Originally Posted by jcruse64
Originally Posted by JonC
A voltage gauge will not verify charging.


If Jim, or I, were to run a USB plug w/ voltage readout wired off the alternator, with it's own fuse and a ground, it WOULD read the alternator's volts though, correct?

And when I mentioned I was going to do this USB/volt readout plug at the old cigarette lighter, I should have been clear and mentioned that I was NOT planning on wiring it up with the wiring from the cigarette lighter; sorry about that. I will safely cap that cigarette lighter power lead off.


Nothing wrong with running it off the cig lighter circuit, unless it is not switched. We run a similar unit in our late model vehicles, but it just plugs into the cig lighter. As long as you read something above battery voltage you are charging (as long as there isn't something else wrong in the wiring). That's why my charge circuit is fused to the battery and the battery fused into the passenger compartment. I'll draw out my charge circuit one of these days.