Proper Voltage

[Circle Hooked]

What Voltage should I be getting out of a battery without the engine running ?

I was having an issue with my new chart plotter not wanting to fully power up so I took it back to WM and of course it worked there, the manager said it must not be getting enough volts, told me i should always get around 13.5, seems alittle high without running.

Checked my batteries and I'm getting 12.3 off each at the at the batteries and at helm.

[Capt. Bob]

And what was different with the hook up at WM compared to the boat?

I would think that 12.5 should power it up. 12v fires my Garmin 440 when adding points at home.

[Circle Hooked]

Nothing they just had 13,5 volts, not sure it means anything but my meter says 12.3 and the plotter says it's getting 12.5.

This afternoon I tried to power up the plotter and it did it again, then I switched to both batteries and it started up, it acts like it needs extra volts to do the initial power up then it's fine, once it's on it's on

I guess I should also ad it's a Garmin 541.

[seabob4]

Scott,
Almost all will work fine down to 11.8 or so on initial boot.  I usually set the low voltage alarm at 11.5, not so much for the GPS/plotter, but for the motors. Ain't no way in hell it needs 13.5 to boot...

[Circle Hooked]

Ain't no way in hell it needs 13.5 to boot...

That's what I think too, every thing else powers up fine, I argued with the guy for awhile then said I would check my wiring (which I did today) and if all was good and it still did it I would be back but I'm not sure what to do, after i checked everything it's fine, guess I'll see if it does it again and go from there.

[seabob4]

Ain't no way in hell it needs 13.5 to boot...

That's what I think too, every thing else powers up fine, I argued with the guy for awhile then said I would check my wiring (which I did today) and if all was good and it still did it I would be back but I'm not sure what to do, after i checked everything it's fine, guess I'll see if it does it again and go from there.

Scott, take it back and tell them you want a new one or a refund for the old.  Plain and simple...

I had a similar deal with the lifetime alternator on my Maxima.  First 2, after about 6 months, the voltmeter would go to the discharge side when the alternator warmed up, probably about 15 minutes.  Bring it in, they test (of course it's cold), works fine, I say I don't care, want a new one.  Lifetime, understand?  The second time, I tell them you can test it 'til hell freezes over, it will be fine in the shop, I don't care.  Guess third one's the charm...

Just take it back and get a new one. And you might want to bring the power cord in as well.  Could be an issue there.  Just start from scratch, as much as a PITA that might be...

[Circle Hooked]

That might just be the next step, i think they where giving me more crap the usual because i did a price match, 100 bucks cheaper then their price.

[John Jones]

Fully charge a battery. Let it sit for an hour with no load.  Then it should read 12.6.  I don't think you will ever see more than that out of a battery.  Anything over that comes from the alternator.  Be aware that many voltmeters only have a 10% accuracy rating.  Some chartplotters/fishfinders are worse than that.

Where are you checking the voltage?  

A high resistance connection somewhere can read full voltage until you put a load on the wire, then it can drop way down.

The only electronics that ever gave me a problem was a Furuno 582L.  Drop under 12v and it would beep and shut down.

[John Jones]

Jury rig a good load wherever you are connecting it.  A spotlight is a handy load.  It should drop a few tenths of a volt at the connection, no more.

[Capt Matt]

The voltage read out on my garmin is always off some on the low side (.1v-.3v) compared to my smartcraft gauge voltage. Its never higher than 12.6V when the engine is not running though even when my batteries were brand new.
Capt Matt

[Circle Hooked]

Well I was able to turn the unit on a few times today with no problems then i just went out and tried it again and it wouldn't boot up, turned it off and back on and it booted up, it's going back in the morning  :x

Thanks for the help guy's  

[seabob4]

The Pursuit I'm working on now has an '05 2010C GPSMAP coupled with a GPS17 antenna.  Tore all the wiring apart when I re-did the helm, got all the wiring back together...15 minutes, hear a beep, lost signal.  Check my wiring.  Good to go.  Re-boot, same thing, more or less.  Re-boot again, left on all night.  Never lost a signal...

WTF!!!

Good move, Scott!  Take the beeytch back and get a new one, or your money back...betcha they give you a new one...

[Circle Hooked]

Just got done disconnecting all of it and boxing it back up, now I can't wait till morning.

[seabob4]

Just got done disconnecting all of it and boxing it back up, now I can't wait till morning.

And then you get to experience the thrill of installing the unit...again!

Ask the boy at worst if he's ever heard of the term "D.O.B."..."Dead out of the Box".  Very common in this day and age of chinese junk!  I've swapped out brand new Garmins, Si-Tex's, Airmar ducers, Standard-Horizons...brand effin new!  And trust me, I don't do it for free!

See this S-H Chartplotter?



Brand new, right out of the box, bought from BOE Marine.  Couldn't read the top lines of data as the screen was incorrectly installed at the factory.

Chinese effin junk!!!

[Circle Hooked]

Hey atleast the new livewell pump I bought was made in Mexico