The display shows the current battery voltage. When the battery voltage falls below 12V, the relay closes and connects the external charger. When the battery to be charged reaches the standard value of 14V, the relay switches off. The device is powered by a rechargeable battery. You must bypass this regulator for a completely dead battery. I installed mine in a plastic sandwich box. I made 4 holes for the wires. I sealed the holes with black liquid tape. Revain sells a bag of red and black battery clips.