State of Charge Meter...Which One?

[stevegoff]

I just bought a 2000 e-z-go last week. it is 36 volts. I'd like to add a state of charge meter. i read through over 30 pages of previous threads. It looks as though most people recommend digital over analog. Are there certain ones which are better. Are there ones to avoid. Where is the best place to buy one. I don't know if i want numerical led or scale led. If anybody has actual model information it would be appreciated. I know some are weather resistant, etc.

[scottyb]

I prefer a digital waterproof meter. Imagine if somebody wanted to refill their gas tank at exactly half full. It would be very hard to do with a needle type gas gauge. The bar meters are as accurate as a gas gauge in my opinion.

[stevegoff]

scottyb...thanks for the fast reply. are there any particular brands that you'd recommend. any companies to deal with. are you a vendor on here.

[scottyb]

Yes, yes, & yes. I carry a waterproof LED in dash type meter with a simple 2 wire connection to the pack that is very accurate and daylight readable. You can see it on my site.

[JMGreco]

Steve, welcome to BGW forum. Scotty B has his own website you can find under the Site Sponsors section of this forum. He offers the digital meter you are looking for. As you get more addicted to carts and visit BGW more often you will see that Scotty has a great reputation and his customer service is top notch. I can attest to this personally. I am not slighting the other sponsors on this site, just speaking from experiance.

[Superman51]

Steve,

Welcome to BGW and get ready for the obsession. The digital numerical meters are the best because you can actually see what your voltage is. This will give you the most accurate reading and will help you in several different ways. You can see what you pack voltage is and estimate how fast it is dropping as you ride. If you have been driving away from camp for 1 hour and it has dropped significantly, you might want to start making your way back. Also, it will show you if your voltage is dropping significantly under load and if you need to start looking for new batteries. Familiarize yourself with what voltage your cart should have at 100% charge and what % of your pack is left with what voltage. I attached a chart.

As far as brands…..If I remember correctly, Scottyb sells a pretty good one and he will probably be along shortly. Good luck.

[Superman51]

HA……We were all posting at the same time!!!!

[stevegoff]

i can see how addicting carts are. my brother-in-law bought a 1985 e-z-go gas 2-3 months ago and has been storing it in my garage. he had a road kit put on it but no windhshield or back seat. i've been tinkering with it for the past week. now that i have mine, it's time to start modding it. i definitely need some sort of battery gauge though.

[Superman51]

Cool, what are you going to use it for???

[stevegoff]

mostly camping at a state park. we live on a golf course in a subdivision so i'll screw around in the neighborhood. my wife and sister are garage salers and go to the big community ones.