Installing Battery Monitor?

[DesertMax]

I'm looking at installing the Trimetric 2030RV and looking for a good graphic of the wiring flow..
Just need to learn more about things like what is a shunt and how to hook everything up on my
fully operational solar system.

Found a bunch on G :::  How does this one look??

 

[kdbgoat]

Try this link and see if it's what you need.
http://www.loveyourrv.com/bogart-sc2030-cc-and-trimetric-tm2030-rv-installation/

With the drawing you showed, only one battery would be monitored, not the whole "battery system".

 

[DesertMax]

That's a really great page and just what I need thanks... 
So what's the deal with the telephone cord?
Also, when this graphic from the page says "to all other loads and charging sources" does that include my Charge Controller?
My system is just under 150W with 3 Siemens panels and a 16A ASC Controller, 600W Inverter and one 90AH AGM Batt in the house batt box and that's it right now..
I do plan to add 2 more AGM batts but that will be a bit later..  wondering if I should shop for things like batt monitors with that in mind..
I believe the 2030 will accomodate 2 batts..  that being said, if I add 2 more batts for a total of 3 12V batts, would I daisy chain more monitors or should
I just order the correct one with the future batts in mind...??  thanks in advance for your help..

 

[kdbgoat]

The 2030 monitors the the whole battery bank, not just "a" battery. One monitor is all that is needed for just one battery or 15 batteries in a row.
The phone cord is for communicating with the Bogart charge controller. You don't need to worry about that.
The only thing on the battery side of the shunt should be the battery. The shunt will provide the capability of measuring what goes into and out of the battery bank. If anything else is hooked to the battery side of the shunt, the load that it draws or the charge it inputs is not going to be measured by the monitor.

 

[Kevin Means]

I've installed several RV-2030s, including the one in our coach. Everything that consumes power should be run through the shunt. Bypassing the shunt with anything that consumes power, or charges the batteries would cause the % of power remaining feature to read inaccurately. The 2030 can monitor the voltage of two separate battery-banks (not just two batteries, unless each battery-bank has only one battery), but its other features will only function on one of those battery-banks - you have to choose which one. Most people choose the house-batteries.

Kev

 

[DesertMax]

Wow that's a lot of good info thanks..  so Kevin when you say consumes power, for my system as outlined above would not that be everything except the panels..  meaning the charge controller and the inverter right?
Still a little murky on the shunt because I was born very young and it takes me a while to fully grasp this stuff...
A shunt sounds a bit like a "monitor" of sorts..???  or perhaps better put, a regulator..  also sounds a little like a "fuse"... 

 

[Just Lou]

The "shunt" is nothing more than a high wattage low resistance precision resistor.  It is there simply to provide a minute measurable voltage drop across it's length that can be used to calculate the current through the "resistor".  As long as it's the only thing connected between the negative terminal of the battery and ground (the common return for all things powered by, or feeding, the battery) it will represent the total current passing through (into or out of) the battery.

When you observe the display on the TriMetric, positive amps represent charging amps, and negative amps represent all the amps being used by devices (inverter, lights, etc.).

Any appliance or load attached to the negative terminal of the battery (rather than to frame ground or common ground buss) can draw current from the battery that will not be measured (by the shunt & Trimetric) and, therefore not used in the calculations Kevin mentioned.  This should be avoided.

 

[DesertMax]

Thanks Lou, oh I get it, the shunt is what tells the monitor what's happening...  cool! 
I'll be setting the monitor setup up in the next 30 days..  thanks for all the great help..

 

[Kevin Means]

Lou is not only more handsome than I, he explains things better too.

Kev

 

[Back2PA]

Since we're on the subject....

I hate beating a dead horse as this has already been explained to me when I ask but I'm just not getting it completely.

I have considered adding the RV-2030 to my system, but still need to digest why I should.

Without the 2030, I'm relying on a Zantrex which I'm told gives percentages mostly based on voltage, and I'm told that's not accurate. Here's what I'm not understanding:

Using the attached SOC chart, at 12.1 volts I'm at 50% SOC. When the batteries were brand new, we could use math to calculate arrival at 50% SOC: when usage equals total capacity divided by two, you're empty. And at that point no-load voltage would read 12.1V. When the batteries age a little, it will take fewer AH usage to get to 50% SOC, but when we do get there, no-load voltage will again read 12.1V. So, speaking very slowly, and using pictures instead of words where possible  : , how come my Zantrex doesn't already tell me what I need to know? (Perhaps write it in crayon too.)

 

[Kevin Means]

Voltage is a relatively inaccurate parameter to use when trying to determine a battery's SOC, because several things can cause a battery's voltage reading to be inaccurate. Things like; how much load was on the battery when the voltage reading was taken; how long prior to the reading had it been since the battery was charged etc., can all affect a battery's "indicated" voltage.

For example, if our batteries are fully charged, and I nuke something in the microwave oven using inverter/battery power, my battery-bank's voltage indicates about 12.1 volts, which is about 50% SOC. When it stops nuking, the battery's voltage will indicate much higher, but even that isn't truly accurate, because there are usually other loads still on the battery. The greater the load, the more inaccurate the voltage indication.

The Trimetric uses a shunt to enable it to measure exactly how many amps are going into or out of your battery-bank, and you have to program the Trimetric for the amp hour capacity of your battery-bank. Once programmed, and once your batteries are fully charged, it knows how many amps your battery-bank can hold, and since it can accurately measure how many amps are going into or out of your batteries at any given time, it can give you a very accurate indication of your battery-bank's SOC. Voltage just can't give you the same information - it's just an approxomation.

Kev

 

[Back2PA]

Thanks Kevin. How does the Trimetric adjust as batteries age and capacity gradually decreases?

 

[Just Lou]

How does the Trimetric adjust as batteries age and capacity gradually decreases?

Short answer;  it doesn't.

You can reprogram it to a different battery bank capacity as you experience a decrease in your battery bank performance over time, if you feel it's necessary. 

The TriMetric does give you info on how many days since the batteries were considered FULLY charged.  The "fully charged" condition is determined by reaching the P1 & P2 values you select. (i.e. charging voltage set point and amps levels)

If you notice that the batteries are loosing capacity (lower voltage over same time and load conditions) you can reprogram or recondition/replace your batteries.

The TriMetric has multiple levels of operation, from basic to very detailed parameters that the average user will not readily use or even understand.

 

[Abendage]

The diagram you originally posted is for the Victron monitor. I went with this model vs the Trimetric.  I really like the fact that the only wiring to the monitor is the phone cable and I liked the way it looks vs the Trimetric and I think the display is easier to read. Both are great monitors so don't rule out the Victron, couldn't be happier with mine.