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Battery wiring at fault? 12v socket reading jumping.


Lady_Why

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I've learnt that batteries are Schrodingers batteries unless you have trustworthy readers - so having two lying around might be wise! 

When Tony read the batteries and we saw the readings... you know when your brain fully computes what it is seeing, but your heart is just too terrified to believe the good news? That's where I was. I think I'm still there!

In celebration of the fact that I have not lost £400, I am adopting another rescue cat. 
 

Which, in effect, come the day, you will all have helped the adoption of another homeless cat. ❤️

I cannot express how grateful I am for all the suggestions and moral support on here - and, of course, Tony coming all the way over to eye my weird wiring (which turned out to be fine too in the end; the 'negative' was in fact a positive cable that just hadn't been marked red). And all the man would accept from me was a cup of tea and some cake. 

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18 minutes ago, Lady_Why said:

Only one person on tenterhooks?  Damn, I expected you all glued to your laptop screens, unable to contain your curiosity. But no - it's Saturday and everyone' gone to the pub. Bah! Oh no Mike's here too.  Good, Tony and I should have an audience.

IT WAS THE MULTIMETER!!!! 

And it wasn't the wires of the multimeter either. It was the actual, actual multimeter. Despite passing the ohm test. 

In essence I've been charging fully charged batteries all week.

That’s good, much better than not charging batteries at all for the week.

I’m pleased for you.  If I were you I would not only buy a new multimeter but would also wire a self powered voltmeter directly to you batteries, that way you can keep an eye on the voltage and if ever in doubt you can cross check with your nice new multimeter.  I would also reconnect the shunt you found to give you a current (amps) reading to help you ascertain when the batteries are fully charged.  But no rush.

 

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1 minute ago, Chewbacka said:

That’s good, much better than not charging batteries at all for the week.

I’m pleased for you.  If I were you I would not only buy a new multimeter but would also wire a self powered voltmeter directly to you batteries, that way you can keep an eye on the voltage and if ever in doubt you can cross check with your nice new multimeter.  I would also reconnect the shunt you found to give you a current (amps) reading to help you ascertain when the batteries are fully charged.  But no rush.

 

That shunt seemed to have no markings on it so I suspect a new matching shunt & meter is the way to go unless   she gets one of those newfangled sender artund the cable ammeters that were mentioned on here a short while ago. Possibly easier to fit but nor sure how accurate.

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Rusty69, I wanted to laugh uprate that but I'm already out of emojis. I must stop being so emotional. ?

I asked about connecting an amp-meter to the shunt, but it would involve moving the... hm... damn I've already forgotten what Tony called it... the thing that's currently attached to the shunt with cables on it. Thingy-majingy. Technically I could afford a monitor after next pay. But if the rewiring is beyond my capabilities, then I might consider relying on a clamp meter until spring when I am having an electrician install solars for me.

I think this was the one Tony was using when he came over: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07B1XPZS2/ref=pd_luc_rh_sspa_dk_huc_pt_expsub_2?psc=1
 

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3 minutes ago, Lady_Why said:

Rusty69, I wanted to laugh uprate that but I'm already out of emojis. I must stop being so emotional. ?

I asked about connecting an amp-meter to the shunt, but it would involve moving the... hm... damn I've already forgotten what Tony called it... the thing that's currently attached to the shunt with cables on it. Thingy-majingy. Technically I could afford a monitor after next pay. But if the rewiring is beyond my capabilities, then I might consider relying on a clamp meter until spring when I am having an electrician install solars for me.

I think this was the one Tony was using when he came over: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07B1XPZS2/ref=pd_luc_rh_sspa_dk_huc_pt_expsub_2?psc=1
 

That meter is no good for you as it only measures AC current, you need DC

 

Added - my fat finger typing was soooooo slow again.

Edited by Chewbacka
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2 minutes ago, Lady_Why said:

it would involve moving the... hm... damn I've already forgotten what Tony called it... the thing that's currently attached to the shunt with cables on it. Thingy-majingy. 

Thingamagy works, or you could call it the busbar. 

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3 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

My meter is a UT 203

 

I can confirm there is a busbar hung off one end of the shunt and told lady W it's called a busbar but as buses are big red things its easy to not take it all in..

Same here. 27 quid off ebay a few years back. Lady w? Is that lady y's sister? 

 

ETA has lady why changed her name! 

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3 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

My meter is a UT 203

 

I can confirm there is a busbar hung off one end of the shunt and told lady W it's called a busbar but as buses are big red things its easy to not take it all in..

I was probably still digesting that I hadn't lost £400! Busbar.... busbar... Let's not forget that I also learnt that there are two different star screws. The mind boggles. At least when, prior to boating, you're the type of person who only screwed the occasional shelf into a wall. 

Ok, UT203 it is!

 

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1 minute ago, Tony Brooks said:

My meter is a UT 203

 

I can confirm there is a busbar hung off one end of the shunt and told lady W it's called a busbar but as buses are big red things its easy to not take it all in..

Lady-w

many of us on here use the UT203, though for small currents the ut210e is better.

If you decide to get the ut210e meter be careful when ordering as there is also a ut210a and ut210b which both are a bit cheaper BUT they are AC only for current.

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