How to Add Amp/Volt Meter to Solar Setup? (1 Viewer)

[Vikdikdok]

Forgive me as I’m having a day of brain fog
I have a solar setup at home consisting of 1 x 100w solar panel connected via a Victron MPPT 75/10 controller to a 110a 12v battery, I want to insert this ‘Ketotek’ Amp/volt meter so it will show voltage & amps from the solar panel via MPPT controller going into the battery & also show Watts & energy being used -
Can anyone please help explain how to wire this in ?

 

[TheBig1]

is there a shunt with that meter, that you wire in between the power source and load (battery)? Some do and this measures voltage and current. Others have just a 12v supply to power the meter and 2 terminals that just attach across the battery and estimate the wattage

 

[TheBig1]

You are looking at the supplied diagram of how to wire 4 meters. You just need the one in line with the solar

 

[autorouter]

I can't find info on that model (KT D132), I can only find info on the KT D138, which has an external shunt. That's a strip of metal with two large terminals at each end, and two smaller terminals next to them. If you don't have a shunt, probably your model has an internal shunt. Your device with its internal shunt should be put in the wiring from the solar controller to the battery.

If for example you are mounting it near the solar controller, you could disconnect the wires from the solar controller, and connect them to the outer pair of terminals, making sure the positive and negative are the right way round.

Then run a couple of new wires from the solar controller to the inner pair of terminals, again ensuring the positive and negative are the right way round.

That's according to the diagram on the back, and also some diagrams of items that look like clones of your model.

 

[Vikdikdok]

Many thanks fitting it seems a bit clearer.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[LithiumConvert]

I want to insert this ‘Ketotek’ Amp/volt meter so it will show voltage & amps from the solar panel via MPPT controller going into the battery & also show Watts & energy being used -

That is not a usefull way to measure the energy being used.

For a usefull system you need to measure the voltage and TOTAL current into and out of leisure battery, not just the solar panel currents

The NDS Energy Meter from RoadPro is one such device and it's shunt is connected in the positive lead from the leisure battery. It works extremely well showing the voltage and SoC (State of Charge) of the leisure battery, together with TOTAL current (amps) into or out of the battery.

Note that this particular unit currently only works with lithium LiFePO4 batteries.

To work properly, all chargers and loads need to be connected via the shunt. It will deal with currents upto 150 amps.

 

[tinkertaylor]

Does the solar controller have a Bluetooth connection, sure it does. Get the victron app and connect, it will give you all the information you need on the app and more tbh.

Then do what LithiumConvert has suggested and connect your shunt to the negative terminal on the battery and all your negative battery cables to the otherside of the shunt.

 

[LithiumConvert]

Then do what @LithiumConvert has suggested and connect your shunt to the negative terminal

Unusually the NDS Energy Meter shunt is on the positive terminal on the battery.

Do read the instuctions on whichever one you choose.

 

[LithiumConvert]

Also, you can choose whether you want a nice physical display like the NDS has or whether you want a meter with a moble phone bluetooth app.

I like the NDS display.

 

[tinkertaylor]

Unusually the NDS Energy Meter shunt is on the positive terminal on the battery.

Do read the instuctions on whichever one you choose.

Just have to make sure the fuse is first then the shunt, very unusual, wonder why?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[LithiumConvert]

Just have to make sure the fuse is first then the shunt.

I don't think that would help.

But I have put a low power fuse (2amp) in the negative lead.
And the loads and chargers are fused as norrmal (after the shunt).

 

[tinkertaylor]

A fuse should be the first component in the circuit from the live terminal of the battery, if the shunt is on the live side of the battery, which is very unusual.

If the shunt gets a short/ something shorts across to the negative side (which can be the whole steel body of the van, quite a big target) then nothing is protecting the battery from........bang.

 

[LithiumConvert]

No more likely to short out the Energy Meter than to short out a fuse mounting.

 

[autorouter]

Shorting out the Energy Meter isn't a problem - it will stop the meter from registering anything, but it won't be dangerous. The problem is any earthed metal item shorting to the terminal or anything else on the wrong side of the fuse. It's a vehicle, accidents happen, metal gets pushed into the wrong place and can cut through wire insulation. That's why the link from the battery to the fuse should be as short as possible.

If the Energy meter is before the fuse, then logically the fuse could have been swapped with the Energy Meter, so it's not as close as possible to the battery terminal. As long as there are no branches in the wire from the fuse to the Energy Meter, it won't be affected at all by the extra length of wire.

I think this problem is the reason most shunts are fitted on the battery negative terminal, not the positive. But it should work perfectly well in either position. Most EBLs, for example, have a shunt in the positive feed from the leisure battery, but it's built into the EBL, not near the battery.

 

[LithiumConvert]

Perhaps you didn't read the original post.

This topic is about a home system .

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}