8/31/2023 0 Comments Tri metric battery monitor![]() ![]() In actuality, for my RV its pretty normal for the inverter to be pulling 8-10 amps from the battery all day long due to network devices, DVR, Fridge, radio, weather radio, TV, phone chargers, cameras and 12v "phantom draws" of which there are many also. But the controller is thinking it should only be producing 5 amps as the battery is getting closer to 95-100% SOC. ![]() From what I can tell the BMV's won't talk to the controller to help with that.Įxample, Its just past midday and my 640w of panels could be producing 350-400 watts then. That is a great feeling.I am wondering if there is something that can make the "smartsolar" controller be a bit smart? Let it put out more amperage than it thinks the battery can accept so solar panels can help overcome the loads in the RV (or boat)? It pains me to see the negitive numbers on my trimetric when I know there is plenty of sunshine to keep charging the battery but the smartsolar controller is not aware we really need more power. Watching the voltage climb and the battery ‘percent full’ value climb as the sun rises is very neat! The battery bank is full by 09:30 AM and I can burn as much electricity as I like. I am entirely LED equipped so leaving all lights on doesn’t draw much power, so, I have to use things like fans, incandescent lights, and a small inverter. Believe it or not, this takes a great deal of effort. I’ve drawn the house batteries down to the 80% level overnight. It is fun to run various electrical components after dark and be able to see the amperage being drawn and the battery ‘percent full’ change. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing with this new tool. It is certainly not difficult – just read the manual. Configuring the monitor requires a read or two of manual as everything is done with just two buttons. The monitor is very capable is this mode only. Initially, it is setup to provide just the basics and only requires setting three values. The Trimetric monitor has a bunch of features. These two add-on’s would allow the charge controller to do a better job by having an accurate sense of the battery voltage and temperature. Of course, while I was at it… I also ran a battery voltage sense cable and battery temperature cable to the MorningStar MPPT solar charge controller. I ordered a 50′ cable and just barely had enough. This required a run from the battery bank in the very front of Shaneeda, to the rear axle, up thru the floor, and then forward to my “electric panel” location. I wanted to follow the existing electrical wiring and not punch a new hole anywhere. The cable from the shunt to the Trimetric monitor is a not so easy – at least in my case. For this, I had to make one very short length of cable. You simply need a place to mount the shunt and the correct cables to connect it to the battery. ![]() In my case, I needed to install a 500 amp shunt at the battery bank and then run the cables. Installing the Trimetric Battery Monitor is pretty simple but that doesn’t mean that some effort is not required. I decided that knowing exactly what was going on with my 12 volt electrical system would be very beneficial, provide a great deal of peace of mind, and would be well worth the two-hundred dollars that the Trimetric battery monitor costs. However one does run the risk of damaging the batteries (over-depleting) and is constantly wondering what state things are in. As a result of that experiment, I began to understand how nice/convenient it would be to know what is happening with your battery bank. Why? Well, that is the question I had prior to spending ten days boondocking with solar only. So, I followed their lead and purchased one too. While researching solar power on the Internet, one cannot miss the many references to the Trimetric Battery Monitor. ![]()
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