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Old 06-05-2012, 11:36 AM   #1
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Battery Monitors

We had a Trimetric 2020 battery monitor on our previous trailer to keep track of the Amp/Hr capacity in the battery bank. I'm about to install a system in our new 22RBXL, and I havn't noticed much discussion about monitors and wondered if any one else has experience with them. The Trimetric 2020 and shunt will cost me about C$205.
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Old 06-05-2012, 11:44 AM   #2
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There are a few users on the forum. Herk has one but I think its the 2025.
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Old 06-05-2012, 12:51 PM   #3
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Doesn't displaying/tracking the battery voltage accomplish the same thing?

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Old 06-05-2012, 01:54 PM   #4
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my monitor is incorporated into the charge controller system for my solar panels. had I not installed the panels, the trimeteric 2025 would have been my choice
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Old 06-05-2012, 06:55 PM   #5
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Gauging the health of a battery by its voltage is inaccurate.

I just installed a TM-2020 in my TT when I changed out its batteries.
I have used this meter in houses for installs - it has a great reputation and long history.

I also bave a Pentametric that I intend to install in its place in my TT, but couldn't get it done before my first trip out for the year. It will allow me to connect the batteries and solar on seperate inputs to record use/generation and upload to my laptop (real geeky like)
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Old 06-05-2012, 07:13 PM   #6
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BJAY - I am looking at going this route as well - where are you planning on purchasing? In Canada or are you looking at getting one shipped from the US ?
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Old 06-05-2012, 09:52 PM   #7
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Dave- I agree with Saratoga Camper- Not accurate enough. I tried that route the first year and knew I wanted something better.
Buzz Monster- I got mine from www.renewcanada.com in New Brunswick. I don't like the customs charge surprises coming across the border. I bought two 115w 24v panels this week in Maple for $138 ea. 4 years ago the same panel cost me $445 ea.
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Old 06-05-2012, 10:12 PM   #8
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Check ebay. I just bought a XX.XX digital display for 8 dollars delivered. The same supplier also has DC Ammeters with shunt for around 15 dollars. Between the two should give you more than enough information on battery strength.
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Old 06-06-2012, 09:15 PM   #9
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Donn- I believe the ammeter with shunt will show amps only, not amp/hrs. The battery monitors are basically an ammeter with shunt plus a processor that relates amps to time so it can give amp/hrs+(charging) and amp/hrs-(discharging), and then keeps a running total for battery charge level. The processor would appear to be the reason for the big difference in price.
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Old 06-06-2012, 09:36 PM   #10
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I totally love my TM-2025RV.

It does so much more than measure voltage and current amp usage.

By placing the shunt on the ground leg, the unit displays charging amps; discharge amps; percent of total battery AH capacity remaining; voltage measured in 10ths of a volt; and amps in 10ths of an amp (100 milliamp).

Trimetric TM-2025A Battery Monitor System

You will also need to buy the shunt.
http://www.solar-electric.com/mkb-500-50.html

Oh, BTW the batteries were being charged off the truck's alternator at the time of the photo.
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Old 06-08-2012, 08:40 PM   #11
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Herk- Do you have an inverter? I want to install a 1500 watt. I understand you divide watts by 10 to get dc amp draw from the battery. For a 1350 microwave that would amount to 135 amps. The 2020 I had only registers up to 99.9. Does that mean the monitor gets smoked. I e-mailed the question to the company I bought the monitor from and am waiting for a response.
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Old 06-08-2012, 09:32 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BJAY View Post
Herk- Do you have an inverter? I want to install a 1500 watt. I understand you divide watts by 10 to get dc amp draw from the battery. For a 1350 microwave that would amount to 135 amps. The 2020 I had only registers up to 99.9. Does that mean the monitor gets smoked. I e-mailed the question to the company I bought the monitor from and am waiting for a response.
Bill
I do have an inverter. It is a 2400 watt unit that I bought before I understood the power requirement to feed a 2400 watt inverter.
I plan on replacing it one day with a 1000 watt pure sine inverter.

You must use a "shunt" like I stated below to reduce the amperage seen by the monitor to a reasonable amount. The monitor should lose the decimal above 99.9 and read 100 even.

I doubt you would be able to run even a very small microwave off of the available battery power unless you had 6 or 8 batteries, though. The power draw is huge and will reduce the available capacity by over 1/2 rated by trying to suck amps out of the thick plates of a deep cycle battery. (see attached graph of capacity vs amp draw for a typical 100AH battery.)

Also a microwave requires a continuous supply of regulated pure sine power. The cheaper modified sine inverters will not work with the magnetron.
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Old 06-09-2012, 06:14 PM   #13
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Guys here is what I am thinking of doing any thoughts ?

Change out 2 x 12v batteries that are not lasting more than a couple of days now to a pair of 6v Trojans either T125 or T145s going to have to make a custom battery box for them but that should not be an issue.

Monitor them with a 2025 with a 100A/100mV to get improved resolution on the current draw compared to the 500A shunt, we don't use a television and only have a 400w inverter for using the baby monitor when we are out at the fire. So by my calculations the 400w inverter will draw around 33A on the 12v system plus of course the rest of the RV usage which is mainly furnace (which we rarely use) and the fridge which is around 1.2 A. Based on this 100A looks plenty for us - or am I missing something ?

In the future we may add a small solar panel but nothing massive really just enough to try to prolong battery life - say a 125 to 250 W panel with a 30A controller so again should be within the 100A shunt

What we normally do is prolonged stays at provincial parks so very remote that typically have no power or in some cases even water not true book docking as they are sites but certainly not full hook ups - camping in our opinion is all about getting out of cell phone range !
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Old 06-09-2012, 06:25 PM   #14
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I went with the 500 amp shunt but in your case the 100 should do fine I am thinking.

Boondocking is "no hookups." In Key West where we camp in the winter they spray paint lines and numbers on the grass.
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Old 06-10-2012, 12:16 PM   #15
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From the Bogart Engineering website:






MKA-100-100
: "mini shunt" Manufactured by Deltec

Resistance: 100 Amp at 100 millivolts" or 1.0 milliohm.



Max. steady state current, amps: (Note 1): 75 Amps



Thermal time constant (Note2): 30 seconds



Overload current: If normally operated at less than 50 amps, it will take overloads to 100 amps for durations of up to 8 seconds.


Physical characteristics:


Has plastic base 2.00 x 1.25 inches, with two mounting holes .205 "dia, .875 apart o.c.
Overall height 1.7 inches. High current connections are made to two bolts (1/4"-28) which are 1.00" apart.

Also remember these ratings are if you use the guage wire they publish, as it too acts as a heatsink for the shunt.

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Old 07-01-2012, 08:50 AM   #16
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What does the letters FLGC stand for. First time camper & quite ignorant.
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Old 07-01-2012, 09:51 AM   #17
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Quote:
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What does the letters FLGC stand for. First time camper & quite ignorant.
John,

Well, you have me there too.

27 FLGC Acronym Meaning Definitions! What does FLGC stand for?

for a possible list.

Could be a typo; where did you find it?
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