Cheap Battery Monitor

[timjet]

I connected a positive wire to both the Vn + terminal on the shunt and to the red pig tail on the display. Without 12v DC power to the red pig tail on the display, it is blank.
The left cable goes to the battery, the right to the load.

On the display there is a red X, I think that means no data connection.

The USB cable is behind the right terminal in the picture.

[BrentB]

Are those cables negative or positive?

[BrentB]

my unit did light up the display without using the pigtails on the back of the display so it should be receiving power through the USB cable. Do you have another cable you could try?

[timjet]

The cable are negative.

Didn't think about a different USB cable. Coach is getting the dash air fixed, when it returns I'll try a new cable.

[timjet]

I bought another unit. I attached the negative cable from the battery to the big terminal on the shunt closest to the small terminals that connect the shunt to V+.
The other main terminal on the shut I connected the cable that goes to load. See picture I uploaded previously.

I then connected a positive wire from 12 volt battery to the V+ terminal on the shut. Then connected the USB cable from the shunt to the display. I get nothing. The screen doesn't display anything.

What am I doing wrong??

[l1v3fr33ord1]

Tim-

Just clarifying that you've hooked it up correctly. You're a bright guy, so I suspect you have.

The two cables to the shunt:

1) One goes to the battery negative post, and is the only cable on that post?
2) The other goes to a bus bar that holds all the negative leads that used to be attached to the battery negative post?

Although it's a different unit, the diagram on page 2 of the Trimetric Installation and User Guide applies.

The one cable to power the USB electronics: It comes from a 12V positive off the same battery? And there is 12V on the wire?

Jumper set at 2W?

Is there a fuse in the sending unit?

[BrentB]

In your photo it looks like the jumper is on 3W. It should be on 2W.

[timjet]

I'll head out to the RV later today to check the jumper.
Anyway here's a schematic of how I've wired the shunt.

[BrentB]

Looks like you have it wired correctly. Once you change the jumper position you should be in good shape.

[timjet]

Originally Posted by BrentB

Looks like you have it wired correctly. Once you change the jumper position you should be in good shape.

Yup, that was it. Working fine now.
Thanks to all that helped.

[BrentB]

Good deal! Enjoy!

[NINK]

I installed this unit today. Cost, about 10 bucks, from Advance Auto Parts, but, closer to $20 on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Deltran-Batte...70_&dpSrc=srch

It is a pain to get it to connect to your wifi, but, it is doable with persistence. Took me about 1/2 hour of cussing. Once the phone app is connected you can monitor your battery from anywhere that you have internet connectivity. (You need it at both places, in the RV where the unit is, and of course, where your phone is).

My desire is to monitor the voltage so I will know if the power has gone off in the RV park and I can get back to tend to my dog that might be in the RV on a hot day. So.. it works but....

1. It only updates every 10 minutes.
2. Supposedly there are alerts. I cut the power on the breaker box today and I never got an alert after 20+ minutes... it is 93 today, and it go too hot, so, I had to cry uncle and turn the power back on. My batteries were still showing 90%, but, the A/C was off. From what I've read (documentation is really sketchy) it won't alert you until it gets to 35% battery (whatever that is) and really, by that point, it is way too late for my needs.


Conclusion... It is better than nothing, and it is inexpensive, but... I would like something better. Anybody else that has experience with these and can offer any tips, or that has a different unit that works better, I would like to hear from you.

[aether_one]

Originally Posted by NINK

I installed this unit today. Cost, about 10 bucks, from Advance Auto Parts, but, closer to $20 on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Deltran-Batte...70_&dpSrc=srch

It is a pain to get it to connect to your wifi, but, it is doable with persistence. Took me about 1/2 hour of cussing. Once the phone app is connected you can monitor your battery from anywhere that you have internet connectivity. (You need it at both places, in the RV where the unit is, and of course, where your phone is).

My desire is to monitor the voltage so I will know if the power has gone off in the RV park and I can get back to tend to my dog that might be in the RV on a hot day. So.. it works but....

1. It only updates every 10 minutes.
2. Supposedly there are alerts. I cut the power on the breaker box today and I never got an alert after 20+ minutes... it is 93 today, and it go too hot, so, I had to cry uncle and turn the power back on. My batteries were still showing 90%, but, the A/C was off. From what I've read (documentation is really sketchy) it won't alert you until it gets to 35% battery (whatever that is) and really, by that point, it is way too late for my needs.


Conclusion... It is better than nothing, and it is inexpensive, but... I would like something better. Anybody else that has experience with these and can offer any tips, or that has a different unit that works better, I would like to hear from you.

So if you lose power in your RV does your wireless Internet connection still work???

[vsheetz]

Mine does. I use a battery powered cellular hotspot.