I have a 12v - 120W solar panel on my TC. This is controlled by a Morningstar Sunsaver 20 into a single group 27 wet cell battery.I have a Trimetric 2025RV battery monitor installed.As far as I can see, the Trimetric does not show the solar panel voltage or amps, it only shows battery readings.I bought a simple Volt / Amp panel mount meter with a shunt.DROK 0-100V/50A Digital DC Panel Volt Amps Tester Meter VA 2in1 Red LED Display+ShuntIt included three different wiring scenarios:The question is...Is there any way to use this meter to report Volts and Amp coming frm the solar panel?Thanks!

Yes. In fact, I have virtually the same meter and shunt, although my meter only reads up to 30V and is able to use the voltage + line for its power, so mine has only 3 wires. Regardless, the amps function is the same.Here's my threadIgnoring the red and black power supply wires for the moment... Put the shunt inline in the negative charge line from the controller. Attach the yellow wire on the shunt measuring screw that is closest to the battery, and the black wire on the other measuring screw. Your red line measures voltage. Being under 30V, you could attach both reds to the same place (positive V), and both blacks to the same place (negative, on the shunt).

Thanks!So basically we are putting the charge controller in place of the battery on the diagram?In this way I'm reading AMPs from the charge controller which will be different from the solar panel....correct? The charge controller will limit the current based on the condition of the battery?

The charge controller goes where they show the battery, and the your battery goes where they show the motor. (With thanks to all the people who educated me on my thread.)

Yes, you will be reading the output of the controller, not the panels. When I played with it with a charged battery, I was getting something like 14.4v and 1.2a via the controller, but closer to 15v and 2.5a if I connected the panel directly to the battery, with no controller. The controller was doing its job.

I'd like to install a switch so I could read controller current OR panel current.....or simply buy another meter and have the TC starting to look like the space shuttle!But then I'd have three shunts in the system....would this cause an issue?

Reading AMPS from a solar panel | Good Sam Community

33 Replies

Snowman9000
Explorer
Aug 27, 2013
The charge controller goes where they show the battery, and the your battery goes where they show the motor. (With thanks to all the people who educated me on my thread.)
Rbertalotto
Explorer
Aug 27, 2013
Thanks!

So basically we are putting the charge controller in place of the battery on the diagram?

In this way I'm reading AMPs from the charge controller which will be different from the solar panel....correct? The charge controller will limit the current based on the condition of the battery?
Snowman9000
Explorer
Aug 27, 2013
Yes. In fact, I have virtually the same meter and shunt, although my meter only reads up to 30V and is able to use the voltage + line for its power, so mine has only 3 wires. Regardless, the amps function is the same.

Here's my thread

Ignoring the red and black power supply wires for the moment... Put the shunt inline in the negative charge line from the controller. Attach the yellow wire on the shunt measuring screw that is closest to the battery, and the black wire on the other measuring screw. Your red line measures voltage.

Being under 30V, you could attach both reds to the same place (positive V), and both blacks to the same place (negative, on the shunt).

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Reading AMPS from a solar panel

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