It’s on the VE.Can interface, not VE.Bus. (I have this setup working for a couple months now). VE.Bus is an older RS485 based bus, primarily used by Victron for communicating with their Multiplus inverter/chargers and related equipment. VE.Bus isn’t relevant to your configuration as you don’t have a multiplus. I also have this tied into my NMEA 2000 network, as it puts all the information from my power system and engine (thanks to the ws500) onto the N2K bus for my instrumentation.
At the same time, it also lets me see all my boat’s instrumentation remotely, and also export it via signal-k to my phone, watch, etc… Having a live readout of the depth sounder on my apple watch, while up on the foredeck and prepping to drop anchor is remarkably handy. Conversely, it’s great to be able to look at all of that stuff quickly from my phone while in my bunk for the piece of mind of knowing I haven’t moved, and that I have enough depth under the keel.
The point is to measure the alternator current independently. I‘m using an old shunt left over from my Link 10 battery monitor that has long since died. In my case, though, since my alternator is isolated ground, I actually have it on the low side of the alternator rather than the high side. However, the electronics in the WS500 can also handle a high-side shunt which is nice, given that most alternators are not isolated ground.
They can, but you’re better off, in my opinion, to be able to know the actual current out of the alternator, rather than the net in/out of the battery. When building your wakespeed configuration, it’s the difference between “shunt at battery” and “Shunt at alt” in the appropriate command string.
