recommended voltage

[ljmauricio]

What voltage should I be reading on the meter with the engines running above idle?

[Keith Poe]

I believe it depends on what your alternator voltage is and it's efficiency pulleys equated to your RPM.

[CaptPatrick]

Normal voltage on the gauge will be no less than 12v or higher than 14v... With good batteries and charging systems, 13.5v is about the norm.

[ljmauricio]

I'm reading 13.2 on stbd and 13.6 on port with engines running, so I guess I'm OK. The Guest SVS battery monitor literature says 14.4 is recommended voltage with engines running, which is why I asked the question. Thanks for the responses.

[Bruce]

Really depends on the style of battery. Wet cell, agm, pure lead all have different charge rates and voltages for optimum performance.
Single wire delco or multi wire ignition fed field altenators all work differently and rpm can effect voltage out.

The biggest issue is where the voltage is being measured at.

[Craig G]

The gurus at Lauderdale battery where I bought my Gel Tech gell cell batteries say that 14.1 volts maximum will greatly increase their life. These are supposedly the same batteries that used to be known as Prevailer gell cells. When I bought my Bertram, it had Prevailer gell cells that lasted me 6 years plus however many years before I owned it. My previous boat came with the same batteries, and I owned that boat for 9 years and sold it with those same batteries never having a problem with them.

[ljmauricio]

Thanks for the reply. I recently replaced both batteries with gel cells, One battery being replaced had been in boat since 2003. Had both alternators rebuilt, and am now gettin 13.8 with engines running. Same voltage when on the Guest charger.