Any reason to prefer digital? For meters, I tend to like the needles! I would include the battery monitor, for sure, which provides voltage and current for the DC side. I would have the analog meters for the AC side. No need for meters on the DC side (with the battery monitor). I put tank gauges on my panel, put not sure if the 360 panel accommodates. I would include the indicator light for Blue Sea ACR. I might also include a USB charging port on the panel if I don't have another convenient location.
The analog meters are just not precise enough. Redunancy is good too. The panel meter will read the voltage at the panel while a SmartGuage or Victron will measure the voltage at the battery. Comparing the 2 readings will give you an idea of how much line loss there is from the battery to panel.
The analog meters are just not precise enough. Redunancy is good too. The panel meter will read the voltage at the panel while a SmartGuage or Victron will measure the voltage at the battery. Comparing the 2 readings will give you an idea of how much line loss there is from the battery to panel.
True about the redundancy. I did connect a digital volt meter on Thunderbird, not located on the panel but on another cabinet that I could switch on and off. Always about .1 volts less than the monitor.
Digital meters also provide more resolution than you can see with your eye on a needle, analog meter movements tend to stick. No one still uses analog in industry unless they are tuning something. Ease of accurate readings are the main reason. Also, a digital meter is way easier to manufacture than a decent quality analog one and therefore a better buy.
Ken
Ken
I have an AC ammeter that measures total current from my genset or current from my primary shore power connector. I use it to shed loads as required to stay within the genset output capacity and the 30A CB for the main AC circuits.
Normally my genset will power up everything simultaneously but if my wife wants to us a hair dryer, I need to shut off something so that the breakers don't trip. The water heater is typically the load I shed.
Normally my genset will power up everything simultaneously but if my wife wants to us a hair dryer, I need to shut off something so that the breakers don't trip. The water heater is typically the load I shed.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 21,188
I am not sure about the relevance of an Ammeter on a panel. Or for that matter even a volt meter. Sure they look pretty and when you first start to interact with the panel they are interesting to see light up and change the numbers, but from then on the voltage drop from the battery to the panel should be a constant. And they consume a fair bit of space
Now having a SG200 Balmar or a Victron BVM702 battery monitor makes sense. Their essential function is to calculate ampere hours consumed and the state of charge of a battery.You are getting new data on the battery health on a constant bases. I would definitely explore their inclusion on the system.
Save the space on the 360 panel for switches and the "ELCI for the AC side, and LED indicator lights" mentioned by @dlochner
And once or twice you experience a power loss on the hair dryer, turning off the usual suspect loads would be the same.
Now having a SG200 Balmar or a Victron BVM702 battery monitor makes sense. Their essential function is to calculate ampere hours consumed and the state of charge of a battery.You are getting new data on the battery health on a constant bases. I would definitely explore their inclusion on the system.
Save the space on the 360 panel for switches and the "ELCI for the AC side, and LED indicator lights" mentioned by @dlochner
Have you tried to read the numbers on a Victron Battery Monitor? Those Blue Sea digital gauges have nice large numbers so old guys can read them without having to squint or find their readers.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 21,188
Mine lights up and makes the numbers easy too read. The challenge is in knowing what the coded messages are telling me.
I need a cheat sheet.... You can always use your phone to take a picture and blow it up.
I need a cheat sheet.... You can always use your phone to take a picture and blow it up.
It’s a guess on tenths with the scale of the Blue Sea analog gauge. I’d like to switch my amp meter to digital but there are expensive .