Voltage
 

I don't have a volt meter on my boat other than on my my GPS/ Chartplotter. I have 2 12V batteries with a selector switch.

Per the GPS reading, wehn I was running my motor yesterday, I was looking at 15.7V. The battery was fresh off the shelf after being charged and put away for the winter.

So I'm thinking there are several scenarios:
1. The GPS voltage readin is high.
2. The motor is overcharging.
3. Everything is fine & I shouldn't worry about it.

Appreciate any feedback, thinking about installing 2 volt meters on the dash.

Roop

Jeff, you need to put a meter across the battery and check this NOW. 15.7 is much too high a charging voltage, your electronics including gauges etc all have 16 volt polarity protection diodes in them...you come close to that and you gonna have alot of problems with these thing going into forward bias and clamping down....and LOTSA stuff to repair. Sounds like you may have a bad regulator? That thing should not be over 15 volts even at full output.

What Salty said,
"Sounds like you may have a bad regulator? "
this was a problem I had with my motor 2 years ago.
I went thru two batteries before I figured this out.

Your normal charging voltage with engine running should be between 13.5-14.3 vdc. I would get a good quality meter such as a Fluke and check the voltage at the batteries with motor running. Anything over 15 vdc and you will soon have problems...

Do you have a merc?

My buddy had the same problem and was cooking batteries.
It was the regulator, and he found it was recalled and got
the replacement free.

Thanks guys, will pick up a voltmeter today and check tonight.

Roop

GPS Capacitor?
 

13 - 14.1 on either battery, decreased as the motor charged them. But the GPS/ Chartplotter still showed @ 15.4.

Discussed with a neighbor, union electrician, possibly voltage being held in the capacitor? Will discus with Lowrance today.

Thanks for the help.

Roop

Well tell that electrician that he should be fired...cuz he just flunked kerchoff's law.

If the voltage is ok at the batteries then you got a cheap gps unit reading it. put the voltmeter up at the gps and confirm it for yourself. whatever they used for a voltage divider to read the voltage either has a bad resistor or is bad design to begin with.

Gesundheit...

:laughs:

Will do - he's not used to this small stuff - will see what our friends at Lowrance say.

Thanks man -

Roop

gettin sick there John? :D

kerchoff!

Bless you...

Is that better :D ?