Battery charge and Zamp

TTTab

I feel as though I have been a real pain but I want to head out in the next couple of days and still do not understand how to tell my battery charge and if the Zamp is working. I need to order whatever device I need to tell if the the battery is fully charged or not and how to read what level it is at.  I have spent lots of time trying to figure it out and am still confused.  Since I cannot plug in at home it makes it difficult.  Any help would be appreciated. 

Bert

Here's an option: https://www.amazon.com/Car-Charger-Smartphone-Temperature-Fahrenheit/dp/B00SWGWILI

Mine cost more and didn't include the USB charging ports. To check your battery power (roughly), you must not be connected to shore power and must not be running anything you can easily turn off.

Bert

Here's the link to the cigarette lighter voltmeter that I use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EVWDU0/

TTTab

I cannot be connected to shore power I live in an apartment and it is in my parking lot. I do have a voltmeter that plugs into my 12v outlet in the T@B.  It just has 3  Do you know what should I be looking for on the Zamp to tell if my battery is charged? 

Verna

Your Zamp solar panel should have a controller attached to the rear of the panel. If you have it plugged into the Zamp port on your T@B, there should be numbers displayed that is the voltage of your battery. If no numbers are displayed, trace the wiring to see if there is an in-line fuse that may be blown. 

Verna

Your Zamp panel also has an in-line fuse on the cord. Check it to make sure it hasn't blown. 

Michigan_Mike

TTTab said:

I cannot be connected to shore power I live in an apartment and it is in my parking lot. I do have a voltmeter that plugs into my 12v outlet in the T@B.  It just has 3  Do you know what should I be looking for on the Zamp to tell if my battery is charged? 

If you have the cigarette style LED volt meter you can look at it and tell whether the panel is charging the battery.  Take a voltage reading on the voltmeter when plugged into the trailer.  Hook up the Zamp 80 W panel and take another reading in full sunlight conditions, and if the panel is charging and working properly you will see the digital reading increase as the panel gathers sunlight and converts it to power.

When you unplug the panel after charging you will also see the voltage reading start to slowly lower as the energy starts to stabilize across the battery storage plates.  This is normal and over about an hour or so the voltage should stabilize and sit at a fixed level until you use something inside the trailer like the fan, TV, lights, etc.  

By using the LED meter you can also keep an eye on things and monitor consumption from the battery and it will also indicate whether your tow vehicle is charging the battery when the trailer is hooked up and the vehicle's engine is running.  The more you use the LED meter the more aware you'll become of energy consumption and how things impact power usage.

The same thing applies for energy consumption, the battery may show a lower voltage reading while using appliances and items inside the trailer but the voltage will eventually stabilize and a better/more accurate reading can be obtained when lights/TV/fan, etc. are turned off inside the trailer and the battery is allowed to recover or rest some.  Don't let the voltage drop below 12 V DC as permanent damage can occur over time and with repeated readings & instances below 12 V. 

And as Verna noted above, the Zamp panel does have its own LED voltage readout and will give you a real time readout on the current charge rate in amps from sunlight, amp hours of sunlight gained, voltage reading, etc.  When the battery is fully charged it will read "FULL."   You need to read the Zamp operator manual provided with the panel to gain a better understanding of its potential and the proper action operation of it too.  There are also helpful videos available on YouTube too.  Good luck to you and have fun!  

rkj__

Michigan_Mike said:

TTTab said:

I cannot be connected to shore power I live in an apartment and it is in my parking lot. I do have a voltmeter that plugs into my 12v outlet in the T@B.  It just has 3  Do you know what should I be looking for on the Zamp to tell if my battery is charged? 

If you have the cigarette style LED volt meter you can look at it and tell whether the panel is charging the battery.  Take a voltage reading on the voltmeter when plugged into the trailer.  Hook up the Zamp 80 W panel and take another reading in full sunlight conditions, and if the panel is charging and working properly you will see the digital reading increase as the panel gathers sunlight and converts it to power.

When you unplug the panel after charging you will also see the voltage reading start to slowly lower as the energy starts to stabilize across the battery storage plates.  This is normal and over about an hour or so the voltage should stabilize and sit at a fixed level until you use something inside the trailer like the fan, TV, lights, etc. 

Yup.  That's how I checked to see if my panel worked.