Safe Skipper by Simon Jollands

Author:Simon Jollands
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472915474
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2014-04-16T04:00:00+00:00

The no-load reading of 12.83 volts on this battery indicates it’s almost fully charged.

The voltmeter can also be used to check that the alternator is producing charge. Standard alternators have their output capped at around 14.2–14.4V, although there may be a voltage drop of 0.5V, and occasionally more, by the time the charge reaches the batteries. If there is little or no increase in voltage across the battery when the engine is running, then it’s very likely that there’s a problem with the charging system that will need further investigation.

Battery monitors

Unfortunately, it takes a long time for battery voltages to settle when load is removed, or after charging, and while a reasonably stable voltage may be seen after a few minutes, it takes several hours for the voltage to completely stabilise. This is one of the benefits of more sophisticated battery monitors, which give a precise indication at any time of how much charge there is left in the batteries.

When properly calibrated, battery monitors can account for all factors that affect battery state, including calculating the total charge delivered to the batteries, and subtracting the total charged used by the boat’s systems. In addition to battery voltage, these monitors can display battery charge/discharge current; state of charge of the battery in Amp-hours (Ah) or in percentage of total capacity; and time to go until the battery needs to be recharged.

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