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chase4food
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Joined: February 27, 2016
Posts: 636
Location: PNW im Amerika
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 Posted: Mon Feb 29, 2016 12:57 am Post subject: power meter for house battery bank |
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Here is my installation of a LCD power meter for the house battery bank under then bench seat. The rear heater was removed to make way for 2 group 24 deep cycle batteries. I wanted to utilize the defunct duct opening and came up with the idea to house this power meter.
closeup of the meter display
Being so low near the floor I need to make a panel to tilt the display upwards. I decided to fabricate one with fiberglass cloth remnants.
first attempt using an improvised mold
no good - the compound angles did not turn out right
second attempt - i built a quick cardboard mold
this time the compound angles comes out right due to the purpose-made mold
here you can see there is not much depth because the batteries
rough out the meter opening
next i heck in a push button switch to make the meter easier to use
http://eat-drink-men-women.blogspot.com/2015/10/unzufrieden-impossible-to-please.html
i painted the fiberglass panel and mounted the meter
More detail of the construction here on a blog post:
http://eat-drink-men-women.blogspot.com/2015/10/unzufrieden-impossible-to-please.html
_________________
- Vince 飲食玩睡
what Isolde wants Isolde doesn't always get, 4 I know what is best for her - Liebe macht frei
Last edited by chase4food on Sat Mar 05, 2016 12:51 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Steve M.
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Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6829
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 29, 2016 3:08 am Post subject: Re: power meter for house battery bank |
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It looks great, it really does...but what is there aside from your own self awareness and caution to prevent something pointy hitting the lcd on the meter and putting a crack in it?  You know...from a friend or kid who just isn't thinking about it! |
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32584
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Steve M.
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6829
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 29, 2016 6:41 am Post subject: Re: power meter for house battery bank |
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| Thinking you could also put another courtesy light down there. |
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chase4food
Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2016
Posts: 636
Location: PNW im Amerika
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| Posted: Mon Feb 29, 2016 6:48 am Post subject: Re: power meter for house battery bank |
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| Steve M. wrote: |
| It looks great, it really does...but what is there aside from your own self awareness and caution to prevent something pointy hitting the lcd on the meter and putting a crack in it? You know...from a friend or kid who just isn't thinking about it! |
Thanks. The possibility of an excited passenger knocking the meter with the shoe was something that crossed my mind from the outset while brainstroming as to how to repurpose the air duct opening. My original consideration was to use the space to house an electrical utility panel. However the best location for the utility panel is vent port for the Dometic fridge hands down. Also placing the meter there is close to idea due to proximity to the battery bank and the current shunt. I also would not have to stare at the meter except when I want the information.
All good designs require trade off. To address the fear of the meter breakage, one can always buy 1 or 2 spares as it is quite cheap.
_________________
- Vince 飲食玩睡
what Isolde wants Isolde doesn't always get, 4 I know what is best for her - Liebe macht frei |
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32584
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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WLD*WSTY
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Joined: November 04, 2009
Posts: 438
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 12:39 am Post subject: Re: power meter for house battery bank |
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Can you provide the name/model number for the meter? This is too good of a mod to pass up! Good work!
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'82 SyncroWesty, the first ever conversion.'06 Subaru 2.5L |
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chase4food
Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2016
Posts: 636
Location: PNW im Amerika
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| Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 2:13 am Post subject: Re: power meter for house battery bank |
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| WLD*WSTY wrote: |
| Can you provide the name/model number for the meter? This is too good of a mod to pass up! Good work! |
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013PKYILS?psc=1&...ge_o01_s00
_________________
- Vince 飲食玩睡
what Isolde wants Isolde doesn't always get, 4 I know what is best for her - Liebe macht frei |
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scottbott
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Joined: June 02, 2010
Posts: 83
Location: essex,uk
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| Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 8:00 am Post subject: Re: power meter for house battery bank |
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| very nice and not too expensive either |
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Guybrush
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Joined: August 08, 2015
Posts: 453
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 8:20 am Post subject: Re: power meter for house battery bank |
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| You could cut a plexiglass panel to fit into the opening as a cover, just make a hole to access the push button. It could also hold on with just a couple small rare earth magnets. |
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WestleyTheWesty
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Joined: October 07, 2015
Posts: 128
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 10:08 am Post subject: Re: power meter for house battery bank |
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Great work, wow! Love the custom fiberglass plate.
Just bought the same meter a week or two ago, it's working great and seems to be fairly accurate for the amp draw.
I ended up wiring the shunt between the battery ground and the negative battery post, is that what you did as well? I want to make sure I wired it up correctly.
Shunt is wired under the back seat where my aux batteries live. I installed it inside a Radio Shack project box to protect it. I ended up buying some 4 conductor wire at my FLAPS so I could run it up to the stove panel, plus put in a switch in to minimize draw when not in use.
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1990 Westy, started stock, not anymore! |
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chase4food
Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2016
Posts: 636
Location: PNW im Amerika
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| Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 10:31 am Post subject: Re: power meter for house battery bank |
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| Darin wrote: |
Great work, wow! Love the custom fiberglass plate.
Just bought the same meter a week or two ago, it's working great and seems to be fairly accurate for the amp draw.
