KJINTF wrote:
NO way for the Trimetric to see what's happening when no current is coming from or going to the battery bank.
... which only happens at some moments, when solar amps are equal to load demand. Who cares what's happening, as long as load current is withing safe limits for a given bank (Trimetric will show this), and if batteries are full once or twice a day (which Trimetric will also show)?
KJINTF wrote:
IMHO both displays are important if you want to see what's happening
Or, rather, "if you want to make watching displays your hobby" :)
Does the remote meter provide any info on the power generated by the panels separate from the power being fed into the batteries?
Yes.
... and this info is of very little use when you have Trimetric.
If you want to balance the task of powering loads during the day with ensuring the batteries still receive a proper charge, having the display makes the task much easier.
Marginally easier. More a convenience than a necessity. IIRC, this controller has LED indicators that will tell you when it's in Absorb or Float.
Thanks for all the thoughts...I ordered the remote meter.
It's your money.
We were curious to see what the panels could produce and we never really tested them - they always stepped up relative to our (minor) loads.
The panels were producing ENOUGH :). That's all that matters. They were producing slightly more than your loads were drawing daily (considering all the losses). If they are big enough, they will produce more if you draw more, but it doesn't mean they will get all this harvest to the battery. A lot depends on the battery SOC and voltage at that moment. SOC and max load current are more important than all those other data.
