Installed real power meters
Been busy. I planned on designing and installing some voltage\current meters in our RV, but it kept getting more and more complicated. Finally found some ready made units online pretty cheap and they do a lot more than mine would have. But before I got to work on them, i had to fix the battery isolater issue. After that, the coach batter blew up. I knew it was "weak" but i didnt think about water levels, just assumed it was age.
So I cleaned that up, but while installing the new battery, I noticed that GS used some very small lugs for their electrical connections, and some were in bad shape (partly due to the acid eating them).
While I installed new, much beefier hardware, i also installed the new meters. The AC signals were not too bad because I can pickup everything in the ATS which is located in the bathroom cabinet, close to where the meter installs. The DC signals were a pain.
While installing the battery, I had to install a shunt for the current pick up. So that had to be bolted to the frame (new ground point). Then run a cable from the battery compartment to the back of the RV, up through the floor, around (under) the tub/shower, behind/under the toilet, into the bathroom cabinet and route both cables into and up the inside of the wall where the get installed.
But it works, now I can keep an eye on things.
I get both (AC\DC) voltages and (AC\DC)currents, plus wattage and power factors. And since its measuring the coach AC from the ATS, its measuring both the generator or the shore line, whichever one is powering the coach at the time.
|