Voltage Meter

[Buggieman18]

There is a chart floating around that will show you the voltages and % charge of your battery pack.

OK, I couldn't resist.

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...rge-chart.html

Print it out and keep it one in the garage and one with your cart.

[PingEye3]

Originally Posted by nickdalzell1

Voltage meters are fun to look at, but I wouldn't trust them for true SoC info if my life depended on it. By the time they read halfway your pack is already too low for the controller to be reliable, and if it gets down to where it is flashing 'charge dead!' at you most of the time they never reset to full after you charge them.

A digital voltmeter is accurate all of the time. You are obviously talking about the very inaccurate red bar SOC meter, with that I agree.

[dundeebarnbuggy]

I have the Curtis bar meter that came with the controller and a Blue Sea volt/amp meter. The bar meter has been VERY close compared to the digital. It allows a estimate of juice left while driving which you can't do with the digital. The only time it won't work is when I tow the cart as it resets when you turn the tow switch back on.

[nickdalzell1]

I was under the impression it was a bar meter y'all were referring to. That's how my mind took when I read 'LED meter'

Around here there are two meters available, the analog 'fuel gauge' type and the bar type LED style. Never saw an actual digital one unless someone attempted to rig up some clock radio display to read volts (and always fried his controller doing so)

[Sideways]

I have this one from Scottyb wired directly to pack so it stays on 24/7. No problems whatsoever.

http://www.cartsunlimited.net/battery-meters.html

[swm63]

Originally Posted by nickdalzell1

Never saw an actual digital one unless someone attempted to rig up some clock radio display to read volts (and always fried his controller doing so)

Nick, it looks like you need to get out more.

[nickdalzell1]

Well, folks here are quite crude and progress is little to none so I know I'm missing out a lot.

But yeah, the last two fried controllers were due to some moron attempting to use a digital display similar to that and hardwired into the key switch (failing to put car in tow first of course)

Last phone call went a little like this:

Me: Tony's carts how may I help you?
Cus: Yeah I tried hooking up a multimeter display to read batteries and now it won't go
Me: Did you put the cart in tow before working on it?
Cus: Wha?
Me: *Headdesk*

[Buggieman18]

According to those in the know around here, wiring a DVM to the key switch on an RXV will blow the controller whether it is in tow or not.

[nickdalzell1]

Which is why I remove/bypass the thing when we finally get it repaired. We suggest doing without the gauge as in our experience you simply can't trust them, or trust folks to be intelligent enough to know how low a voltage reading is too low. Digi ones always dip to scary range (43 volts) when you go uphill or put any load on the car, so it's hard to know whether you look at them when car is sitting or when you drive it.

[hunt2709]

Originally Posted by Buggieman18

According to those in the know around here, wiring a DVM to the key switch on an RXV will blow the controller whether it is in tow or not.

Well, I just ordered the same VM that is noted on this page and it was delivered this afternoon. I have a 2013 RXV that I will install on. I had planned on a direct connect to battery with no key switch involved. Am I good to go with that and it will be on 24x7? And what guage wire is best, I have 18 guage in the shop but if I need something else, advise.