I think I put my shunt on the wrong way round

[mikecontessa26]

I've just finished connecting up my new Victron Battery Monitor which seems to work great apart from the fact that it's all the wrong way round. When I turn on loads of power it says the batteries will last for infinity and when i charge the batteries it says they will last 200hrs.

Am I right in assuming i've connected the shunt the wrong way round and just need to rotate it.

How stupid... it didn't make it clear in the installation instructions there was a right and wrong way /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Evadne]

A shunt is usually a resistor and can go in either way around. are you sure it's not in parallel instead of in series (or vice versa)?
Or, more likely, that your measuring points are across the battery instead of across the shunt?

 

[CPD]

It sounds like the two wires measuring voltage drop (and therefore current through) over the shunt may need to be swapped round.

Also, have you checked that you have programmed the unit with the AH capacity of the battery it is measuring ?.

 

[nimbusgb]

CPD has got it right. the sense wires that are across the shunt are reversed.

 

[mikecontessa26]

Can you please explain, the shunt connects to the negative wire of the battery, you basically split that wire and instert the shunt across them, basically i just need to switch those wires to the oposite poles on the shunt and it should all be ok? thats what i thought anyway, it can be the only thing thta s wrong, i have put the correct battery bank size in. It also reads negative drains when they should be positive etc.

Victron should have made it clearer on the shunt which way round to put it.

Thanks, i'll try switching it round at the weekend.

 

[DipperToo]

Had exactly the same problem several months ago when I fitted a Victron monitor - just change the negative connections round (main cables). Leave the monitor wires 'as are' as they just plug into the shunt using an RJ45 connector.

Great value monitor and works well once set up.

 

[mikecontessa26]

ok thanks all.. i agree it's great value, it's also smaller and almost competative on price to the Nasa model. seems really simple.

 

[DaveS]

If you put a current shunt in parallel with the battery rather than in series you'll soon know about it! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[damo]

Phew, for one horrible moment I thought you were referring to a climbing shunt /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif If you got that upside down you wouldn't stop until you hit the floor1