My third SmartGauge...

[MtB]

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

It displays to three decimal places of amps/hour, so it is much more accurate than a Smartgauge.

 

 

Brilliant!

 

But even now there still seems to be people on here who think a DumbGauge is a real thing. 

 

For the avoidance of doubt and for anyone still not sure, the DumbGauge is a figbox of that nice Dr Bob's imagination, designed to measure that other popular, made-up and logically-inconsistent unit of power consumption, the Amp per Hour. 

 

 

 

Edited June 22, 2018 by Mike the Boilerman
Gramarr, and to enhance my scathing description of Amps per Hour :)

[Jen-in-Wellies]

2 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

But even now there seems to still be people on here who think a DumbGauge is a real thing. 

 

It must be real. It's on the intertubes, with an actual picture. You aren't allowed to put stuff on the interweb if it isn't true.

Jen

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

It must be real. It's on the intertubes, with an actual picture. You aren't allowed to put stuff on the interweb if it isn't true.

Jen

 

I'm sensing a logical inconsistency kreeping in here!

[Dr Bob]

2 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

It must be real. It's on the intertubes, with an actual picture. You aren't allowed to put stuff on the interweb if it isn't true.

Jen

....but Rusty and Mr smelly both said ecofans dont work...?

[Jen-in-Wellies]

The DumbGauge is real. I built it. It generates a random number between -20 and +20 Amps per Hour and displays it. If A/hr is over zero then it lets you know your batteries are fine. If it is below zero it lets you know >

 

[MtB]

Where can I buy one???????

 

(Or rather, three!)

[Jen-in-Wellies]

39 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Where can I buy one???????

 

(Or rather, three!)

I'm rich! I can buy a Hudson, hire a butler.

Jen ?

Edited June 22, 2018 by Jen-in-Wellies

[George and Dragon]

On 22/06/2018 at 11:00, Mike the Boilerman said:

the Amp per Hour. 

<pedant> IIRC amps are coulombs per second. Amps / hour must therefore be some kind of rate of change of charge (argh - my A level Physics was a long time ago). </pedant>

[WotEver]

There’s that whooshing sound again...

[rusty69]

On 22/06/2018 at 13:42, Jen-in-Wellies said:

The DumbGauge is real. I built it. It generates a random number between -20 and +20 Amps per Hour and displays it. If A/hr is over zero then it lets you know your batteries are fine. If it is below zero it lets you know >

 

You have too much time on your hands. 

On 22/06/2018 at 13:10, Dr Bob said:

....but Rusty and Mr smelly both said ecofans dont work...?

Mine is doing nothing at the moment. 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

55 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

You have too much time on your hands.  

 

Well it was a choice between solving global warming, bringing about world peace and curing cancer, or making the DumbGauge. No option really. ?

[MtB]

4 hours ago, George and Dragon said:

<pedant> IIRC amps are coulombs per second. Amps / hour must therefore be some kind of rate of change of charge (argh - my A level Physics was a long time ago). </pedant>

 

Yous haven't actually read the thread at all have you?? ?

[George and Dragon]

15 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Yous haven't actually read the thread at all have you?? ?

Yes, and I appreciate the need for the dumbgauge. Am still trying to work out whether the SmartGauge is joke tho

[WotEver]

2 hours ago, George and Dragon said:

Am still trying to work out whether the SmartGauge is joke tho 

http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/index.html

[MtB]

2 hours ago, George and Dragon said:

Am still trying to work out whether the SmartGauge is joke tho

 

Me too. I have three and all of them are faulty!

[Jen-in-Wellies]

To help people decide which battery monitoring system to install on their boat I have come up with the following handy comparison guide.

Jen

Battery Monitors. A Comparison Guide

 

How many battery monitors do you need?
DumbGauge
None. It makes no difference to your batteries if you have one or not.
Others
At least one. Sometimes three or more.

 

How Accurate is it?
DumbGauge.
Like a stopped clock being right twice a day, DumbGauge gets it right at least some of the time by pure chance.
Others
This depends on the product, how it is installed and in some cases how many of them you have. If you have more than one, which do you believe?

