Battery Monitor

[Sundancer]

I recently purchased a Link 20 for my sailboat Sundancer and need help to wire.
Attached are two diagrams.
The first is my 12V current power setup with four(4) 6 volt Trojan
batterries (125 ah each). This 12V house battery system is charged by a
30 amp ac battery charger, an 80 amp engIne alternator, an X-Air Wind
turbine and a 125 watt solar panel. I have a small fused 850 watt
inverter attached to the batteries. The wind turbine is attached to
one set of batteries and the solar panel attached to the other to
isolate the charging controllers. In addition, I have a mtn free
engine starter baterry that is charged by a separate solar panel and
the same engine alternator and ac battery charger.
The second diagram is how I think the Link 20 should be attached to my
setup.
I believe all negatives from all my charging devices and
inverter need to terminate at the ground shunt and all the positives
from those devices terminate at the batteries.
If you have any opinions or any other helpful hints,
please forward.

 

[Stu Jackson]

U wrote: I believe all negatives from all my charging devices and inverter need to terminate at the ground shunt and all the positives

You got it.

 

[MichaelStacy]

You have to make sure that the start battery ground does not go thru the 'Link' shunt that measures current. I am assuming that you are not monitoring the start bank, but rather the house loads. Otherwise, when the Link integrates the current flow, you will have a component from the start battery in the measurement.

Michael

 

[John]

On a slightly different aspect of this: I have the Link monitor also. When I was having some trouble with it, I called up Xantrex and the tech support guy mentioned to me that these units are "very sensitive". I'm finding that the readings are often totally off. They don't show when the battery is properly charged, for instance. What I'm also finding is that if I disconnect the positive wire that runs to the unit - thus shutting the unit off - and then reconnect it, that it resets itself and the readings are then accurate. I have to do this every few days.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Re: Reply #3

He has a Link 20 that measures two banks. His second diagram is correct because he has separate negatives to the two different parts of the shunt.

 

[Sundancer]

Thanks for your assistance Stu

 

[Sundancer]

Stacy, Thanks for your reply. Do you agree with Stu's response to your concern?

Bob

 

[Sundancer]

John, thanks for your reply. I am going to be very disappointed if this reset is required. I will let you know.
Bob