Confused About Electrical Basics

[dirty6]

Whelp, I installed a (Victron knock-off) Fusion Energy TBD-SmartShunt bluetooth battery monitor (link) in our 560 yesterday. About half the price of the Victron. I’m thrifty…

It is doing fine, giving good state of charge % info as well as current amp-hours in and out, and estimated time to a user-entered SoC minimum based on current load.

It would have been a straightforward install except my battery compartment is fulla’ other stuff I installed, and it starts off pretty tight from CI. There is NO MORE room in there, and I have to stop doing these electrical add-ons!

Yeah I was a little surprised when I tried to cram my new battery and shunt into the battery compartment to see how dang tight the fit was. Part of it was the nuclear power plant size power cable the shunt came with. But even without any extra stuff in my battery compartment, it was a really tight squeeze

 

[SethB]

Yeah I was a little surprised when I tried to cram my new battery and shunt into the battery compartment to see how dang tight the fit was. Part of it was the nuclear power plant size power cable the shunt came with. But even without any extra stuff in my battery compartment, it was a really tight squeeze

Right, there is a scale problem with a lot of these upgrades. The shunt monitor will handle at least 5x the power our little electric systems deal in… and lots of the other rv/marine components are designed for larger vehicles than our little trailers.

Victron, dirty6? How is it working for you?

 

[dirty6]

Victron, dirty6? How is it working for you?

Sorry, I missed this.

I think there is a learning curve and I think I’m behind it. The Victron needs to be programmed based on the battery system it is attached to. I plugged the appropriate numbers into the app, but I worry that it still hasn’t “learned” the right calibration for the battery yet since the battery shore charger isn’t the proper one for charging the lithium battery.

I also had a deep discharge from a few weeks of parasitic draw when I forgot to flip off the DC disconnect switch. Or maybe the battery protection system just turned itself off? The Victron gave really weird numbers when I got the battery back on a charger to wake it up.

Bottom line, it’s working. …. I just don’t know if it’s working right!

 

[Jojjymozz]

For the SmartShunt, it’s important to ensure that all the power flowing in and out of the battery goes through it, including all your loads and chargers. If your current setup only connects the negative cable to the chassis, you may need to change some wiring. This can be a bit complicated, especially if you are not familiar with electrical work. Getting it wrong could cause problems with your system. It’s a good idea to get professional help from companies like powerline contractor Ottawa to make sure everything is connected safely and correctly.

 

[SethB]

For the SmartShunt, it’s important to ensure that all the power flowing in and out of the battery goes through it, including all your loads and chargers. If your current setup only connects the negative cable to the chassis, you may need to change some wiring. This can be a bit complicated, especially if you are not familiar with electrical work. Getting it wrong could cause problems with your system. It’s a good idea to get professional help from companies like powerline contractor Ottawa to make sure everything is connected safely and correctly.

@Jojjymozz this post is a mix of truths and errors. This conversation is about installation of a monitoring shunt in a travel trailer, not a car or truck. A company like the recommended Canadian high voltage powerline contractor would be of little help to any camping trailer owner, much less one in Missouri USA.

On the other hand, it’s certainly true that all loads and chargers must connect on the “to system “ side of the shunt.

 

[Sweeney]

I found this today, and it was relevant to this discussion. volts=amps * resistance and W=Volts * Amps, but one of my foibles is that when I am put under pressure, I tend to doubt myself terribly and have to double check myself. I am looking for a good visual representation of these laws so I can vinyl cut them, and put them on my clipboard so they are always there....and I found site.

I hope this is helpful --- the visual representation is well done, though, not 100% correct. But certainly close enough without getting into fluid dynamics

Portable Camping Power Part 1 - Electrical Terms and Principles Made Simple | Take The Truck

Camping power and electrical terms are not always easy to understand! This post explains the basic camping power principles and common electrical terms with a straight-forward analogy to help keep it simple. Which will ultimately help you select the right portable camping power supply for your needs

www.takethetruck.com

View media item 2730

 

[rotus8]

Perhaps my T-shirt can help with the understanding.
View attachment 1734709898658.jpeg

 

[Van_and_Terri]

Perhaps my T-shirt can help with the understanding.
View attachment 11230

Good Juan! Great analogy.

 

[SethB]

I found this today, and it was relevant to this discussion. volts=amps * resistance and W=Volts * Amps, but one of my foibles is that when I am put under pressure, I tend to doubt myself terribly and have to double check myself. I am looking for a good visual representation of these laws so I can vinyl cut them, and put them on my clipboard so they are always there....and I found site.

I hope this is helpful --- the visual representation is well done, though, not 100% correct. But certainly close enough without getting into fluid dynamics

Portable Camping Power Part 1 - Electrical Terms and Principles Made Simple | Take The Truck

Camping power and electrical terms are not always easy to understand! This post explains the basic camping power principles and common electrical terms with a straight-forward analogy to help keep it simple. Which will ultimately help you select the right portable camping power supply for your needs

www.takethetruck.com

View media item 2730

That’s a great resource! Thanks for sharing it.

Perhaps my T-shirt can help with the understanding.
View attachment 11230

Your little guys seem angry
They remind me of the shmoo of yesteryear…

Great t-shirt!

 

[Sweeney]

Good Juan! Great analogy.

I have a die sub printer --- I may see my next project!

They remind me of the shmoo of yesteryear…

my though exactly....