Half Baked Survey / Battery Management Panel Meters

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I try to remember who has what, when reading posts and answers in threads. But memory fades after a time.

An idea of who has a

Panel type ammeter AM

Amp Hour Meter AHM (which would include a volt meter) AHM

Voltmeter Digital panel type VM

would serve to refresh the gray cells.

I would therefore list

AHM
AM
VM

Because I have three separate meters

Maybe it would be a good idea to list solar panel meters as well. Panel meters that measure incoming voltage and amperage exclusively from solar input.

SAM
SVM

So someone might list as an example...

AHM
SAM

[Itinerant1]

GordonThree wrote:

Itinerant1 wrote:
Magnum remote (ME-ARC 50) connected to the Magnum inverter/ charger.
Solar- Magnum PT100 charge controller connected to the inverter/ charger.
Scrolling through the menus.



AC Meters
AC voltage output either inverting or passing through from grid/ generator.
Load Amps meter displays the total AC current delivered to the loads on the inverter’s AC output terminals. A positive (+) Load Amps value indicates power is being pulled from the inverter to run an AC load—either using the batteries in Inverter mode, or from the AC input source in Standby mode.
Input Amps meter displays the total AC amps being used by the inverter for charging and for any load connected to the output of the inverter.
Inv/Chg Amps menu displays the inverter or charger amps and is shown as an AC value. A negative (–) amps reading indicates the inverter is powering the inverter loads, and the batteries are discharging (inverter amps). A positive (+) amps reading indicates the inverter is using the AC input source to charge the batteries (charger amps).

That's impressive list for your ARC50 - must be newer software than mine. I get no AC information at all. AC load volts and amps is available if I buy the generator expansion module, but none of that finer grained inverter info is even an option.

I do get DC load information, for example the microwave is typical 200 amps.

Possible all the extra features because of the hybrid inverter?

[GordonThree]

Itinerant1 wrote:
Magnum remote (ME-ARC 50) connected to the Magnum inverter/ charger.
Solar- Magnum PT100 charge controller connected to the inverter/ charger.
Scrolling through the menus.



AC Meters
AC voltage output either inverting or passing through from grid/ generator.
Load Amps meter displays the total AC current delivered to the loads on the inverter’s AC output terminals. A positive (+) Load Amps value indicates power is being pulled from the inverter to run an AC load—either using the batteries in Inverter mode, or from the AC input source in Standby mode.
Input Amps meter displays the total AC amps being used by the inverter for charging and for any load connected to the output of the inverter.
Inv/Chg Amps menu displays the inverter or charger amps and is shown as an AC value. A negative (–) amps reading indicates the inverter is powering the inverter loads, and the batteries are discharging (inverter amps). A positive (+) amps reading indicates the inverter is using the AC input source to charge the batteries (charger amps).

That's impressive list for your ARC50 - must be newer software than mine. I get no AC information at all. AC load volts and amps is available if I buy the generator expansion module, but none of that finer grained inverter info is even an option.

I do get DC load information, for example the microwave is typical 200 amps.

[landyacht318]

My dashboard has two voltmeters with voltage sense leads on battery terminals.
It also has an ammeter that at one point measured total alternator output, but now measures only amperage into or out of house battery.

But my house battery is also my engine battery since June 2015, so one of those dashboard voltmeter sense lines is on the OEM wiring rather than a battery terminal.

I have an AH counter tiesd to my solar controller. It displays total solar input and output, and amps into or out of battery.

My 40 amp plug in adjustable voltage charging source has an inline Wattmeter installed on the output terminals, modified with 8awg. 45 amp anderson powerpoles are widespread. I have a few of these same wattmeters I can employ inline on any circuit under 45 amps.

These wattmeters read :
Amps
Volts
Watts
Amp peak
Watt peak
Voltage minimum
Amp hours
Watt hours

I'd estimate they are about 92 to 95% accurate in the 0.6amp to 40 amp range . Below 0.6 amps they read low, but it varies unit to unit. I had one which was accurate down to 0.06 amps.

I cannot imagine not knowing how many amps my battery is accepting at X voltage or how many volts it is maintaining under X amount of load for X AH removed from full.

Voltage readings alone are nearly useless in comparison, but better than nothing.

[Itinerant1]

Magnum remote (ME-ARC 50) connected to the Magnum inverter/ charger.
Solar- Magnum PT100 charge controller connected to the inverter/ charger.
Scrolling through the menus.

DC Meters
DC Volts shows voltage from the battery bank connected to the inverter.
DC Amps meter shows current going in or out of the battery.

