OK real Boat question - Voltmeter?

[TrepMan]

I have 2 batteries in my 175 (1 - standard cranking and 1 - standard trolling). My boat came with a batter/volt meter. Now all of my cars have had these and maybe i've just not known what to do with them. But i've yet to look at one and say "AHA, I need to get my battery checked as it is running low", it's always when the car won't start that I know something is a miss on the battery.



Sooo, with the meter on my boat i'm think it's the same thing right? Would I be better off connecting my meter to the trolling motor and then I could see as i'm fishing the status/life left in my trolling batter?



Any ideas or enlightenment??

 

[Staci Matheis]

Michael -



The voltmeter will NOT tell you how much of the charge is left; it will only tell you the volts that the battery is putting out. This amount could be as much as a fully charged marine battery or as little as a fully charged AAA battery - both will read the same.



Use the volt meter to determine that your voltage regulator is supplying the correct current to the batteries for recharging.



me!

 

[TrepMan]

Thanks guys, that actually makes sense. So is there a Trolling Motor level guage out there? Or should I just do like Mark did to know during the day how much charge is left? It's not been a problem yet (typically fish 1/2 days and never wear out the battery) but we're planning a Man's weekend out and i'll have the battery charged before we go and would like to get an idea when it's say 1/2 full so I can save the trolling motor for day 2.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Yeah, Trep, check your BPS master catalog. It's in the TM section. It monitors how much umph you have left in your deep cycle and draws very little.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Trep, look here!
http://www.basspro-shops.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=5193&hvarTarget=search

 

[TrepMan]

Thanks Rob that looks GREAT! Hmmm, $21.99 (plus tax) might be able to work that one in soon!

 

[TrepMan]

Thanks Rob that looks GREAT! Hmmm, $21.99 (plus tax) might be able to work that one in soon!