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Battery Monitor

chrisski

Solar Boondocker
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Aug 14, 2020
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Anyone know a cheap battery monitor that will display SOC and current in and out?

I’m taking a look at battery monitors hoping to find a cheap accurate battery monitor, but with me wanting to read amps in and amps out, the only thing I can find is the Victron Smart Shunt and $130 is more than I hope to spend on a 25 ah battery.

The chapter chargers I see display current in one direction only, as it leaves the battery and not while chargino.

Renogy makes one for $99, but can’t see if it displays current in both directions.
 
Yes .... in and out ....Voltage, instantaneous current, AH's remaining and percent SOC based on the parameters you put in.

It is shunt based. I think some of the others that only measure 1 way are hall effect.

I haven't tested to see exactly how low of current it will measure, but it does pretty well there too.
 
With a shunt based monitor it will display the resultant current between charge and discharge.
 
With a shunt based monitor it will display the resultant current between charge and discharge
So I thought. This only measures current one way. It looks like a shunt and is even called a shunt, but can’t measure current in two directions. Need to read the reviews to find that out; as if that little piece of info was left out of the description so people would purchase it and not return it.

32755EFF-25D4-4ECA-BB0E-2E3519F6EC8A.jpeg
At least three companies make something that looks just like this at the same price, and none of them measure current both ways, I think it’s manufactured by the same company and just rebranded.

There’s also a few other shunts about the same price that don’t measure current in both directions. The only two I’ve found that does it is the Victron Shunt, the Ali shunt listed above. Perhaps the Renogy measures it also, but can’t see it in the reviews, pictures, or manual.
 
Here is some user info about a reasonably priced monitor:
 
So I thought. This only measures current one way. It looks like a shunt and is even called a shunt, but can’t measure current in two directions. Need to read the reviews to find that out; as if that little piece of info was left out of the description so people would purchase it and not return it.

View attachment 62699
At least three companies make something that looks just like this at the same price, and none of them measure current both ways, I think it’s manufactured by the same company and just rebranded.

There’s also a few other shunts about the same price that don’t measure current in both directions. The only two I’ve found that does it is the Victron Shunt, the Ali shunt listed above. Perhaps the Renogy measures it also, but can’t see it in the reviews, pictures, or manual.
I was just about to send you an EBay link to the same meter: https://www.ebay.com/itm/401891872581

The EBay one is a little cheaper, but it only has a 100A shunt, so you are limited to that. I don't see anything in the EBay listing that says it only measures current in one direction. If it is really doing Coulomb counting to maintain the current state of charge, it has to measure current in both directions.
 
I’m going to but the AiLi based off the feedback from @Bob B


https://www.ebay.com/itm/401891872581

The EBay one is a little cheaper, but it only has a 100A shunt, so you are limited to that. I don't see anything in the EBay listing that says it only measures current in one direction. If it is really doing Coulomb counting to maintain the current state of charge, it has to measure current in both directions.
That’s what I think. Often times reviews like it only reads current in one direction could be because the company does makes it to hard to figure out . In this case, there’s enough of these one way reviews for me to think it’s true.
 
@chrisski ...I don't know if all the shunt type monitors will measure both directions or not .... just because the shunt will give you the positive and negative voltage doesn't mean the monitor is capable of processing both.

I don't know anything specific about that one you are wondering about.
 
If you get the AiLi make sure to buy the 350amp shunt. It’s worth the extra $5. The monitor cable is twice as long and the shunt has mounting holes as well as easier to connect large wires.
 
THe Bogart may be a good option, but priced at nearly $190 for a shunt and monitor, does not seem cheap.
 
Another product worth consideration:

 
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