Quick Smartgauge question

[Johny London]

I've just put a new set of batteries in - more of that to come on another thread. But for now, having read the entire Smart Gauge manual, I am still unclear as to whether I'd do best to leave as is or do a factory reset. Same kind of batteries though obviously exhibiting rather different characteristics - on account of the fact they are not knackered, yet.

I'm still not sure if type 1 or 6 is best used for sealed lead acid.

ta

[rusty69]

I would think type 6 - Maintenance free wet cell.

Unless it has been recallibrated,I would reset it.

Edited September 15, 2017 by rusty69

[GUMPY]

Whenever I have changed batteries on SG (3or4 times now) I just set the battery type if needed and leave it to learn....... takes a couple of cycles but it does.

Edited September 15, 2017 by Loddon

[WotEver]

4 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Whenever I have changed batteries on SG (3or4 times now) I just set the battery type if needed and leave it to learn....... takes a couple of cycles but it does.

That would be my recommendation. SmartGauge doesn't really care how big the bank is and it'll soon (2 or 3 cycles) adapt its curves to suit the new batteries. 

[mross]

There's no such thing as a quick Smartgauge question.  Look what you have started 

[Johny London]

Thanks - but in the book, type 6 is listed as Maintenance free Calcium/Calcium and specifically denotes this type of battery as unsuitable for deep cycle use. Just set me a wondering. The batteries I have were very specifically extra deep cycle (I know... aren't they all?!)

The new batteries have actually been on a couple days so I wonder if best to leave it be?

Either way it looks as though I need to let it go down to 50% or so then up to 100%?

Looks like you are right, mross!

[rusty69]

12 minutes ago, mross said:

There's no such thing as a quick Smartgauge question.  Look what you have started 

The question is quick.The answers may drag on for years

2 minutes ago, Johny London said:

Thanks - but in the book, type 6 is listed as Maintenance free Calcium/Calcium and specifically denotes this type of battery as unsuitable for deep cycle use. Just set me a wondering. The batteries I have were very specifically extra deep cycle (I know... aren't they all?!)

My manual says option 6 is
Maintenance free (wet cells but no way to top up the electrolyte) lead acid

[WotEver]

3 minutes ago, Johny London said:

in the book, type 6 is listed as Maintenance free Calcium/Calcium...

Which book?

The manual states Type 6 as "Maintenance free (wet cells but no way to top up the electrolyte) lead acid "

http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/pdfs/manuals/sgaugeman_r203.pdf

[Johny London]

In the printed book I have that came with the unit. Its branded a Merlin Smartgauge?

[WotEver]

20 minutes ago, Johny London said:

In the printed book I have that came with the unit. Its branded a Merlin Smartgauge?

Well, it won't matter much anyhow. Type 4 or 6 should both work for you. 

[rusty69]

1 hour ago, Johny London said:

In the printed book I have that came with the unit. Its branded a Merlin Smartgauge?

 

P2.

6.Maintenance free (wet cells but no way to top up the electrolyte) lead acid

 

P11 

Type 6 Maintenance free, Calcium/Calcium.
This type of battery is not designed for deep cycle use but they are commonly used as such (again,
probably because they are cheap). They will suffer a very short life when used as such but people
continue to use them so SmartGauge supports them.

[Ex Brummie]

1 hour ago, mross said:

There's no such thing as a quick Smartgauge question.  Look what you have started 

You beat me to it!!!!

[WotEver]

20 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

 

P2.

6.Maintenance free (wet cells but no way to top up the electrolyte) lead acid

 

P11 

Type 6 Maintenance free, Calcium/Calcium.
This type of battery is not designed for deep cycle use but they are commonly used as such (again,
probably because they are cheap). They will suffer a very short life when used as such but people
continue to use them so SmartGauge supports them.

Yup, those two don't contradict each other. As I said above, type 4 or 6 will be ok for OP. 

[GUMPY]

When I had sealed bats with added calcium it was type 4 if I remember corectly.........

 

[rusty69]

45 minutes ago, WotEver said:

Yup, those two don't contradict each other. As I said above, type 4 or 6 will be ok for OP. 

Its the same book. 