I ended up wiring the shunt between the battery ground and the negative battery post, is that what you did as well? I want to make sure I wired it up correctly.
Shunt is wired under the back seat where my aux batteries live. I installed it inside a Radio Shack project box to protect it. I ended up buying some 4 conductor wire at my FLAPS so I could run it up to the stove panel, plus put in a switch in to minimize draw when not in use.
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Nice clean install. Is the rocker switch for the meter too to make it easier to use?
Your wiring is correct that the shunt goes between the battery negative post and the van ground.
In my case the negative post of the battery just worked out so well that I just use it to support one end of the shunt. I didn't bother to build an protective enclosure for the shunt as the voltage across them will never exceed a few tens of mV.
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- Vince 飲食玩睡
what Isolde wants Isolde doesn't always get, 4 I know what is best for her - Liebe macht frei |
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WestleyTheWesty
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Joined: October 07, 2015
Posts: 128
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 10:40 am Post subject: Re: power meter for house battery bank |
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| chase4food wrote: |
Nice clean install. Is the rocker switch for the meter too to make it easier to use?
Your wiring is correct that the shunt goes between the battery negative post and the van ground.
In my case the negative post of the battery just worked out so well that I just use it to support one end of the shunt. I didn't bother to build an protective enclosure for the shunt as the voltage across them will never exceed a few tens of mV. |
Thanks for the info! The rocker is just an on/off switch, I was looking over your detailed blog post and was wondering if you could post more about how you wired up your button? I'd love to be able to use a button rather then the end of my keys to turn on/off the backlight and reset the watt-hours.
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1990 Westy, started stock, not anymore! |
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chase4food
Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2016
Posts: 636
Location: PNW im Amerika
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| Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 10:58 am Post subject: Re: power meter for house battery bank |
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| Darin wrote: |
| chase4food wrote: |
Nice clean install. Is the rocker switch for the meter too to make it easier to use?
Your wiring is correct that the shunt goes between the battery negative post and the van ground.
In my case the negative post of the battery just worked out so well that I just use it to support one end of the shunt. I didn't bother to build an protective enclosure for the shunt as the voltage across them will never exceed a few tens of mV. |
Thanks for the info! The rocker is just an on/off switch, I was looking over your detailed blog post and was wondering if you could post more about how you wired up your button? I'd love to be able to use a button rather then the end of my keys to turn on/off the backlight and reset the watt-hours. |
I should add a note for those planning to buy this meter. It is designed to measure and calculate the current to/from the battery one way only. The wiring instruction they provide is for monitoring power being consumed. It will not measure or account for current being supplied by a charging source. This limitation is as designed to hit a price point.
Adding the external button switch is very simple. I just open the case and find the back side of the push button switch on the PCB. I solder the two wire across the internal switch terminals. There are 4 solder posts on the internal switch but if you look at the PCB traces you can tell where to solder.
in this photo, the push button is at the 4 solder posts (arranged in a square) to the very right.
_________________
- Vince 飲食玩睡
what Isolde wants Isolde doesn't always get, 4 I know what is best for her - Liebe macht frei |
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EddyHendra
Samba Member
Joined: March 04, 2016
Posts: 1
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2016 11:26 am Post subject: Re: power meter for house battery bank |
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Your wiring is correct that the shunt goes between the battery negative post and the van ground.
In my case the negative post of the battery just worked out so well that I just use it to support one end of the shunt.
I didn't bother to build an protective enclosure for the shunt as the voltage across them will never exceed a few tens of mV.
Impedance Controlled printed circuit boards |
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Huxmobile
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2008
Posts: 141
Location: SF Bay area
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| Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2017 10:09 am Post subject: Re: power meter for house battery bank |
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| chase4food wrote: |
| Darin wrote: |
| chase4food wrote: |
Nice clean install. Is the rocker switch for the meter too to make it easier to use?
Your wiring is correct that the shunt goes between the battery negative post and the van ground.
In my case the negative post of the battery just worked out so well that I just use it to support one end of the shunt. I didn't bother to build an protective enclosure for the shunt as the voltage across them will never exceed a few tens of mV. |
Thanks for the info! The rocker is just an on/off switch, I was looking over your detailed blog post and was wondering if you could post more about how you wired up your button? I'd love to be able to use a button rather then the end of my keys to turn on/off the backlight and reset the watt-hours. |
I should add a note for those planning to buy this meter. It is designed to measure and calculate the current to/from the battery one way only. The wiring instruction they provide is for monitoring power being consumed. It will not measure or account for current being supplied by a charging source. This limitation is as designed to hit a price point.
Adding the external button switch is very simple. I just open the case and find the back side of the push button switch on the PCB. I solder the two wire across the internal switch terminals. There are 4 solder posts on the internal switch but if you look at the PCB traces you can tell where to solder.
in this photo, the push button is at the 4 solder posts (arranged in a square) to the very right.
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Reviving this thread because I just got the same meter and would love to mount it with a rocker switch to completely shut off when not in use. Is there a way to wire in a switch without soldering (i.e., tapping into the + and ground connections)?
Thanks,
DJ
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87 Westy 2.1L, manual (sold) |
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Italjohn
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