Help! Need battery monitor info!

[Ed]

I have a 426 DS and it has 2 4d's, a start battery and a thruster battery. The panel that reads what is going on is the standard (I guess) xantrex, it has three lights for battery charge/condition low, mid, and high a scale for voltage and for dc amps. I would like somehting more sophisticated to tell me the actual level of the batteries as we are away from the dock fora week or more at a time. I understand this might be done with a link 2000? But I don't know what I need or what this device will tell me. I want it to tell me how much juice I have used and how much is left - I think that is what it does. Would it mount in the same place as the original monitor that is on the boat? Is it an additional monitor? I belive my system has three outputs one to the house bank, one to the start, and an echo charge to the thruster. I also have an upgraded alternator - does this have any inpact on the choice? I really want somehting that works well, and am not shopping price here - so any suggestins and links to info GREATLY appreciated. Thanks in advance ED

 

[Buck Harrison]

Ed,

I had a (Xantrex) Link 2000R installed on my h420 as part of the commissioning. It provides exactly the battery information that you want, as well as controlling the invertor, alternator, and battery charger. For much more information go to the archives... there have been quite a few posts about Link battery monitors/controllers over the past 2-3 years. Also, go to Xantrex's web site.Xantrex is located in Washington state, but recently "Tekris Power" in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey has been certified to service the units on the East Coast.

 

[Bob Pugh]

Link Battery Monitor

You will love either the Link 10 or Link 2000 battery monitor. I would suggest that you place where it is clearly visible, e.g., on the electrical panel wall. It doesn't take up much space. When you install it, it is a great time to have all the connections from the battery, charger/inverter, etc. examined. I had two incorrectly wired items which were easily corrected because the installer really knew what he was doing.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Blue Sea?

I also installed a Link 2000, not a simple project. It was worth it for me because I also have a Heart inverter/charger. And it fit exactly in the place where the original Heart panel was located. If you do not have a Heart inverter then the Link 10 might be OK. Otherwise I would do a Yahoo search with "marine voltmeter". One obvious company is Blue Sea, see Related Link.