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Shunt and Battery Monitor

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#11 buckland

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Posted 24 May 2019 - 08:48 PM

Thanks for your thoughts on that. I am learning what I can from all patient enough to explain. BTW those usb lights bother me too. I like a dark camper and real quiet.
With the new lithium battery I’d like to learn a bit how it handles load and charge. More for learning. Once I am confident ... I’ll forget about it and have s beer. The phone definitely is off. Not one to want interruption in the boonies.

Edited by buckland, 24 May 2019 - 08:49 PM.

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#12 LAWNMOWERMAN

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Posted 26 May 2019 - 12:08 AM

I have the Victron app on my tablet not my phone and I love geeking out on the data.I have a Trimetric also and to get a true view of battery current the neg side of the controller must go to the input side of the shunt and the other side to the neg side of the battery.My setup is a Victron 100-30 and 2-100 amp Battleborn batteries and 2 100 watt solar panels.I have a Norcold 12 volt fridge and  a 50 qt. ARB chest that I use as a freezer set at 5 degrees.Both freezer and fridge have been running for 1 month straight and I have not seen the batteries go below 13.1 volts.


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#13 buckland

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Posted 26 May 2019 - 12:48 AM

That is all good info... details of what's there and what it is consuming. I like data ( retired math teacher) just for the fun of seeing the day solar gain and then seeing what i need energ-wise to do the basics I need. Understanding what's happening behind the scenes gives me enjoyment in understanding why. Being an electrical beginner was at first daunting and then some small things started to click...slowly..... I am getting, what many already take as granted, and that is the logic behind it all.... once I understood the electrical fundamentals .... all the puzzle pieces started to mean something. 

I tried to just jump in and get a job done.... without frying everything... then it got to making it better and got into new project ideas.

This WTW forum has been incredibly informative in a wonderfully accepting way... folks are real good.


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#14 Vic Harder

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Posted 26 May 2019 - 06:12 AM

Regarding the shunt, this is for your Victron BMV, right?  


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#15 buckland

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Posted 26 May 2019 - 10:28 AM

Victron MPPT 100 / 20 Controller.

 

Here are the four ways to wire the shunt.... I think I need the last one (#4) so that I am monitoring the camper load.

The other would be #3 which monitors the battery usage .

 

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#16 buckland

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Posted 26 May 2019 - 06:50 PM

Threw dull care away and decided to wire shunt for battery. I was able, using table top clips to mount the controller vertically. I first mounted it on site scrap walnut and rabbeted the edges so the clip would fit. Mounted the clips the box and the controller on a  board slides into the clips, snug on the wall of the battery box. The shunt wires go from battery box on top of the water tank to the counter cabinet to the small shunt monitor....seems to be spot on to the Victron app. I have to admit I have learned a lot from the patient folks willing to help out on WTW. There is NO WAY I would have attempted this project without their guidance. Everything is installed. I turned on the fridge and fan to see the load. It really is cool to see what each appliance draws. And to see how the solar panel is doing. I will now plug in the portable 100 (roof is 160) and see how that adds to the picture.

 

Caring for this LiFePo4 battery will need to be investigated. I know, when storing the camper in the barn for the long cold winter I won't have to plug in the battery. just draw down the voltage and let it sit at 12V. I also need to find out how the FWC shore power plug in will affect the lithium battery. I assume it will work.

 

 

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#17 Vic Harder

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Posted 28 May 2019 - 02:50 AM

Victron MPPT 100 / 20 Controller.

 

Here are the four ways to wire the shunt.... I think I need the last one (#4) so that I am monitoring the camper load.

The other would be #3 which monitors the battery usage .

OK, now I get why the opinions on shunt yes/no varied.  I assumed it was the shunt for a Victron BMV.


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#18 Happyjax

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Posted 19 August 2019 - 11:51 AM

Threw dull care away and decided to wire shunt for battery. I was able, using table top clips to mount the controller vertically. I first mounted it on site scrap walnut and rabbeted the edges so the clip would fit. Mounted the clips the box and the controller on a  board slides into the clips, snug on the wall of the battery box. The shunt wires go from battery box on top of the water tank to the counter cabinet to the small shunt monitor....seems to be spot on to the Victron app. I have to admit I have learned a lot from the patient folks willing to help out on WTW. There is NO WAY I would have attempted this project without their guidance. Everything is installed. I turned on the fridge and fan to see the load. It really is cool to see what each appliance draws. And to see how the solar panel is doing. I will now plug in the portable 100 (roof is 160) and see how that adds to the picture.

 

Caring for this LiFePo4 battery will need to be investigated. I know, when storing the camper in the barn for the long cold winter I won't have to plug in the battery. just draw down the voltage and let it sit at 12V. I also need to find out how the FWC shore power plug in will affect the lithium battery. I assume it will work.

Buckland,

 

I am curious where you got the 12V level for storing your LifeP04?

 

During my research I have understood that 50% is a good storage level for LifeP04.

 

Now 12V is 50% for an AGM but not a Lithium. Lithium holds it's voltage through the usage cycle.

 

When I received my Renogy 50AH LifeP04 I checked it's voltage. It was at 13.1.

 

I charged it for 4 hours at 5-6 AH's before it stopped taking juice. It had gulped down about 25AH's or 50%.

 

You might want to check on that voltage number for storage.

 

I am also new to this so claim no expertise just lots of study.....

 

Hope this is helpful:)


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#19 buckland

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Posted 19 August 2019 - 11:58 AM

Thanks I too am learning as I go. The 120 cells I got I soldered together into packs of 30 (parallel) and then connected in series into 4 packs to make the 13 V battery. I had to balance the whole thing and then put it on the solar charger/controller ... sort of w/o much aforethought and hoped it would charge up and it did. 

In winter here I will drain it down to 2.8 volts in each cell pack so around 11. 2 V for storage 


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#20 Happyjax

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Posted 19 August 2019 - 12:07 PM

Well if you built it you know it better than I do:)

 

I just didn't have the kahunas to build my own yet...... maybe next one though both Renogy and Battle Born make it so easy and I do love easy sometimes:)

 

Good luck and I will be following so I can learn more!


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