Digital Volt Meter

[BirdMan]

Yesterday I installed a momentary push-button digital battery gauge.  I looked for weeks to see if there was something out there that would easily install and decided to do it right by doing it myself.  This was very simple!  I added two small attachments (pictures) of the finished work installed above the AC/DC converter box of my Coleman/Fleetwood Fairview Pop-up trailer.

Parts used:
Momentary Switch- Manufacturer- Cole Hersee Company, part# M-490.  Can't buy direct unless you buy lots or want to be a distributor.  I bought this from a distributor called Light House at 800-431-6007 for $9.40 plus shipping.  Specifications:
Push Button, Normally Off
On with button depressed
Spring return to Off
Extra Heavy Duty (not really needed for inside, but will likely never fail)
35A at 12V, 20A at 24V, 10A at 36V DC.  

Digital Display:
Bought from i4c Products out of Tulsa, OK.  918-492-9435.  I bought a CV100P.  $39.95 plus shipping
Specifications:
Reads +4.00 - +18.00 Vdc (0.01V) Resolution.  
0 Degrees to +60 Degrees Celsius.  
Less than 3mA Current Consumption.  
0.5 ounces (14 grams)

I wired mine into the thermostat wires (hot & ground) by cutting the wires between the thermostat and the connector.  Two holes had to be cut in the sideboard, one 5/8" hole for the switch, and the hole for the display was done using the supplied template.  I used some solid copper 22ga wire to wire everything up.  You want to wire the switch in series with the hot wire then to the display.

There are hundreds of options for doing this.  Factors that made me go this way:
1) Needed to be a momentary switch since I did not want to have any un-needed current draw because I plan to do mostly back-country camping.
2) Display needed to be digital and able to read 100th of a volt (two digits to the right of the decimal point).

i4C Products also makes a display that is backlit.  Two reasons I went away from this is one I did not want any more current draw then necessary and two some backlit displays will give you a false battery voltage reading because they have to draw some voltage to light up.

[Tim5055]

Very nice mod, thanks!

[brainpause]

Yes, pretty neat!

Larry