Smartguage Installation?

[Richard10002]

My Smartguage arrived from Cactus Navigation on Wednesday and I have 2 questions regarding installation:

 

1) It says to install as close to the batteries as possible - with a cruiser stern, and the batteries at the rear of the cruiser stern, the run to the meter will be about 5 metres, (10m there and back), and I cant really do anything about that. The manual says use a minimum of 1mm2 cable.... what size cable should I use for a 10 metre run to the meter?

 

2) the meter seems to be designed to push into a rectangular space, but I cant see a means of keeping it in the space, (unless it is a tight fit. There seem to be some indentations in the flange which could be for a couple of small screws, but the manual says that any holes drilled will void the warranty - any ideas/suggestions from those who have fitted one?

 

Many thanks

 

Richard

[john6767]

I have recently fitted one, also bought from Cactus.

 

Less than a metre from the domestic batteries so I used the recommended size. Not connected the starter battery yet, that would be much further if I bother doing that, which I don't think I will. My gut feel would to be double the size if longer from the domestics, but there is no science behind that.

 

On the mounting, I was planning to use a cable tie round the casing to hold it in place in the hole, but I was so accurate in cutting the hole out that it is a nice tight push fit with nothing needed to hold in place. I marked out the rectangle and drilled 5mm holes all round and then used a Stanley knife to join them up and finished off with a file.

 

We only have 2 domestic batteries so I accept that we cane them and replace every 2 years, although this year I did spend a bit more and replaced the 2x110 batteries with 2x135. I have to say I have been really surprised how quickly the batteries get up to 100%, with guess work previously I was running the engine for almost twice as long as was needed! We do have a quite big domestic alternator though (Beta).

[Flyboy]

My Smartguage arrived from Cactus Navigation on Wednesday and I have 2 questions regarding installation:

 

1) It says to install as close to the batteries as possible - with a cruiser stern, and the batteries at the rear of the cruiser stern, the run to the meter will be about 5 metres, (10m there and back), and I cant really do anything about that. The manual says use a minimum of 1mm2 cable.... what size cable should I use for a 10 metre run to the meter?

 

2) the meter seems to be designed to push into a rectangular space, but I cant see a means of keeping it in the space, (unless it is a tight fit. There seem to be some indentations in the flange which could be for a couple of small screws, but the manual says that any holes drilled will void the warranty - any ideas/suggestions from those who have fitted one?

 

Many thanks

 

Richard

I would use 2.5mm . The Smartguage doesn't take much current so there would be virtually no voltage drop.

[Tony Brooks]

 

SNIP

 

We only have 2 domestic batteries so I accept that we cane them and replace every 2 years, although this year I did spend a bit more and replaced the 2x110 batteries with 2x135. I have to say I have been really surprised how quickly the batteries get up to 100%, with guess work previously I was running the engine for almost twice as long as was needed! We do have a quite big domestic alternator though (Beta).

 

Remember the Smartguage only indicates the state of charge as a percentage of the battery capacity AT THE TIME OF READING.

 

You may well be correct as there is no data to indicate otherwise but if this is a recently fitted Smartguage the batteries may have lost capacity before it was fitted.

 

Fast charging batteries and discharging often indicate high levels of sulphation.

[john6767]

The batteries are 3 months old and have spent most of that time on the charger connected to shoreline, so I would not think they have lost much yet. The smartgauge has probably not had enough cycles yet to be fully accurate, but the batteries are lasting fine by using the smartgauge to indicate full, the fridge conlains in the morning if the battery charge is getting down.

 

With a stated capacity of 270Ah, and discharged to 60% how long would you expect to charge; Beta 35 with I think 90amp alternator, with engine running at 1200rpm?

[Iain_S]

I would use 2.5mm . The Smartguage doesn't take much current so there would be virtually no voltage drop.

 

Agreed, but be aware that the supplied crimp terminals are red, and need swopped for blue if the cable goes above 1.5mm²

[Theo]

The Smartgauge does its stuff by measuring the voltageof the batteries and doing some comlicated maths with rates of change and rates of rates of change. Since it only measures voltage my theory is that thin wires of any length could be used. But I have just chjecked my installation instruction and they say use connecting wires as short as possible.

 

I suspect that the problem with using long wires would be electromagnetic interference. If that is the case then you could use the thin wires but route them away from the main batttery leads and the alternator.

 

N

[Theo]

The batteries are 3 months old and have spent most of that time on the charger connected to shoreline, so I would not think they have lost much yet. The smartgauge has probably not had enough cycles yet to be fully accurate, but the batteries are lasting fine by using the smartgauge to indicate full, the fridge conlains in the morning if the battery charge is getting down.

