Second Ammeter

[Mort Fligelman]

I followed the instructions concerning the "uncoupling" for lack of a better term, of the glow plug and starter button on my E-35-3, along with the other change to a heavier wire on the alternator, and noted that the ammeter would not read to correct current.

I am one that has never been comfortable with an "Idiot Light" on an automobile, or a boat....and right now it seems to me that is all the ammeter on my boat is.

Has anyone installed an additional ammeter, either in the cockpit, or below in the area of the distribution panel?

Comments would be appreciated.....a soloution would be better...

 

[Mike.Gritten]

Mort,

on Papillon we removed the ammeter connections from the engine panel in the cockpit, as per recommendations from several others on this site. We upgraded the wiring to the panel and starter at the same time. It was an excellent decision. We installed a Blue Seas digital multi-meter on the new panel by the nav station to replace the old analog gauge on the engine panel. The Blue Seas unit uses a shunt as the sending unit for the new gauge. I really like this approach as the old-style meter had long runs of fairly heavy wire to the inline ammeter, with the full charging current running through these wires and therefore the meter itself. The shunt uses only very small, low current wires to feed the new meter. Much safer! I'm sure there are lots of pics and posts on similar topics if you use the Search function.

 

[Cory B]

Ammeter

We replaced the OEM analog voltage meter on the DC electrical panel with a Blue Seas (same as Mikes above) digital ammeter/voltmeter. Amazingly enough, its the same size cutout.

 

[dwigle]

Link 10

I also have replaced my breaker panels with Blue Sea that include voltmeter and ammeter, however I also installed a Link 10 battery monitor http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/237/p/1/pt/5/product.asp
which gives me way more valuable information, especially when we are out for a few days.

Don Wigle
Wiggle Room
E38 #8

 

[Tom Metzger]

Ammeter location

Mort - The question is "what current do you want to read?" The engine panel meter just reads the alternator current. It's nice to know, but doesn't have much meaning if you sail or anchor. Putting the meter in the battery circuit makes more sense to me as you then get readings when the engine is not running.

If you use two batteries interchangeably the best place to meter is the combined battery ground. If you have a dedicated house bank then the best point is the house battery ground. The latter is where a battery monitor would go. Both would monitor the current into and out of the battery.

Replacing the analog meter on the electric panel just gives a better reading of the load on the panel, not the charging current.

I still use the engine panel ammeter to tell me that the glow plugs, fuel pump, and solenoid are working.

 

[Cory B]

Replacing the analog meter on the electric panel just gives a better reading of the load on the panel, not the charging current.

Actually, it can.

The BlueSeas (and other modern meters presumably) read current going through a shunt. We have the shunt in the battery compartment reading all current coming and going as you described. And just have the much smaller "indicator" wires running to the meter in the panel.

 

[Tom Metzger]

I agree

Cory - The location of the meter in a circuit is where the current is being read, not necessarily where the meter is mounted. When I said in the battery ground circuit that is where the shunt goes. It would be tough to get those 1/0 wires on the meter terminals, and even tougher trying to read the meter there.

BTW, there is nothing modern about using shunts. Virtually all DC ammeters have them, but most are inside the meter case, not external. External shunts become more common as the currents get larger. AC meters use current transformers and/or shunts.