Ron Bury's Wildlife: battery test meter

Showing posts with label battery test meter. Show all posts

Saturday, 13 July 2013

DIY Voltmeter for checking SLA Batteries on location

Fig 1: SLA Battery, Power Lead and Voltmeter.

If you are using a Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery as a power source for your trail camera this DIY Meter is an easy way to check the battery voltage on site.

SLA batteries are best float charged while they are working as in a vehicle system where the alternator is continuously charging the vehicle battery when the engine is running. If the battery is used for long periods without charging it is important that it does not drop much below about 50% (6.03 volts) (see the chart below) of its charge state otherwise the battery may be permanently damaged.

This voltmeter provides an easy means for measuring the voltage when visiting cameras in the field.

Figure 4 shows the back of the meter inside the box and to the left is the power socket. The meter is powered by the battery under test so there are just the

This web site is about the wildlife, particularly the mammals, of the Glen Affric National Nature Reserve area in the north west Highlands of Scotland, UK; and the equipment I use to search for them, which is chiefly trail cameras.

I provide a technical support and parts service for the Ltl Acorn range of cameras and the income from this provides for the upkeep of this site and the purchase of cameras for my own surveying.

I hope you find the site useful and informative; and please contact me if you have any questions that I haven't already covered.