 

How much does it cost?
DumbGauge
Can be made yourself for around £20. Alternatively Jen-in-Wellies will sell you one for as much as she thinks your bank account can stand.
Others

A lot more expensive than a home made DumbGauge, but less than a DumbGauge bought from Jen-in-Wellies.

 

How easy is it to install?
DumbGauge
Very easy. Only requires a 5V supply from a USB socket. Can be provided from a car 12V adaptor. No other connection to the batteries is required. When the DumbGauge display goes blank, then your batteries are flat.
Others
Harder. These require connection to the batteries and in many cases the installation of a shunt. Wires then need to be run through to a suitable monitoring position.

 

Does it display Amps/Hour?
DumbGauge
Yes! The only battery monitor that does. ?
Others
No.?

[cereal tiller]

3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Me too. I have three and all of them are faulty!

Have you Ordered Number Four?

[dmr]

I'm rather taken by this dumbgage, Its expensive but Jen-iw has foolishly given away a lot of info about how it works so I reckon that I can make my own with one of the ardywino thingies. As a result of this my Smartgage might be fore sale. Its a rare thing so I want big money, all three buttons work, its correctly calibrated, and has given several years of trouble free service.

 

.................Dave

[Jen-in-Wellies]

I can't even patent it now I've described how it works. Another fortune slips through my fingers.

 

12 minutes ago, dmr said:

I'm rather taken by this dumbgage, Its expensive but Jen-iw has foolishly given away a lot of info about how it works so I reckon that I can make my own with one of the ardywino thingies. As a result of this my Smartgage might be fore sale. Its a rare thing so I want big money, all three buttons work, its correctly calibrated, and has given several years of trouble free service.

 

.................Dave

 

[MtB]

Right, an update. 

 

I spoke to the technical support bod this afternoon and he said there are no software versions that would prevent an FR. He thought the only chance was to press the buttons in really hard, which I've already done loads of times. 

 

However after a further 15 mins twarting about with it I finally succeeded in getting it to FR, as follows:

 

 After restoring power with the two buttons pressed in, it displayed R 2.06 then B 2.07 as usual. At this point the screen goes blank as described in the manual, then I should let go of the buttons. When I let go immediately it just boots up into error E 01 instead of FR, but I experimented holding the buttons in for longer and longer periods before letting go.  Once I hold the buttons in with the blank display for over 10 seconds then release, FR is displayed on mine. BINGO!

 

Hope this helps anyone else with the same problem.

Edited June 27, 2018 by Mike the Boilerman
To add a minor but important detail.

[alan_fincher]

1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Hope this helps anyone else with the same problem.

 

Most people only have one, and believe it is working!............................

[cereal tiller]

2 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Right, an update. 

 

I spoke to the technical support bod this afternoon and he said there are no software versions that would prevent an FR. He thought the only chance was to press the buttons in really hard, which I've already done loads of times. 

 

However after a further 15 mins twarting about with it I finally succeeded in getting it to FR, as follows:

 

 After restoring power with the two buttons pressed in, it displayed R 2.06 then B 2.07 as usual. At this point the screen goes blank as described in the manual, then I should let go of the buttons. When I let go immediately it just boots up into error E 01 instead of FR, but I experimented holding the buttons in for longer and longer periods before letting go.  Once I hold the buttons in with the blank display for over 10 seconds then release, FR is displayed on mine. BINGO!

 

Hope this helps anyone else with the same problem.

I bet Number 4 will be an even better one?

[Iain_S]

2 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

 

Most people only have one, and believe it is working!............................

I have two, and both work....

[MtB]

7 minutes ago, Iain_S said:

I have two, and both work....

 

Or more accurately, you have no way of knowing otherwise....

[Iain_S]

6 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Or more accurately, you have no way of knowing otherwise....

When I can be bothered (or am able) to check rested voltages against SG, they agree pretty well. I get consistent results on Kelpie for battery capacity by checking SG against AmpHours out on the Powergauge Lite, (confirming my suspicion that the batteries are stuffed  )

The one on Gamebird is definitely pessimistic while charging : current doesn't reduce from an indicated 95% charged to a couple of hours after 100% indication.

 

Both work!