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Old 03-20-2013, 06:36 PM   #1
chasenfish16
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Default Digital battery meter install help

I went to install a digital battery meter today and noticed that when i check the power going in and coming out of the key switch it is 1/2 volt lower then the battery pack. also during my trouble shooting I noticed I only get power to the key switch when the rocker switch is in forward or reverse. Is this normal? I have a 2002 ezgo PDS cart with a alltrax dcx400 controller. I wanted to leave my stock style soc meter in and just use the ground off it and the power off the key switch but I really dont like reading 1/2 volts lower that way. I thought about wiring it straight to the battery pack but then it will be on all the time. I am not sure how this will effect the battery charge over time or how it will effect the longevity of the meter being on all the time. I would greatly appreciate any help on the the matter and how most people wire there's in through the key switch or not.

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Old 03-21-2013, 07:15 AM   #2
JohnnieB
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Default Re: Digital battery meter install help

According to Alltrax's DCX installed in a PDS schematic, to get voltage to the keyswitch, the pedal microswitch has to be closed as well as having either F or R selected.

Apparently that is not true, or you would have noticed it.

I haven't traced out the actual wiring in the DCX to PDS adapter, so the jumper wire between J1 Pin-4 and J4 Pin-4 may actually be between J1 Pins 1 & 4. That would make it work like you described.
(It certainly wouldn't be the first mistake I've found on a schematic. )


As for connecting the DVGM straight to the battery pack, that's how I've got mine connected and I haven'ty noticed the display getting any dimmer is about 18 months.
I don't know about the others, but the one scottyb sells, draws less than 0.001 amps, which would take over 300 years to drain the pack down to 50% and the self-discharge rate of the batteries if far greater than that.

-------------
Is your stock SoC meter a two wire or three wire?
If it is the two wire type, it may be resetting 100% to whatever the current voltage is every time it is turned off/on.
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Old 03-21-2013, 07:44 AM   #3
chasenfish16
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Default Re: Digital battery meter install help

Why did you decide to wire yours up directly instead of going through the keyswitch? Mine reads .5 volt through the keyswitch. are the lights on these dvm's led's?
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Old 03-21-2013, 09:10 AM   #4
JohnnieB
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Default Re: Digital battery meter install help

Lazyness: I didn't want to have to walk to the cart and turn in on to find out what the battery voltage is.

Accuracy: I wanted to monitor the actual battery pack voltage rather than switched voltage at the keyswitch.
The switched voltage at the keyswitch on a stock PDS stock passes through 6 plug/jack connections and 3 sets of switch contacts in addition to passing through the printed circuit boards in the controller twice.

Veristility: By having the + & - leads ran into the battery compartment, I can easily use the dash mounted DVM to monitor any voltage I want to monitor.
Just disconnect the + lead from B+ at the battery back and add an extension wire with alligator clips.
Or disconnect and extend both wires from the meter to monitor point to point voltages, such as the voltage between the A1 & A2 studs on the motor.
It only has 0.1V resolution, but that is close enough to determine if one (or more) battery is dropping under load significantly more than the others.

Safety: My cart was parked so I could see the meter while leaning on my back porch rail, smoking a stinky cigar (SWMBO's description of my favorite cigars with Oscuro leaf wrappers) and the Pro-Tech on-board charger was plugged in. I noticed the pack voltage was 48.5V when it should have been 39.4V (Float charge level).

The Pro-Tech charger had failed and was pumping all the amps it could possible pump into the battery pack.
Fortunately, I noticed it before the plates were expose, but the pack did take more than a gallon of distilled water.
Ironically, that overcharging episode probably helped the old batteries.

I've since gone to DPI chargers, but I still keep an eye on the pack voltage.


----------
Yes, my DVM type SoC meter has three red LED seven segments displays in it.
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