I am still a bit confused on the type of battery to select for the setup of the smart gauge. I have a house bank of AGM Lifelines and I called Lifeline with my concern of the type of AGMs. He recommended to go with Type 1. Is this just me or can the instructions below be a bit confusing?
Number Battery type
1 Deep cycle, wet cell, antimony lead acid
2 Gel Cell lead acid (a type of VRLA – Valve Regulated Lead Acid)
3 AGM – Absorbed Glass Matt (another type of VRLA)
4 Hybrid – calcium/antimony (usually marked as Dual Purpose) lead acid
5 Carbon Fiber lead acid
6 Maintenance free (wet cells but no way to top up the electrolyte) lead acid
NOTE: There are two distinct types of AGM battery. The first are similar to standard lead/acid with the addition of a glass matt separator. The second have this glass matt separator but also additional chemicals added. The first type have similar charging voltages to Deep Cycle Lead/Acid (14.6V/29.2V max) – in this instance Smart- gauge should be set to Battery Type 1. The second type have lower charging voltages (similar to Gel) at around (14.0-14.2V/28.0-28.4V) max – in this instance Smartgauge should be set to Battery Type 3.
Below is a section taken out of installation manual. I am glad that I did not make a rough cut hole as there is no way to secure the gauge without drilling and fastening with screws in the front of the face plate as was suggested by the guy at Balmar. How tacky would that be? Care was taken with the cutout where the gauge was snug when pushed in. Another note is don't assume that the faceplate lip is a constant dimension around the body of the gauge. Each edge has a different width. Just something to note if you want the face of the gauge to line up or be centered with something else.
The Smartgauge display panel is typically mounted at the dash or navigation area, or in other locations where it can be easily accessed for viewing. The rectangular display panel requires a rough opening measuring 3.75" wide by 2.55" tall.
I have not had the chance to go through several discharge cycles so that I can compare it to my Victron for SOC but comparing the voltage readings on both gauges they are spot on. The Smart Gauge should be a great addition to the Victron. I would have never bought the Smart Gauge without reading the writeup Main Sail posted. That led me into further education about the faults that the Victron can have. I have to thank Main Sail for service he provides to these sites and one could not expect better service if you order products from him.
Number Battery type
1 Deep cycle, wet cell, antimony lead acid
2 Gel Cell lead acid (a type of VRLA – Valve Regulated Lead Acid)
3 AGM – Absorbed Glass Matt (another type of VRLA)
4 Hybrid – calcium/antimony (usually marked as Dual Purpose) lead acid
5 Carbon Fiber lead acid
6 Maintenance free (wet cells but no way to top up the electrolyte) lead acid
NOTE: There are two distinct types of AGM battery. The first are similar to standard lead/acid with the addition of a glass matt separator. The second have this glass matt separator but also additional chemicals added. The first type have similar charging voltages to Deep Cycle Lead/Acid (14.6V/29.2V max) – in this instance Smart- gauge should be set to Battery Type 1. The second type have lower charging voltages (similar to Gel) at around (14.0-14.2V/28.0-28.4V) max – in this instance Smartgauge should be set to Battery Type 3.
Below is a section taken out of installation manual. I am glad that I did not make a rough cut hole as there is no way to secure the gauge without drilling and fastening with screws in the front of the face plate as was suggested by the guy at Balmar. How tacky would that be? Care was taken with the cutout where the gauge was snug when pushed in. Another note is don't assume that the faceplate lip is a constant dimension around the body of the gauge. Each edge has a different width. Just something to note if you want the face of the gauge to line up or be centered with something else.
The Smartgauge display panel is typically mounted at the dash or navigation area, or in other locations where it can be easily accessed for viewing. The rectangular display panel requires a rough opening measuring 3.75" wide by 2.55" tall.
I have not had the chance to go through several discharge cycles so that I can compare it to my Victron for SOC but comparing the voltage readings on both gauges they are spot on. The Smart Gauge should be a great addition to the Victron. I would have never bought the Smart Gauge without reading the writeup Main Sail posted. That led me into further education about the faults that the Victron can have. I have to thank Main Sail for service he provides to these sites and one could not expect better service if you order products from him.
