Current Project - Adding a DC Voltmeter-Wattmeter

Updated August 4
I completed the install yesterday. I did install a fuse at the coach batteries. I'll post a more complete blog in the future on the details of the install. The meter works well. I set the low voltage alarm at 12.1V (about 50% depth of discharge, or DoD). The meter is very accurate. I measured the voltage at the coach batteries and compared to the display. I also measured the mV at the shunt and compared to the ammeter display (has a 75mV shunt). After charging the coach batteries I killed the AC to the coach and with the meter powered, the fantastic fan at speed 1 and an overhead fluorescent on, this was the display. The battery voltage is high because it has some surface charge:

Voltmeter-ammeter-wattmeter with voltage alarm

Updated August 1

Meter in Case, with DC power "Off-On" switch

Making progress. The cabling is in, the shunt is mounted, and I've wired the meter case. I should complete in another hour or so. However, today (August 1) it was overcast and so I worked on the travel trailer; I'm using Meguiar's® Fiberglass Oxidation Remover on the cap. Got about 70% complete before the rain came in. I'll be working on that for another couple of days, weather permitting. Can't do this in the sunlight, or the rain. After completing with the Remover I'll be using No. 45 Polish followed by No. 56 Pure Wax.

Today I wired the meter case, and assembled jumper cabling to extend from the coach batteries to the cable run to the meter.



Original Post, July 28, 2017:
Current project is to put a decent DC electrical meter into the 210P, to monitor the coach batteries.

The 4-LEDS (L-F-G-C) or "Low-Fair-Good-Charging" indicate G "good" at 11.95V, which is not good IMHO. I really don't know the point at which the G indicator goes out, and the F "fair" indicator is illuminated. I don't think I want to find out.

Why my concern? The 11.95V which the LED "G" indicates "good" charge level, is actually a 40% charge level (60% DoD, or "Depth of Discharge") for the AGM coach batteries. Why do I consider that to be a problem? To get best life out of the AGMs it is my understanding that one should not repeatedly discharge below 50%, although these batteries can be discharged 80% (11.66V). The bad news? Doing so repeatedly will shorten the life. How much? As much as 50%, or a 5-8 year battery will make only 2.5-4 years.

So I'm interested in knowing the DoD and a good voltmeter will tell me that. My 210P has the AGM coach batteries, and I replaced the first set a few months ago; they were about 4-1/2 years old.

Is there an alternative approach? I considered just adding meter jacks, but G would have had some difficulty with that, so I'm putting in a digital ammeter-wattmeter. Probably the most difficult was determining how and where to mount it, because routing the cabling is a real pain. After figuring it out I purchased the parts. Should be up and running in a few day, assuming I find some time to complete.

A malted and a smoothie

As we prepared to leave MI for a few days we stopped by the Beach Bucket on Red Arrow Highway before going into the Warren Dunes State Park.  I got a blueberry-yogurt smoothie at the Beach Bucket and G got a malted. Then down or up the road we went!

Summer Sunsets

No sunset is the same as the one preceding it. Here is a video of the July 22 sunset, with thunderheads over the horizon.

The weather at Latitude 41.901439

In the northern latitude where we spend about 7 months of the year, we find ourselves on the cusp of warm and cold fronts. That makes for some interesting weather during the warm weather months. One day it's 65F and the next it's 85F.

This, I have concluded, is why man invented air conditioning.

However, when those cold fronts move down from the north the skies turn clear blue, the humidity falls and the nights are very cool. On other days the fronts move northward, the humidity skyrockets to 85-90% and the thunderstorms commence as the front moves by.

A couple of days ago we were treated to a sudden shift in weather as a warm front moved northward. Rain began at about 4:00am and by 7:00 we not only had a significant downpour, but then we were treated to hail. However, a few hours later the sun dried it all out and we biked to the lakefront and discovered that the sun worshippers were at the beach. As this weather "tug of war" goes on, we also get some wonderful rainbows.

Krasl Art Fair

The Krasl Art Fair is underway. A beautiful, sunny and mild day.

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A short video:

Campground visitors

Sharing the campsite with nature. Sometimes one has to watch where they put their feet. Guess we'll be eating lunch in today.

Yellowstone Seismic Activity

This morning a friend posted that she had been woken up by a 5.8 magnitude earth quake in Lincoln, Montana. That's about 250 miles north of Yellowstone National Park.  Yellowstone is on our bucket list. We'll do a northern trek to get to Yellowstone and beyond.

The USGS has an observatory in Yellowstone. Following image courtesy of USGS.

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory

"The supervolcano at Yellowstone National Park has been hit with more than 400 earthquakes since June 12. Researchers say it's nothing to be alarmed about, though....... In a statement to the Star Valley Independent, scientists from the University of Utah -- which monitors the volcano -- said the earthquake swarms are nothing new.  “This is the highest number of earthquakes at Yellowstone within a single week in the past five years, but is fewer than weekly counts during similar earthquakes swarms in 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2010.”

Here are a few links.

https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/

https://watchers.news/2017/07/02/yellowstone-volcano-earthquakes-june-2017/

http://www.nps.gov/yell/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm

Sunsets on the Eastern Shore of Lake Michigan

Last glow of the setting sun

A couple of sunset videos. We walk to the lakeshore to view the sunset as do many others. However as the park closes at 10:00pm and it is dark, if we decide we will stay to full dark we will drive in. Takes a season pass, which is inexpensive.