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Re: gauges - comments from experts

To: healeylist <healeys@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: gauges - comments from experts
From: John Miller <healeys@n4vu.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2004 15:47:52 -0400
On Thursday, April 15, 2004 3:18 pm, David Nock wrote:
> The main advantage that i like about having a amp meter over a volt meter
> is that if there is a problem you will know imediatly. Because once the
> generator stops charging or is not covering the load the amp meter will
> read on the discharge side. A volt meter will not read a problem until the
> amount of electricity in the battery gets low and you notice a problem.
> This could be to late.

In my experience, as soon as the alternator or generator stops charging, the 
voltmeter will drop from ~14V to ~12V (in a running system, which will 
quickly bleed off the "surface" charge in excess of 12V).  Partial failure 
will result in intermediate voltages, but as long as the system voltage is 
more than 12V, you're not in dire trouble.  
-- 
John Miller

It's hard to get ivory in Africa, but in Alabama the Tuscaloosa.
                -Groucho Marx





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