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Old 10-12-2017, 09:46 AM   #21
MerlinB
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Javi View Post


I'm skeptical. I've gotta see it.
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Old 10-12-2017, 10:30 AM   #22
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I'm skeptical. I've gotta see it.
There are quite a few of these that measure DC. Just Google it.
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Old 10-12-2017, 10:34 AM   #23
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Originally Posted by MerlinB View Post
Just a "heads up." You're not going to read DC current draw with a clamp-on ammeter. Those work only on AC current.
My little, cheapie, clamp-on reads DC current... as to how accurately... I have no idea.

It seems to register things in-line whit what I expect, I guess the true test would be get a shunt and measure the voltage drop across that, but I think I'll stick with the ease of the clamp-on.

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Old 10-12-2017, 11:35 AM   #24
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Originally Posted by B-O-B'03 View Post
My little, cheapie, clamp-on reads DC current... as to how accurately... I have no idea.

It seems to register things in-line whit what I expect, I guess the true test would be get a shunt and measure the voltage drop across that, but I think I'll stick with the ease of the clamp-on.

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X2

I have a very similar meter and it seems to work well.
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Old 10-12-2017, 12:47 PM   #25
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Thanks for all the input guys...I am going to check the current draw with a clamp on ammeter this weekend and see what is up
Check that "40 watt" solar charger while your at it. I suspect that rating is optimistic at best, maybe on a clear day on the equator
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Old 10-12-2017, 02:23 PM   #26
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Check that "40 watt" solar charger while your at it. I suspect that rating is optimistic at best, maybe on a clear day on the equator
I'd be interested in the output as well. My guess is a 40 watt "hencho en chine" type solar panel in the northern hemisphere would be doing well to have a steady output of 15 watts on most days. Maybe at noon in Arizona it'll reach 30+, but most other places???? Not so much. 15 watts @ 12VDC is just a tad over 1 amp. That's "most of the day" with "angulated solar exposure".
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Old 10-12-2017, 02:35 PM   #27
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See post 23 on another thread http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums...745#post259745
There is a door heater that run off 12v.
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Old 10-16-2017, 07:42 AM   #28
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Well I checked the current draw as soon as I arrived last Friday. It indicated between .4 and .5 Amps. To me this indicates 12Ah/day of draw. The 2 105Ah batteries should have plenty to last 4-5 days without a charge. It looks like the issue may be my built in battery indicator is inaccurate and I do not have a fully charged set when it says I do... I guess I will follow up some more...thx to everybody
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Old 10-16-2017, 07:50 PM   #29
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Originally Posted by MerlinB View Post
I'm skeptical. I've gotta see it.
I have a “southwire” clamp on meter that reads DC amps. Use it frequently, and the other tech and boss have the same meter.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-D...Meter/50125829
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Old 10-19-2017, 09:17 AM   #30
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Okay, okay! I get it. Let me give you some background info. Many, many, many years ago my first long term job after graduating high school was as an electronic technician at the Boeing Co. I learned all about volts, amps, ohms, farads, and other related stuff. I learned how to use multimeters, oscilloscopes, circuit tracers, differential voltmeters, and various other test equipment. After eight years I left that job and eventually wound up in the Army where I spent over 30 years involved in aviation and aircraft maintenance management and maintenance test pilot instructing. Over those years I have continued to dabble in electronics, avionics, and electrical stuff but I have to admit I have not kept up with all of the technological advancements over the last forty or so years. I have a clamp-on AC ammeter in my toolkit and use it frequently. What makes the thing work is the fact that AC current reverses its direction of flow 60 times every second (60 Hertz). (BTW, when I learned this stuff it was called "cycles." Hertz came along much later. That just shows you how long ago it was. ) Every time it changes direction it creates a magnetic field that expands and collapses around the conductor carrying the current. It is this expanding and collapsing magnetic field that is detected by the iron core of the clamp-on meter and it generates a micro-voltage that is directly proportional to the amount of current flowing in the conductor and can be read on a meter. DC current, on the other hand, flows in a steady state in only one direction and does not create that expanding and collapsing magnetic field except when you turn it on and turn it off. A clamp-on AC ammeter simply will not measure DC current and I was totally unaware that such a thing as a DC clamp-on ammeter even existed.
I checked that link that Javi posted and found only one feedback report and it was not very favorable. But my interest was piqued because I have been dealing with some 12 volt issues in my trailer where I could certainly use some accurate information about current flow. I check Amazon and found several listed there with various amounts of both positive and negative feedback. I was hesitant to order one because of the hassle of returning it if it did not meet my expectations. So, I went shopping at Lowe's (my go-to place for just about everything). I came away with a Southwire 21050T True RMS AC/DC Clamp Meter. I have had a chance to make a few measurements with it and it seems to be fairly accurate. I am pleasantly surprised. I have no idea how this thing works. It is smoke and mirrors to me. Apparently the test instrument geniuses have figured out some way to capture that steady state magnetic field and measure it.
So, bottom line is, I'm now a happy camper with a new toy. Thank you guys for enlightening me. It's amazing what you can learn on these forums.
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Old 10-19-2017, 09:24 AM   #31
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Yeah... I just grabbed the first one in a Google search.. I have a Fluke that does a pretty good job.. But 35-40 years ago I had a Snap-on battery draw meter that you held on the battery cable to measure draw when cranking or searching for a drain.. that worked pretty good too..
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Old 10-19-2017, 11:38 AM   #32
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MerlinB I had the same initial thought. I was an adjunct faculty at a college. Conducted several courses in electricity for several years, my trusty fluke clamp on ammeter was ac only. I used my trust old Automate with a shunt for dc. It was the size of a toaster and had a dwell meter. The dwell meter wasn't for testing pondering thoughts but for setting the gap on the ignition points. Now I'm showing my age!
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Old 10-22-2017, 07:43 PM   #33
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My 6V GC2 are 230 AH?

