R-pod Owners Forum : 12 volt battery tester http://www.rpod-owners.com/ This is an XML content feed of; R-pod Owners Forum : I need HELP!!! : 12 volt battery tester Copyright (c) 2006-2009 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Wed, 20 May 2026 16:35:41 +0000 Sat, 21 May 2022 15:40:16 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 9.64 360 www.rpod-owners.com/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=15278 R-pod Owners Forum http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_images/web_wiz_forums.png http://www.rpod-owners.com/ 12 volt battery tester : That one is a good choice. I agree... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148191#148191 Author: offgrid
Subject: 15278
Posted: 21 May 2022 at 3:40pm

That one is a good choice. I agree on getting one with a shunt to measure current rather than a Hall effect donut if it's a permanent install. The Hall effect ones can drift due to stray magnetic fields. Shunts are rock solid.

For a temporary measurement using a multimeter, a Hall effect clamp on is better so you don't have to splice a shunt into the wire. Just remember to zero it before taking a reading, and keep it away from electromagnetic fields (like motors or brake magnets). ]]> Sat, 21 May 2022 15:40:16 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148191#148191 12 volt battery tester : This is what I installed to monitor... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148184#148184 Author: StephenH
Subject: 15278
Posted: 21 May 2022 at 9:13am

This is what I installed to monitor my LiFePO4 battery. I believe it can be set to monitor lead-acid batteries also.

https://www.amazon.com/AiLi-Voltmeter-Ammeter-Voltage-Motorhome/dp/B07FGFFHC6/

Sure there are better ones that can check every single parameter that you could think of, but for the basic needs of checking the charge state of your battery, this one is hard to beat. I recommend this because it uses a shunt rather than a hall effect sensor for the reading. That way, you don't have to worry about whether the wire is in the center of the loop or not. Also, with the bouncing around our units take going down the road, the wire would likely not stay in the center anyway.

There are other brands that can give you things like logging or bluetooth, but they are much, much more expensive.
]]> Sat, 21 May 2022 09:13:04 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148184#148184 12 volt battery tester : If you just want to check your... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148183#148183 Author: Tars Tarkas
Subject: 15278
Posted: 20 May 2022 at 10:20pm

If you just want to check your battery this is what you need:

]]> Fri, 20 May 2022 22:20:37 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148183#148183 12 volt battery tester : +1 on the clamp on multimeter.... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148182#148182 Author: offgrid
Subject: 15278
Posted: 20 May 2022 at 3:19pm

+1 on the clamp on multimeter. That is a very handy feature. All you know from a voltmeter is whether the battery is low on charge or not. The clamp on current meter will tell you where and how much current is going or out so you can sort out what is going on. They are about $40 on Amazon and have the voktmeter function and usually many others as well.

Be sure to get one that measures DC, not just AC current.

That being said, a voltmeter will not give you the exact state of charge of your battery. the voltage provides and approximation of charge level only, better than high, medium, or low but still approximate. To get the actual charge level you need a battery state of charge meter that is tracking the amp hours into and out of the battery in real time. Those are available online as well and are typically permanently installed because they are continuously monitoring battery current.]]> Fri, 20 May 2022 15:19:55 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148182#148182 12 volt battery tester : A clamp meter is nice if you... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148181#148181 Author: TheBum
Subject: 15278
Posted: 20 May 2022 at 12:44am

A clamp meter is nice if you want to check the amount of current coming out of (or going into) the battery without disconnecting a cable.]]> Fri, 20 May 2022 00:44:02 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148181#148181 12 volt battery tester : You can spend about as much as... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148180#148180 Author: Tars Tarkas
Subject: 15278
Posted: 19 May 2022 at 9:26pm

You can spend about as much as you want on a meter at Lowe's, Home Depot, Amazon, etc., but if you don't know about cars or electricity then a meter from Harbor Freight or Walmart is all you need. It will do what you want.

TT
]]> Thu, 19 May 2022 21:26:20 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148180#148180 12 volt battery tester : Ditto for the Harbor Freight volt... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148179#148179 Author: gpokluda
Subject: 15278
Posted: 19 May 2022 at 8:39pm

Ditto for the Harbor Freight volt meter. Picked one up to keep in the tool bag on the Rpod and it's just as good as my expensive Klein. I would also put a plug in for the Renogy battery monitor. Kind of a PIA to install, but well worth it. ]]> Thu, 19 May 2022 20:39:31 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148179#148179 12 volt battery tester : I picked mine up at Harbor Freight... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148178#148178 Author: jato
Subject: 15278
Posted: 19 May 2022 at 5:23pm

I picked mine up at Harbor Freight (voltmeter) for $5.  It gives the basics - all I ever need to know.  Recharge when voltage drops to 12.2v for maximum battery longevity.  Fully charged 'at rest' the battery will read 12.72v or above.  Our oldest battery is a 12v Interstate, group size 24, deep cycle - just turned 11 years old last month.  Has served us boondockers well.
]]> Thu, 19 May 2022 17:23:10 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148178#148178 12 volt battery tester : Per above request, I should have... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148177#148177 Author: Jenga Jack
Subject: 15278
Posted: 19 May 2022 at 4:58pm

Per above request, I should have said "volt meter". (I do not want to test the electrolytes)
Sorry, I'm not a car guy or an electrical guy.
]]> Thu, 19 May 2022 16:58:39 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148177#148177 12 volt battery tester : Looking for a recommendation on... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148176#148176 Author: Jenga Jack
Subject: 15278
Posted: 19 May 2022 at 4:30pm

Looking for a recommendation on a basic battery tester for my 12 volt deep cycle battery. One that shows actual charge numbers, not just "good, average, low, dead".
All I want to know is the exact charge level of the battery when dry camping. To know when to hook up portable solar panel charger, then read again after a few hours of charging. Thanks!]]> Thu, 19 May 2022 16:30:12 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15278&PID=148176#148176