Ya you guys are confirming my thoughts. Im putting smaller fuses all through the paneI. I eventually plan on upgrading this unit to one of the more sailboat specific units which is a little further down on my list. I figured 12.00 can't really complain if it even works at all until then! I'm going to seal it up a bit for laughs. Also not cutting a hole for it in the boat. I'll velcro, duct tape or bubble gum it in until it breaks, corroded or melts. Jazz Jazz On Feb 20, 2016 11:46 AM, "John Schinnerer" <john@eco-living.net> wrote:
Ditto that...
Note that the diagram says "built in shunt" - this means that the device itself contains a thingamajig doohickey (sorry for all the technical terms :-) called a "shunt" that all DC power passes through on its way to the loads (and is what enables the measurement of the current).
So just connect as the pictures show, battery + and - to battery, and then you need to substitute your panel + and busbar - for the + and - of the big wire-wound resistor DC load shown in the pictures.
Absolutely fuse it, between battery + and meter +. A regular ATO or Mini auto fuse inline holder will do. As someone already said, fuses are to prevent fires mainly, protect the wiring from getting hot and/or melting.
Also, if you're in saltwater environment mostly, don't expect this cheap of a meter to last long.
cheers, John S.
On 02/20/2016 09:00 AM, David Rifkind wrote:
On Feb 20, 2016, at 9:24 AM, Mitch Carnes <mitch_carnes@sbcglobal.net>
wrote:
+ to positive side of battery, - to negative side of battery. This will power unit AND monitor battery voltage.+load to positive side of battery - load goes to positive side of device being powered. (AMP/Current meters are typically wired "in line" or "in series" of device being monitored) The negative, or - side of the device being monitored still goes to the negative side of the battery.
I don’t think this is right. Look at the photos in the eBay listing and you can see they have hooked up:
1. Power supply (battery) to “+” and “-“. Disconnect the battery from everything else. 2. Connect “+ load” and “- load” where the battery used to connect.
It might not hurt to put an inline 20A fuse in the + line between battery and meter. Just in case.
-- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com