AC Meters
AC voltage output either inverting or passing through from grid/ generator.
Load Amps meter displays the total AC current delivered to the loads on the inverter’s AC output terminals. A positive (+) Load Amps value indicates power is being pulled from the inverter to run an AC load—either using the batteries in Inverter mode, or from the AC input source in Standby mode.
Input Amps meter displays the total AC amps being used by the inverter for charging and for any load connected to the output of the inverter.
Inv/Chg Amps menu displays the inverter or charger amps and is shown as an AC value. A negative (–) amps reading indicates the inverter is powering the inverter loads, and the batteries are discharging (inverter amps). A positive (+) amps reading indicates the inverter is using the AC input source to charge the batteries (charger amps).

PT charge contoller menu
Charging status -Bulk Charging, Float Charging, Sleeping
Faults (if present)
Power status
Relay status
Battery amps
Power to Batteries-
Now: This display shows the power out of the PT controller occurring now (in Watts).
Life: This display shows the total power out of the controller since it was installed (shown in Megawatt-hours or MWh).
PT Ground faults
PT Data (past 255 days)- KWH Harvest total, Max PV, Max battery volts, Min battery volts, On/Work time, Max power.
PT Faults History

LiFePo4 Battery Management System connected to a 7" display showsz live time readings.
1st screen- pack voltage, pack current (amps being used or charging), pack capacity (state of charge in percentage), Min/Max Cell Voltage, Alarms and Warnings.
2nd screen- shows individual cell voltage & individual cell temps,5 batteries x 4 cells = 20 cells

[full_mosey]

Solar

I believe the graph covers a majority of your abbreviations from the solar controller's point of view.

I also have a Kill-A-Watt, a Turnigy, and two hand held multi-meters, one can clamp on for 400A DC. I use these for trouble shooting.

HTH;
John

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Yes
I thought it would be nice to know the background tech when someone asks or gives information.

[MrWizard]

on the safari

i have an AMHR for the house batteries

and a watt hr/volt /amp meter in the solar circuit, for tracking daily solar panel output/collection

for the Bounder all I have 'right now' is a volt/amp meter in the converter charge circuit, it does not read battery drain, but does show battery voltage/charge voltage, converter amps out to batteries, major rewire to put it in the battery LOAD circuit, batteries under hood, converter in bay under kitchen

[BFL13]

Trimetric AHM for everything in and out of house battery bank. Solar controller displays solar amps upstream of Trimetric (so can see that not all solar amps reach the battery bank eg)

Have set up the Class C with two separate battery banks, each with its own converter and each with its own solar set. One (AGMs) does only the inverter for all 120v off-grid work. The other (Wets) does all the usual 12v stuff-(that bank also gets any alternator charging.)

I can swap over the single Trimetric as needed. (Have two shunts so just swap the display wiring with quick connect plugs) Normally the Tri goes on the house 12v bank. Only use it on the inverter's AGM bank when recharging the AGMs to true full with the Tri set to amps.

Have a couple other battery voltage readouts plus the DVM that also can do 10 DC amps (as fused--got tired of frying non-fused DVMs by accident)

[pianotuna]

Hi Mex,

I have an ammeter on the DC distribution box that measures power from the converter, if it is plugged in, or if it is not power drawn from the battery bank.

I have a 2nd ammeter for measuring power from the alternator to the house bank--or visa versa.

I have a charge controller that tells me how many amps are going into the battery bank, and what the voltage is.

I have a Magnum remote without shunt which tells me how many amps are going into the battery bank when on shore or generator power, and how many amps I'm drawing from the battery bank when on load support, or when there is no shore power how much energy is being drawn from the battery bank. It also monitors voltage.

I have an efergy watt meter that tells me how many watts I'm drawing from shore power, or from the inverter.

[TurnThePage]

Mex,
Are you asking about something like this?
Trimetric

[GordonThree]

No solar, I use dinosaurs for recharging my batteries.

My Magnum inverter has an advanced remote, with a variety of gauges.

Instantaneous amp usage, in or out of battery bank
Instantaneous amp usage by the inverter or supplied by inverter operating as a charger
Overall amp-hours in or out of the battery bank (coloumb counter)
There's also a DC volt meter, and a state of charge percentage

Edit:

Model number Magnum ME-ARC50 with ME-BMK shunt and battery monitor module

[DrewE]

OK, I'll bite...

I have for the house battery:
AM
VM (+clock +thermometer combo unit)

I have for AC power:
AM + VM (+power +energy combo unit)

No solar setup, so obviously no meters there, though I suppose I could stick a piece of paper with a couple of zeros printed on it...