Amp hour meter?

walt

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Jun 1, 2007
3,511
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
Curious why you dismissed this one that you would have come across in a previous post
https://www.amazon.com/RC-Electroni...qid=1516295252&sr=8-4&keywords=amp+hour+meter

Im not sure I would buy it myself (fixed 14 guage in and out wires).. but it seems be what you originally were asking for?

FYI, any instrument that displays current will use a shunt and the one in the link has an internal shunt.
Built-in current shunt resistor's low 0.001 Ohm resistance so meter doesn't affect your circuit.
Edit.. not exactly true.. an instrument noted later in this thread uses a Hall effect device. If the instrument has a display and is displaying current, it likely has a small microcontroller and then its simply software and display support for amp hours. What you dont know is how well the instrument measures a rapidly changing DC current like the current pulsing you would get from an outboard charging system. Solar output changes relatively slowly but the output of the charge controller may change rapidly (even MPPT). The more expensive charge monitors do handle fast changing current and since its almost free circuit wise, I would guess even a cheap charge monitor does a fair job with fast changing current.

I sort of would like to be able to see how many amp hours I was getting out of my solar panel - or more specifically - out of the solar panel charge controller. The one in the link probably has to get a reset by removing voltage which never happens if its measuring between the controller and the battery. But that reset would happen if the monitor was between the panel and the controller. My solar charge controller has a hardware option to tell me the current so I already have a better option (with more functions) and wont go with something like this. But.. sort of interesting to go along with the battery monitor I have monitoring what goes in and out of the battery.

FYI, I really dont use a charge monitor for trying to tell what battery capacity is. Even if you do an elaborate calibration, accuracy drifts with age and temp. My old Linklite has a capacity readout, I have not even looked at that reading for many years.
 
Last edited:
Oct 9, 2008
1,739
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
Curious why you dismissed this one that you would have come across in a previous post
https://www.amazon.com/RC-Electroni...qid=1516295252&sr=8-4&keywords=amp+hour+meter

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I didn't see that one in a previous post.
But it's pretty much what I'm looking for. Fabulous!
And hilarious, because I had seen that exact model many times, but it had watt hours and KWHs on the display. This one has amp hours, is internal shunt, available in US, on Amazon, and not expensive.
Good find. Thanks.
 
Oct 9, 2008
1,739
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
Feb 6, 1998
11,675
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
But that removes the gadget geekery.
I'm not sure I'm ready for that. :p

Although there may be overcast etc days when I'd like to know approx how much I put back in. Might need to cut back usage. Or if there is a daily abundance of power then I can use the tablet more to play Angry Birds, or use the boat's AM/FM instead of portable, or turn the fridge down for colder root beer, etc.
:)
The reality is that I can do these estimates using battery measurement tools already in place. IE voltage at rest, controller indicator, known appliance draw, etc. it's just neater to have another baseline.
Other, long duration cruisers will need a real monitor.

You can also just go old school with a accurate volt meter that can read to the hundredths & is directly connected to the house bank. You'll need to take your first measurement after a 100% recharge the day before. For example you leave the dock at 100% SOC and the next morning take a voltage reading at 6:30AM. This is your *bottom voltage baseline.

#1 Pick your min voltage point for recharging to begin.
#2 This voltage should usually be at 12.2V or higher loaded (under normal house loads)
#3 Pick the time of day you measure your bottom voltage. For most cruisers this is in the AM before any solar or alt charging as started.
#4 Check it at the same time every day.
#5 If your voltage the morning after a 100% SOC recharge is approx 12.45V write this down
#6 If each morning the voltage reading is trending down you;
A) Need more charging / you are under charging the bank
B) Are losing battery capacity
C) Not getting to a high enough SOC each day and PSOC capacity walk down is occurring (see "A")​

Over time you can develop a feel for your bank and how much you need to put in each day in order to maintain your baseline or very close to it. Continual trending downward of your morning voltage reading means you're undercharging the bank each day..

*All this assumes your daily use is similar each day.
 
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Oct 9, 2008
1,739
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
Measures 8 electrical parameters: Amps, Volts, Watts, Amp-hours, Watt-hours, Peak Amps, Minimum Volts (Sag), Peak Watts
You're right :) I just glanced over it when I saw the display screen in the pic. It apparently automatically cycles through multiple readings on the display.
It also has a backlight, and 12g wires.
Thanks for the correction.