Re: Volt meter question #2
Your boat has a 12 "VOLT" electrical system that gets its energy from a 12 "VOLT" battery. The amount of energy being USED by the electrical system is measured in AMPERES. If you measure VOLTS anywhere in the system you would read anywhere from 12.6 to about 14.6 with the engine running depending on how many accessories you have running at the time and the state of charge in the battery and assuming the charging system is working properly. A VOLTMETER therefore, is wired ACROSS the POSITIVE and NEGATIVE feeds of the system. A simple AMMETER is wired in SERIES with the POSITIVE lead of the battery and therefore measures the total amount of CURRENT (AMPS) passing down that wire. Properly placed, an ammeter will measure the amount of current going INTO the battery as indicated by a PLUS charge rate (needle moving to the right of zero on the ammeter) or it will indicate the amount of DISCHARGE current (current being sucked from the battery in excess of that provided by the generator/alternator) as indicated by the needle moving to the LEFT of zero. Therefore, if you have an ammeter, the gauge will have numbers such as -60 -- 0 -- +60 or -30 -- 0 -- +30. If you have a voltmeter it will have numbers such as 0 - 18 or 8 - 18 etc. Boat manufacturers quit using ammeters years ago because people didn't understand them just like they don't understand half the other gauges on their instrument panels except perhaps a gas gauge. That's why car makers began using idiot lights (pardon the expression). Voltmeters are more informative and wiring is much simpler. My suggestion, ditch the ammeter as your boat is not wired for it. Buy a voltmeter and then learn what it means.