[WotEver]

1 hour ago, rusty69 said:

Its the same book. 

Yes, I understand that. The two comments are not contradictory. 

[rusty69]

4 hours ago, WotEver said:

Yes, I understand that. The two comments are not contradictory. 

Yes, i understand. 

[MtB]

It is possible to have two supposedly identical SmartGauges connected to the same battery (after multiple cycles to calibrate to the battery) and have them read 42% and 59% state of charge respectively.

With this level of inaccuracy in SmartGauages straight from the factory I don't think the difference between battery types 4 and 6 is going to matter much.

Oo look, it's time to recharge my batteries...:)

[Johny London]

So, 4. or 6, or possibly one. And either do or don't reset it If it really is the case that two units read 42/59% it's hardly worth bothering with. I've had pretty strange readings at times (relative to the displayed voltage and also to what I know at the time). But I was told it was the thing to have. I keep my eye on the displayed voltage as well as charge, to get a better understanding of what the real case might be. Obviously I'm aware that when the solar is outputting, the battery voltage will be optimistically high, and if the fridge is cycling, a bit lower than it truly is etc.

So to get a better reading, I presume a shunt resistor and appropriate equipment (ammeter or something more elaborate) would be needed?

I saw a very smart looking lcd display showing all the different types of equipment and which way current was going on one of (journey with) Jonos videos, but not sure what it was.

So, to conclude, I'll leave the s/g as it is. Upgrade to something better later on.

[rusty69]

3 minutes ago, Johny London said:

So, 4. or 6, or possibly one. And either do or don't reset it If it really is the case that two units read 42/59% it's hardly worth bothering with.

As has been said 4 or 6, reset is optional, probably doesn't matter. 

Mtb has gone to the trouble of determining that his Smartgauges aren't accurate  but for some bizarre reason keeps banging on about it instead of doing anything about it. 

Perhaps its for educational purposes 

[Tony Brooks]

Once again for telling you when it is getting time to stop discharging and start recharging your batteries a properly calibrated Smartguage is hard to beat.  Any other gauge that says it does this has a well documented history of telling lies to all boaters who do not study its manual and batteries in depth. The upshot is such gauges tend to encourage boaters to destroy their batteries. The exception is "son of Smartguage" but I doubt you will spend £1500 on a battery monitor.

Ammeter to tell you when to stop charging, Smartguage to tell you when to start charging (actually every day is best for the batteries) or when to stop discharging.

Once you get the hang of it you can do much the same with just an ammeter ad voltmeter.

I just wish Mike would send his Smartguages back for checking because something seem to be wrong with them.

[MtB]

On 16/09/2017 at 10:01, rusty69 said:

As has been said 4 or 6, reset is optional, probably doesn't matter. 

Mtb has gone to the trouble of determining that his Smartgauges aren't accurate  but for some bizarre reason keeps banging on about it instead of doing anything about it. 

Perhaps its for educational purposes 

 

How do you know I have not now sent then back for recalibration?

But yes I post about the story for educational purposes. 

It is to educate the visitors here (e.g.t the OP) that SmartGauge is not necessarily the best thing since sliced bread for battery monitoring. The best they can do is tell you when it is time to recharge. They don't tell you when the batteries are fully charged. (For that you need an ammeter, and to watch it for an hour or three waiting for the tail current to stabilise. SmartGauge does not do this.)

And all this is when the SmartGauge you purchased turns out to be correctly calibrated straight from the box, which cannot be relied upon. There are at least four cases on this forum where the calibration of SmartGauges has been checked by their owners and found to be incorrect, so the readings they give are wrong. This is out of a sample of perhaps 50 posters here who own them, and not all of those will have checked. That's a pretty poor record of quality control in my personal opinion.

[rusty69]

Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

How do you know I have not now sent then back for recalibration?

I'd put a tenner on it

[MtB]

On 16/09/2017 at 10:15, rusty69 said:

I'd put a tenner on it

 

As you seem to want to buy them from me, I'll accept £300 for the pair. 

[rusty69]

Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

As you seem to want to buy them from me, I'll accept £300 for the pair. 

For some rubbish Smartgauges, you certainly value them highly