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--- electrical:12v:battery_monitor [2020/04/15 23:15]
frater_secessus [inexpensive shunts]
+++ electrical:12v:battery_monitor [2020/04/15 23:26]
frater_secessus [Battery monitors]
@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 Battery monitors typically show:
-  * battery voltage ([[meta:acronyms|Vbatt]]); and
+  * battery voltage ([[meta:acronyms|Vbatt]]), more helpful with lead than lithium; and
   * Amps or Watts in (charging) / out (discharging)
-Watching amps trail off at the end of Absorption (endAmps) will also tell you when the bank is [[electrical:12v:charging|fully charged]].  The battery manufacturer will specify something like [[electrical:12v:battery_capacity|C/200]] or C/100 as a sign Absorption is complete.
+In general, the monitor will watch for your system to hit a configured 100% state of charge voltage and start counting amps used while below that voltage.  This is an imperfect science with lead batteries because 100% SoC is only valid after a complete charge, and because different discharge rates will change the effective capacity.
+Note:  Watching amps trail off at the end of lead Absorption (endAmps) will also tell you when the bank is [[electrical:12v:charging|fully charged]].  The battery manufacturer will specify something like [[electrical:12v:battery_capacity|C/200]] or C/100 as a sign Absorption is complete.
 One benefit of having a shunt-based monitor over a [[electrical:solar:status#then_observe_the_controller|charge controller monitor]] is the shunt can discern between [dis]charging vs [dis]charging+loads.
+===== configuration =====
+Meters typically need a few settings defined:
+  * battery capacity - remember that lead batteries are typically only used to about 50% of their rated capacity.  You'll either be making that mental adjustment when you configure the meter or when you read it later.  Battery capacity will also degrade over time.
+  * You may also need to tell the meter what your battery manufacturer's 100% state of charge ("full") voltage is
 ===== Bogart Trimetric =====

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