| Engine battery monitor [message #75978] |
Mon, 08 March 2010 10:26  |
jayrabe
Messages: 509
Registered: June 2009
Location: Portland, OR
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My coach has a history of electrical system failures, including 3 alternators and 2 batteries in the 3 years prior to my getting the coach. I didn't get a clear answer from the PO as to any firm conclusions explaining the repeated problems, other than speculating about just bad luck to get two, bad rebuilt alternators in a row.
In any case, I've been wondering how to monitor the sitution, and coincidentally I'm in the process of installing a Xantrex battery monitor for the house batteries, intending this summer to install some solar panels, and am wondering about installing a shunt to monitor the engine battery.
I know Xantrex has a 500a shunt available, and I'm thinking I could just hook one in either the engine battery negative line or the positive, in either case making sure that all power in or out of the battery went through the shunt, then hook up a digital panel meter to read the drop across the shunt. Of course I don't need the computer calculations that Xantrex provides to keep track of house battery capacity, I just need to see the current charging or discharging the battery, and it seems to me that just reading the voltage across the shunt, with some suitable calibration conversion, would do that for me.
Thoughts?
J Rabe
76 Palm Beach
Portland, OR
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