I would like to give an update. I got a call today from SCAD, whom I had emailed over the weekend as well. Michael remembered me from the special order
sensor I bought with longer wires to get the connection out of the
bilge.
We had a good long talk, and I must say the support from this company is great, and do recommend them- it is a great product, and not overpriced like so many other offerings.
We went over how to
power the
sensor without it needing to be connected to the panel meter, and what the voltage readings should be. With some testing, I determined that water in the
bilge affects the sensor. With 6" of water in the bilge, the sensor will read nearly empty, even with a full tank. So the issue is specific to a very unusual installing in my
boat.
For now, I guess I just need to empty my bilge frequently to check the tank status. I might make my own meter at some point, I have several ideas that I think would
work well.
But for anyone reading this contemplating a SCAD system, I recommend it.