Advice on fitting volt/amp meter, please.

[tat]

I am ready to fit a combined volt meter and amp meter. I have found the wiring diagrams, but they are a bit confusing for me.

I intended to do this: There are two lots of wires coming from the meter: 1. a red wire and a black wire, and 2. a yellow wire, a red wire, and a black wire.

I presume the red wire and the black wire are the volt meter, and so I will connect the red to the positive wire coming from the battery, and the black to the negative going to the battery.

The next set of wires I presume are the amp meter, and I intend to connect a shunt in series with the negative wire going into the battery, and then connect the black to the battery side of the shunt, and then the yellow to the other side of the shunt. But then there is the red wire; do I connect that to the positive wire, and if so, do I need to connect it to a particular point in the circuit?

I am also going to fit a switch, like a door bell switch, and so where should I insert the switch?

I'd welcome any advice with this as it just baffles me at this point in my learning, and I know the frustration will be massive as it is all very confined and awkward for me to reach. Thanks.

[Badsanta]

It may help if you list the make and model.

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[tat]

display box Picture - More Detailed Picture about YB27VA DC 100V 100A 2in1 Volmeter Ammeter Dual Red Blue LED Digital Display Voltage Ampere Meter Picture in Voltage Meters from MOVOO Store | Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

[goboatingnow]

Looking at the wiring diagrams. The 2 wire red/Black is the module power supply.

For circumstances where the voltages are within the modules supply range ( 4.5 -30 v) connect the two red wires together and run to positive DC. The black of the two wire pair is unused.

On the three wire set. Black to negative side of shunt , yellow to positive side of shunt

The only reason to use the two wire pair separately is of the measuring voltages are above the supply voltages as the device can measure upto 100v


Unless I missed it , it's not clear what shunt you need.

Since the claimed operating current is less then 20mA , I wouldn't bother switching it with a push button. Just have it go off when you turn off your batteries master switch
Dave




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[psneeld]

Looking for a current transformer instead of a shunt for a 100 amp setup.

Any sources?....as my searches usually turn up much smaller stuff.

The display shown is a possible.

[goboatingnow]

I should add that I don't think these devices can't handle negative voltages , so they make not indicate recharging currents and in fact it may actually kill the device


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[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by psneeld

Looking for a current transformer instead of a shunt for a 100 amp setup.



Any sources?....as my searches usually turn up much smaller stuff.



The display shown is a possible.

Widely available from electronics component suppliers like mouser etc

Current transformers will only work on AC. Hall effect will work on both. , but you'll need a reading device that has preprocessing circuitry for both

Shunts are far cheaper and much more accurate and easy to interface

Dave


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[tat]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Looking at the wiring diagrams. The 2 wire red/Black is the module power supply.

For circumstances where the voltages are within the modules supply range ( 4.5 -30 v) connect the two red wires together and run to positive DC. The black of the two wire pair is unused.

On the three wire set. Black to negative side of shunt , yellow to positive side of shunt

The only reason to use the two wire pair separately is of the measuring voltages are above the supply voltages as the device can measure upto 100v


Unless I missed it , it's not clear what shunt you need.

Since the claimed operating current is less then 20mA , I wouldn't bother switching it with a push button. Just have it go off when you turn off your batteries master switch
Dave




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Thank you for that. It is such a great help. That red/black pair makes sense that it be the power supply (and thus where the switch should be, too, if I put one in). Thanks. The meter came with a shunt.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by tat

Thank you for that. It is such a great help. That red/black pair makes sense that it be the power supply (and thus where the switch should be, too, if I put one in). Thanks. The meter came with a shunt.

No problems. I don't think these meters will read or survive negative amp reading. But for 10 bucks I'd suck it and see


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[Albin25]

Greetings.

I'm not sure of the supplier of your meter but here is how my wiring went.

The shunt is as you stated wired into the NEGATIVE Big wire to the Battery.

The other side of the shunt is connected to the Big Wire Negative DC Distribution.

All loads and sources. On the shunt there should be 2 small terminals.

These are twisted pair - one wire is connected to the Load side and the other is connected to the battery side of the shunt . These two wires are twisted together to reduce noise in the measuring voltage - This voltage is very small compared to the main line voltage. That is why the device is called a Shunt.

Now to need your battery to supply a voltage to run your meter. Red - Positive and Black of course is the Neg- supply. Now install the recommended fuse. I have attached a small diagram to help you.

Let see how it goes.

Remember, these things all run on Smoke. If you let even a little bit out, the thing won't work !!

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Albin25

Greetings.

I'm not sure of the supplier of your meter but here is how my wiring went.

The shunt is as you stated wired into the NEGATIVE Big wire to the Battery.

The other side of the shunt is connected to the Big Wire Negative DC Distribution.

All loads and sources. On the shunt there should be 2 small terminals.

These are twisted pair - one wire is connected to the Load side and the other is connected to the battery side of the shunt . These two wires are twisted together to reduce noise in the measuring voltage - This voltage is very small compared to the main line voltage. That is why the device is called a Shunt.

Now to need your battery to supply a voltage to run your meter. Red - Positive and Black of course is the Neg- supply. Now install the recommended fuse. I have attached a small diagram to help you.

Let see how it goes.

Remember, these things all run on Smoke. If you let even a little bit out, the thing won't work !!

With the greatest respect. I have supplied the OP with the specific wiring for the meter he indicated. Yours is different and hence can merely serve to confuse
Dave


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[tat]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

No problems. I don't think these meters will read or survive negative amp reading. But for 10 bucks I'd suck it and see


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I never thought about negative amps when I'm charging, I suppose you mean, but like you say, give it a try......it's all good fun. Cheers.

[tat]

Originally Posted by Albin25

Greetings.

I'm not sure of the supplier of your meter but here is how my wiring went.

The shunt is as you stated wired into the NEGATIVE Big wire to the Battery.

The other side of the shunt is connected to the Big Wire Negative DC Distribution.

All loads and sources. On the shunt there should be 2 small terminals.

These are twisted pair - one wire is connected to the Load side and the other is connected to the battery side of the shunt . These two wires are twisted together to reduce noise in the measuring voltage - This voltage is very small compared to the main line voltage. That is why the device is called a Shunt.

Now to need your battery to supply a voltage to run your meter. Red - Positive and Black of course is the Neg- supply. Now install the recommended fuse. I have attached a small diagram to help you.

Let see how it goes.

Remember, these things all run on Smoke. If you let even a little bit out, the thing won't work !!

Thanks. Twisting together? Stripping the insulation and physically twisting both wires together? I don't understand that.

A fuse? Well, it is a component so suppose needs a fuse, even if current only tiny. But I don't know. I should put a fuseholder inline and bang in a half amp fuse?

And they run on smoke, and if I let a bit out it won't work? It's like a cheech n chong film

[oleman]

I assume you have already made up your mind to go for the cheap fix but:
If your vessel is important to you and your electrical system is important to your vessel I would go with good quality analog meters by SIMPSON Electric Company. Their equipment has served me well for the past 60 years of boating.
A good shunt and a good quality meter are both vital to analog current measurement, as are precision series resistors vital to the measurement analog volts.
I use a shunt large enough to display diesel cranking current, tells you a lot about the condition of the starting batteries and the engine.
Another shunt is used with another meter in the battery supply circuits and alternator charging circuits.
The OLD precision mechanical meters are a real asset to any vessels electrical panels.
AND the pesty little computerized meters all use swithchmode technology that generates noise in the HF spectrum, wonder why modern vessels have such crappy HF signal reception. All those switching circuits add up to a mess.

[smac999]

ditch the meter and buy a battery monitor like a vicron