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Juergen · 07-04-2010, 09:46 AM

The way Henry put the ammeter into the wiring circuits, it did not measure the output of the generator but the current to/from the battery for everything but the starter. In this way the ammeter shows whether the battery is being charged or discharged and how much.

In this fashion if the generator/alternator is putting out 60 amps to the rest of the appliances, the ammeter will not measure this. It would only measure this if the gen/alt failed and you tried to power the appliances off the battery. In which case you have a problem and it is obvious very quickly, whereas a voltmeter will only show a slow decline as the battery is drained. Time to power down all non essential appliances.

07-04-2010, 09:46 AM	#14
Juergen Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 500	Re: Ammeter vs Voltmeter The way Henry put the ammeter into the wiring circuits, it did not measure the output of the generator but the current to/from the battery for everything but the starter. In this way the ammeter shows whether the battery is being charged or discharged and how much. In this fashion if the generator/alternator is putting out 60 amps to the rest of the appliances, the ammeter will not measure this. It would only measure this if the gen/alt failed and you tried to power the appliances off the battery. In which case you have a problem and it is obvious very quickly, whereas a voltmeter will only show a slow decline as the battery is drained. Time to power down all non essential appliances.