008 : 08:54:26

Thanks for the <i>"Consumer Reports"</i>article. I was considering installing the very same battery test switch over this winter. I might still do it if you can expand on the calibration method you mentioned - removing the tape?? and adjusting the needle.How do you do it and does it work once it is recalabrated?Any info would be appreciated

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2008 : 09:28:45

Look through Harborfreight.com for multimeters, a fraction of the price and much better resolution.

Paul

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swanny
Deckhand

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USA
24 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2008 : 10:56:42

I hear ya Frank, thought I covered my understanding of "you get what you pay for" in the beginning. If my panel would have "slammed" to the green on less than 25VDC I would have felt like I got the horse I ordered:). Cornet Bay is absolutely a great place to live, makes it hard to go to work every day! And thanks for the advice, I'll try not to cheap out!

Renzo, I'm going to try the adjustment on the panel to see if it changes the resolution or just the position of the needle...I'll let you know.

Dan, I think the NAVY might get a little upset if I gut the Fluke :) but I like the way you think...I might order in one of the 20VDC panels off ebay and check it out. They left out actual power consumption ;)

I don't mind spending money for a decent meter, I just don't want to leverage the farm to see if my battery has juice. If you found a $50 panel that works good, let me know. I'm also trying to find the right switch/fuse panels for a rewire this winter.
Thanks for your input guys!

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2008 : 11:10:38

I have a multi-meter, which is useful... But it's also nice to have a "wired-in, at-a-glance" meter. I installed a 12-V outlet in the galley, and bought a <i>very</i> cheap cigarette-lighter-style digital volt meter at Walmart. I left it plugged in when not using the outlet for something else--it seemed to me to be remarkably accurate. Passage's current owner, Bruce Ross (Marine EE "Voyager") is a better judge of that...

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2008 : 11:30:31

Practical Sailor evaluated those plugins a couple of years ago, can't look up the article this weekend. I don't remember for sure, but I think most of them gave satisfactory information for a modest price with one or two ringers.

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swanny
Deckhand

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USA
24 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2008 : 13:36:37

Great idea! I hadn't thought of that. I'll check out the local Wally World/auto parts stores. Thanks!

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5371 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2008 : 18:41:17

Dave Bristle's digital plug-in meter is reasonably accurate.

It reads out two digits plus 10th of volts (e.g: 12.6), which is good enough for our purposes.

Plus, it has LED indicators for easy reference at a glance.
Full charge = green LED (> 12.6V)
Partial charge = yellow LED
Discharge = red LED (< 11.8V)

I checked it against my standard digital voltmeter, aka digital multimeter(DMM) and found it read about 0.5 volt too low. I unscrewed the cover and found a small "volume knob" adjustment inside, so I tweaked it to match the DMM. It tracks pretty well.

It also indicates any kind of over-voltage condition. I have read numbers as high as 15.5 volts on it.

I just tried to find this voltmeter on Wal*Mart dot com, but was unable to locate it.

If you look at Don Casey's "Sailboat Electrics Simplified", you'll see that the voltages you need to monitor are between 12.6 for full charge to 11.8 at 75% discharged. If your meter accurately shows you these two extremes, you're in good shape.

I was in West Marine a week ago, and saw a very standard-looking round analog voltmeter. It costs about $35-40. The gauge indicates DC voltages from 9 to 15 volts, which provides you with a quick view of the state of your battery.

I also got a small LED-type indicator. It has six LEDs. The lower three track the LEDs on the plug-in voltmeter. The other three indicate 13.5, 14.5 and 15.8 volts. This shows the charger action - normal high end, normal charge and over charge.

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3462 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2008 : 20:47:47

If a solar panel is one of your future projects, then thre is no reason to buy a separate voltage indicator if you get a solar controller with digital readouts. Then it serves two purposes. It provides the amps generated by the panel and also monitors the battery voltage. Another way to get voltage readings possibly avoinding the purchase of a separate meter, is if you have a fishfinder - Check to see if it has screen setting that provides voltage readings. My Humminbird fishfinder has the voltage listed when I select the screen shot with depth, etc info in a small font.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2008 : 21:07:53

If you're in the market for a good digital multimeter, pay attention to Ebay, I was able to find a very nice Fluke for $70, but it took a while to find. I've also got a Sears DMM which seems perfectly adequate so far.

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Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2008 : 17:31:25

If you already have a multimeter, just install a couple of banana plugs in your panel and use the multimeter probes.

Our 1986 regular analog voltmeter works pretty well, but not as specific as mutlimeters or digital voltmeters, whose costs seem tobe dropping over the years.

Your photos show a "toy" not worth the $.

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