All,
WestMarine is selling the Balmar SmartGauge on clearance for $180 through 1-15-2018. This is a Great price 45% off. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/balmar--smartgauge-battery-monitor--16030900 (https://www.westmarine.com/buy/balmar--smartgauge-battery-monitor--16030900)
Paul
I know Mainesail has raved about these, so I followed the link today (the 15th) and West Marine says they're no longer available. Out of curiosity I called WM customer service and they found one in stock in Anchorage and two more in Puerto Rico. I figured shipping plus the discount might still make it a good deal, so I called Anchorage and talked to a very helpful rep named Jerry. He scrounged around the store and found that the one they had had been purchased this morning and was boxed up for shipping. I guess someone else had the same idea.
I'm done, but the two in Puerto Rico may still be available if anyone's interested.
So it begs the question why WM is clearance-ing these?
I wonder if a new version is on the horizon?
ken
Quote from: KWKloeber on January 19, 2018, 03:22:37 PM
So it begs the question why WM is clearance-ing these?
I wonder if a new version is on the horizon?
Given the simplicity of the SG and its proprietary algorithms, I doubt there's anything new to be seen.
WM? Too busy selling ugly shirts.
Maybe MaineSail has some insight?
Quote from: Mick Laver on January 15, 2018, 01:48:17 PM
I know Mainesail has raved about these, so I followed the link today (the 15th) and West Marine says they're no longer available.
Mick
If you are interested email me - I have one for $225, otherwise, I'll eBay it.
Cheers
Ken
Question on a set up with 2 switched batteries used for both starting and house.
Can the smart gauge work with such a system? I would think that the two would have to be kept separated and if combined it would throw the SG out of kilter? And presumably would need to start "learning" all over again?
Ken
Quote from: KWKloeber on February 18, 2018, 10:35:58 PM
Question on a set up with 2 switched batteries used for both starting and house.
Can the smart gauge work with such a system? >>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The Smart Gauge website from Balmar says this:
--- Displays battery voltage to within 0.05V (12 or 24V DC systems)
for two battery banks.
--- Displays the capacity remaining in the primary battery
as a percentage figure. It doesn't mix the two.
There's also this from the Electrical Systems 101 topic:
New SMART GAUGE Battery Monitor http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/smart_gauge
To circle around and answer my own question using a "both" switch position (I recall someone else also had this question) does not (reportedly) cornfuze the SG and need it to start learning all over again. Found this elsewhere:
West Coast 10-10-14, 14:47
Very helpful email correspondence with Merlin over past 2 days - summary as follows:
Q: I appreciate connections must be made direct to battery terminals etc, but my question is: "will Smartgauge work in a 1/2/both battery switch arrangement"?
A: In short the answer is yes the unit will operate fine. What you will find is that when you select the "both" option on the switch the voltages in the batteries will balance due to the paralleling effect so the smartgauge will show both banks as having the same voltage. When the batteries are disconnected again the voltages will change and smartgauge will pick up in this.
Q: When the switch is set to Both, does the smart gauge effectively tell you the state of charge of the two combined batteries, or it it still intelligent enough to be only giving the state of charge of the single battery it would otherwise be sensing?
A: It would still be reading the two batteries as independent banks however you will get the same reading because as you parallel the banks together there voltage will balance.
Q: In other words, assuming that Smartgauge is wired so that it is sensing the charged state of Batt 2, simple voltage display only for Batt 1 (all direct to battery terminals) -and if the Batt switch is set to Both, Smartgauge % charge display will still be valid only for Batt 2?
A: That is correct the smartgauge % readout will not be effected by the paralleling of the batteries.
Well done Merlin, speedy straightforward answers! Thanks everyone for your comments also
-k
(Merlin was the prior owner of the SG before Balmer)
Quote from: KWKloeber on February 18, 2018, 10:35:58 PM
Question on a set up with 2 switched batteries used for both starting and house.
Can the smart gauge work with such a system? I would think that the two would have to be kept separated and if combined it would throw the SG out of kilter? And presumably would need to start "learning" all over again?
Ken
This was a simple question to answer but I missed it.. If the Smartgauge could not work in a parallel combined situation eg; BOTH during charging or an ACR/VSR, then I would have not recommended it. Smargauge themselves offer a VSR/Combiner option, which Balmar does not import. As always the Smartgauge will be most accurate during periods of discharging. The longer it is connected to the bank the more accurate and faster it will hone in on SOC during periods of discharge..