I don't understand my batteries.

[Cadence]

Are you actually putting the meter across the batteries? The 14 and 16 sound like you are reading something else, like before a regulator maybe a solar panel? Any cheap VOM is OK.

[waterman46]

As was suggested, try a new battery in the digital VOM. Then measure a very fresh new 1.5V battery on your meter and it should read close to 1.55V. If not, your meter is just poorly calibrated. I have a cheap digital meter that always reads 10% low by that test and also by reading the voltage at the battery and comparing to the Link 2000 digimeter with no load and no charging.

Opened up the cheap VOM but couldn't find any adjustment to change the readings, so I just wrote in big letters on that cheap meter, "add 10%".

[AFKASAP]

Sorry for the delayed reply.

Attached is a photo of my multimeter.

I connected the multimeter prongs to the battery terminals/posts.

My batteries are only 1 year old. I do not believe there is anything wrong with them. I think my battery gauge in my main beneteau control panel is not accurate hence my investigation.

There was no load on the batteries when I tested them. All breakers were off. I was not connected to any charging source. No shore power and engine was off. They had been resting for just over an hour.

Perhaps I have the volt meter on the wrong setting?

[AFKASAP]

And here is a photo of the service batteries.

[pparra]

Besides the mentioned age of the batteries from others, it could also be a calibration issue. If you are seeing differences when comparing the multimeter reading with a analog voltage meter, it usually has a small screw in front in order to correct the offset to match your adopted standard, in this case your multimeter.

[mike66]

You are a little confusing. Which batteries are a year old, the hand held meter, or the big ones? Your handheld meter is shot, get new batteries for it and try again. Your boat batteries can't really start at 14v and go up.
Another point. If you are not hooked up to shore power, on running a Generator for hours, or have solar, you can't get your boat batteries up to 12.7 volts full charge. So something less would be normal.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[AFKASAP]

Originally Posted by pparra

Besides the mentioned age of the batteries from others, it could also be a calibration issue. If you are seeing differences when comparing the multimeter reading with a analog voltage meter, it usually has a small screw in front in order to correct the offset to match your adopted standard, in this case your multimeter.

Thanks I will see if there is a way to adjust the offset once I understand what's going on.

[AFKASAP]

Originally Posted by mike66

You are a little confusing. Which batteries are a year old, the hand held meter, or the big ones? Your handheld meter is shot, get new batteries for it and try again. Your boat batteries can't really start at 14v and go up.
Another point. If you are not hooked up to shore power, on running a Generator for hours, or have solar, you can't get your boat batteries up to 12.7 volts full charge. So something less would be normal.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Sorry for the confusion. My Varta boat service batteries are a year old. The multimeter batteries are a few months old but will try new ones.

FYI this is all new to me.

[AFKASAP]

Have I got the meter on the correct setting as shown in the photo?

[nigel1]

Looks like the meter is set to 20V DC which is correct.
As others have said, try putting a new battery in the meter and go from there.

This is the battery needed for the meter
https://www.batterystation.co.uk/spe...FWcq0wodhCILHg

[cwyckham]

Are you sure you had the meter on the positive and negative posts of the batteries.

It's a long shot, but I've been confused before when the multimeter switched itself to mV because I was measuring a very small voltage. The mV is likely quite small.

Could you have been measuring positive to positive or negative to negative?

Chris - SailMentor.com

[AFKASAP]

Originally Posted by cwyckham

Are you sure you had the meter on the positive and negative posts of the batteries.

It's a long shot, but I've been confused before when the multimeter switched itself to mV because I was measuring a very small voltage. The mV is likely quite small.

Could you have been measuring positive to positive or negative to negative?

Chris - SailMentor.com

Hi, I double checked that but thanks for the advice.

Beneteau Oceanis 40 - 2008
Netherlands

[AFKASAP]

Originally Posted by nigel1

Looks like the meter is set to 20V DC which is correct.
As others have said, try putting a new battery in the meter and go from there.

This is the battery needed for the meter
https://www.batterystation.co.uk/spe...FWcq0wodhCILHg

Thanks for the comment and the link. Unfortunately I am in a place where I will find a bigger selection of Vodka than batteries.

Beneteau Oceanis 40 - 2008
Netherlands

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by AFKASAP

Thanks for the comment and the link. Unfortunately I am in a place where I will find a bigger selection of Vodka than batteries.

Beneteau Oceanis 40 - 2008
Netherlands

A quick and easy test for the meter. Get a regular flashlight battery any size AA, C, or D will work. Test voltage with your meter and see if you get about 1.5V stable reading. For a higher voltage test get one of the rectangular 9V batteries and see if you get a stable 9V from that.

I would also connect your volt meter to the leads on the back of your panel that connect to the battery monitor meter and compare the two readings.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by AFKASAP

Hi there,

The past few weeks I have been mostly at anchor so I have taken a greater interest in my batteries. I have two 12v 140 amp Varta deep cycle house batteries.

The meter on my control panel is showing 12.0v. But that is while they are in active use but nothing drawing on them. When the fridge kicks in it goes to 11.9.

But what I am really confused about is if I take my battery meter it shows a reading of 14 and slowly increases to 16.

I really don't understand all this.

I do understand that if they are resting and showing less than 12.2 I risk damaging them.

I hope during all this time messing around you have charged your batteries all the way up. I for one based on your posts am more inclined to believe your panel volt meter is reading correctly and that your batteries are less than 50% charged.