Do you have a SmartGauge?

[Naughty Cal]

Just now, nicknorman said:

Although it will of course be unfortunate if they send another one that is equally inaccurate, maybe the other way!

Yes it would!

I would hope that they would test a replacement unit though. 

[MtB]

33 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Yes it would!

I would hope that they would test a replacement unit though. 

 

So naïve for someone with your depth of knowledge about everything...

[Naughty Cal]

Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

So naïve for someone with your depth of knowledge about everything...

Not at all.

We have experience of having to return faulty new items, our new alternator last year was just one example. On each occasion that a replacement has been received there has been evidence that the packaging has been opened and the items tested or at the very least inspected.

If you pay for something, then it wants to be right.

Have you sent your Smart Gauges back yet?

[MtB]

Just now, Naughty Cal said:

Not at all.

We have experience of having to return faulty new items, our new alternator last year was just one example. On each occasion that a replacement has been received there has been evidence that the packaging has been opened and the items tested or at the very least inspected.

If you pay for something, then it wants to be right.

Have you sent your Smart Gauges back yet?

 

As I keep saying, I'm not sending them back. Why would I go to all that trouble when I can re-calibrate them myself?

My goal in my threads is to learn in depth about battery behaviour, battery management and how smartgauges work. 

Edited April 13, 2017 by Mike the Boilerman

[Naughty Cal]

Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

As I keep saying, I'm not sending them back. Why would I go to all that trouble when I can re-calibrate them myself?

My goal in my threads is to learn in depth about battery behaviour, battery management and how smartgauges work. 

They don't.

In your case your batteries behave badly. 

[MtB]

Just now, Naughty Cal said:

They don't.

 

Ok, thanks for your incisive analysis.

The shear extent of your technical knowledge constantly amazes me. 

[WotEver]

Just now, Naughty Cal said:

They don't.

[Tom and Bex]

1 hour ago, nicknorman said:

Although it will of course be unfortunate if they send another one that is equally inaccurate, maybe the other way!

Rest assured I will be testing it as soon as I get it back and before installing it. Should be easy to see if it is a replacement unit as the one I'm sending back has had the holes drilled out in the corners to fit it. 

1 hour ago, nicknorman said:

Although it will of course be unfortunate if they send another one that is equally inaccurate, maybe the other way!

Rest assured I will be testing it as soon as I get it back and before installing it. Should be easy to see if it is a replacement unit as the one I'm sending back has had the holes drilled out in the corners to fit it. 

[Naughty Cal]

Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Ok, thanks for your incisive analysis.

The shear extent of your technical knowledge constantly amazes me. 

The sheer extent to which your alleged technical knowledge doesn't help you constantly amazes me.

[MtB]

Just now, Naughty Cal said:

The sheer extent to which your alleged technical knowledge doesn't help you constantly amazes me.

 

I am constantly inquisitive and always learning. Hence my endless questions. 

You should try it 

 

[Naughty Cal]

Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I am constantly inquisitive and always learning. Hence my endless questions. 

You should try it 

 

No thanks.

[dmr]

2 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

As I keep saying, I'm not sending them back. Why would I go to all that trouble when I can re-calibrate them myself?

My goal in my threads is to learn in depth about battery behaviour, battery management and how smartgauges work. 

I think that maybe you should send it back. First do at least one discharge to below 50% and note the reading on both smartgages, and get an estimate of the real state of charge from your hydrometer (not easy as your cells are all over the place) and measure rested voltage. This will be a useful and interesting stuff to know.

Trouble with doing the recalibration yourself is that its likely to be a bit tedious and Nick says it won't survive a "factory reset", though having owned a smartgage for years I have never needed to do a reset.

It would be interesting to see if Merlin re-calibrate yours or just send you a new one. It would also be interesting to see how accurately they do it, though I bet it will be spot on.

I suspect you are not short of a bob or two but I would still ask for Merlin to pay your return post and packing. Starter Motor and Alternator company recently supplied me with an incorrect alternator (an error by their supplier) and they arranged to collect it from an address of my choice, so paying P&P is the least Merlin can do.

.............Dave

[WotEver]

Just now, dmr said:

Trouble with doing the recalibration yourself is that its likely to be a bit tedious and Nick says it won't survive a "factory reset", though having owned a smartgage for years I have never needed to do a reset

It's somewhat fiddly but I think 'tedious' is stretching it a bit. Yes, a field calibration will be reset by a factory reset but as you say, who does those?

[jddevel]

A little anecdote on quality control and service. I read many years ago of a guy in South Africa who had a Rolls Royce which he used in the "bush". After a number of years of this rough terrain the cars back axle broke. He contacted Rolls you sent an engineer and axle to the guy and duly repaired the car. The engineer left. Sometime later concerned at not having been invoiced for the repair he contacted Rolls . They replied with the comment which basically said Rolls Royce back axles do not brake. Would certainly give you confidence if every manufacturer had this faith in their product. I can but dream and live in my utopian world. 

[dmr]

Just now, WotEver said:

It's somewhat fiddly but I think 'tedious' is stretching it a bit. Yes, a field calibration will be reset by a factory reset but as you say, who does those?

Anything that involves pressing and holding combinations of buttons in a specific sequence is tedious

At least it doesn't have hard and soft pushes like the iPhone, give me a proper twiddler anyday.

..............Dave