 

With a stated capacity of 270Ah, and discharged to 60% how long would you expect to charge; Beta 35 with I think 90amp alternator, with engine running at 1200rpm?

 

This is always a problem. With the batteries as low as 60%-70% they will accept charge quite quicky so if you have a means of measuring the current you will find that it might be close to the alternator's maximum output with the voltage around 13.7V. As they get more fully charged the voltage will go up and the current will go way down. My large bank accepts 100A happily when at 60% by the time it gets to 80% the current is down to about 25A by 90% it is at about 11A. This all goes to show that the last bit of charge to get to 100% takes ages whatever the size of the bank. Ages is probalby in the reagion of six hours or more. Its to do with the fact that the surface of the plates charge up really quickly but it takes a long time for the charge to "soak" in to the bulk of the plates

 

Having an ammeter can save you loads of diesel. You run the engine fast at the beginning but after not all that long you find that you are reducing the revs until after three quarters of an hour or so you are down to tickover.

 

N

[Richard10002]

The batteries are 3 months old and have spent most of that time on the charger connected to shoreline, so I would not think they have lost much yet. The smartgauge has probably not had enough cycles yet to be fully accurate, but the batteries are lasting fine by using the smartgauge to indicate full, the fridge conlains in the morning if the battery charge is getting down.

 

With a stated capacity of 270Ah, and discharged to 60% how long would you expect to charge; Beta 35 with I think 90amp alternator, with engine running at 1200rpm?

Firstly, the Smartguage manual says you shouldnt really trust the reading to +/- 10% when charging... but when you stop charging, and they start to discharge, it will sort itself out quite quickly... so You could have a reading of 100%, but only be at 90%... if you do this regularly, it will not do the batteries any good.

 

Secondly, having had an amp hour counter for over 3 years, I tend to think that you get about half of what the alternator, or other charger, starts at, on average, so your 100Ah will take about 6 or 7 hours to refill the batteries.... and you would expect a current of about only 4A, or less, to be flowing at that time. My 70A charger takes about 3 hours to get from a useage of 100Ah to a flow of about 6Ah, (nominal capacity 450Ah), and the Amp counter tells me that about 115Ah have been put in.

[Theo]

If you want to have a good read about batteries try here: http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=80435&p=1686723

 

N

[Scholar Gypsy]

On fixing it: mine came with a flange with four small screw holes - you can just see them here. An alternative would be some superglue on the flange?

 

[bottle]

My Smartguage arrived from Cactus Navigation on Wednesday and I have 2 questions regarding installation:

 

1) It says to install as close to the batteries as possible - with a cruiser stern, and the batteries at the rear of the cruiser stern, the run to the meter will be about 5 metres, (10m there and back), and I cant really do anything about that. The manual says use a minimum of 1mm2 cable.... what size cable should I use for a 10 metre run to the meter?

 

2) the meter seems to be designed to push into a rectangular space, but I cant see a means of keeping it in the space, (unless it is a tight fit. There seem to be some indentations in the flange which could be for a couple of small screws, but the manual says that any holes drilled will void the warranty - any ideas/suggestions from those who have fitted one?

 

Many thanks

 

Richard

 

1. any size you like above 1mm² and that will fit in the terminals

 

2.Re-read the manual. I am almost sure the indentations are for screws but it is five years since I read the manual (three times, minimum)

Edited November 14, 2015 by bottle

[Theo]

 

1. any size you like above 1mm² and that will fit in the terminals

 

2.Re-read the manual. I am almost sure the indentations are for screws but it is five years since I read the manual (three times, minimum)

 

I almost volunteered to rewrite the manual for Gibbo. It is a good example of why the designer should not be allowed to publish the manual. You need an intellligent "man on the Clapham omnibus" to rewrite the writings of experts.

 

I'm glad that the fit passed though. It would not heve been an easy thing to do!

 

N

[Scholar Gypsy]

 

1. any size you like above 1mm² and that will fit in the terminals

 

2.Re-read the manual. I am almost sure the indentations are for screws but it is five years since I read the manual (three times, minimum)

 

 

I think the current manual is here. It says

 

"The warranty will become void as a result of any abuse of the equipment including in particular but not limited to:-.

1. Opening the case.

2. Any form of external damage to the case such as drilled holes (excluding the 4 pre-drilled mounting holes) etc".

[nb Innisfree]

I think Gibbo said it had been decided not to continue the mounting holes all the way through the mounting in case someone preferred a push fit.If they preferred screws then they could continue the holes with a drill.

[Iain_S]

The ones I've fitted have had a smear of silicon or Skaflex on the back of the flange, which has held them in OK. They were fitted to wooden panels about half an inch thick, which were cut/sanded to a fairly tight slide fit.