Amazon Upgrades

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Amazon Upgrades

Mark Williamson
Administrator
It's kind of amazing how cheap things are these days (although quality is often questionable).  In the last few months I put in a GPS driven "speedometer", solar panel and voltmeter for about $60 total.

The speedometer reads in mph and has a variety of settings, including an overspeed alarm (don't think I'll be needing that!).  It's got a very large readout and is reasonably bright in the sun.  In a car test it seemed to read accurately at Kelt speeds.  Locks on to all needed satellites in a few minutes.  Kinbelle Universal Digital Car GPS Speedometer Speed Display.  $25.  

The solar panel is far better quality than the older unit I had.  OYMSAE 10W Solar Car Battery Charger Portable 12V Trickle Battery Charger.  $32.  Haven't quite figured out where to mount it.  For now it's on my binnacle.  Above it in the photo is a solar security light from Harbor Freight.  Also pretty cheap and surprisingly functional.

The digital voltmeter replaced the old analog gauge.  A pack of two was about $14.  2 Pieces DC 12-24 V Car Voltage Gauge LED Display Waterproof Voltmeter Digital Round Shiny Panel Voltmeter .





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Re: Amazon Upgrades

shday
Two years ago I replaced my analog voltmeter with a "multimeter". You can get them for $20 US (shunt included). I find it very useful for checking current draw and it hardly uses any power on its own ( <5 mA). One thing it doesn't do is measure current in both directions (if you generate more than you draw, it reads 0 Amps). Now it looks like you can get them with battery monitor features for just a few dollars more.

multimeter
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Re: Amazon Upgrades

Mark Williamson
Administrator
Great idea.  Would be really nice to see current.  I just bought a pretty nice volt-ohm meter to keep on the boat.  Only $17.  Actually includes a thermocouple for measuring temperature.