-Brian
so are all 4 of mine, whats you point?
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Old 10-22-2017, 07:44 PM   #34
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FIRST post said 2 new batteries at 105Ah each.
yup, but didn't say the voltage which makes a huge difference in total capacity
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Old 10-23-2017, 02:38 AM   #35
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I have worked in the automotive repair field for 20 years, if you have ever had your charging system, starter draw or battery load tested the tech used a Volt meter and a clamp on DC amp meter.
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Old 10-23-2017, 03:16 AM   #36
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yup, but didn't say the voltage which makes a huge difference in total capacity
You need to read the entire thread to get the complete history. In post #1 the OP indicates that they are "deep cycle batteries" and rated at 105 amp/hrs each. Then in post #16 he confirms that they are 12 volt batteries. Sometimes everything isn't included in the first post, members ask for clarification or added information and it's typically provided further "down the line", as is the situation here.
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Old 10-23-2017, 07:14 AM   #37
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so are all 4 of mine, whats you point?
My point was, CG2 batteries have way more capacity that 105AH

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Old 11-21-2017, 07:03 AM   #38
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I have a current problem with my batteries. Its been at storage for a couple weeks with the battery offline using the OEM disconnect switch. On Sunday I bought it home to get it ready for a camping trip Thanksgiving weekend. When I got home Monday night from work the batteries are dead, same thing last night I went to check them this morning and dead. I just can't understand how the batteries can sit just fine at the storage.
I had the coach running on generator last night just to charge batteries. Brought it up to 13.4 and then turned off batteries. Our coach is about a month old since we have taken ownership I see that we have Interstate batteries and the dealer had to wire up a second battery when we took delivery. Since these batteries have been completely dead for two days now after charging and discharging do I need new ones?
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Old 11-21-2017, 08:38 AM   #39
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IRV2, it would be my opinion that you would NOT need new batteries just because of what has happened so far. However, they certainly have earned the title of "to be watched very closely." I would be more concerned with why they have no charge after a very short period. I might be inclined to take them out and have one of the auto parts stores do a quick load test. As John says, YMMV.
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Old 11-21-2017, 08:39 AM   #40
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IRV2,

You MIGHT need new batteries, and you may not. It depends on whether they can be "saved and recharged" or whether the depth of discharge was so great that they were damaged beyond repair/recharging.

I'd first check to make sure that your OEM battery cutoff switch is ON. The converter will not charge your batteries if that switch is turned off. Next, check to be sure your converter output is correct. With the batteries removed from the circuit, you should have 13.6 VDC on the battery cables when connected to shore power. You may have blown a fuse on the converter that is preventing current to reach the batteries.

If the battery cutoff switch is ON, there is 13.6 VDC at the battery cables and the batteries won't hold a charge, then I'd remove them, take them to a battery dealer and have them load tested.

Depending on what you find, hopefully, one of the above "conditions" will fix your problem.

Let us know what you find and good luck.
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