T&T: Charger

[capteric36]

 Most amp meters instructions tell you to install
the shunt in the ground (black) line. They even
indicate that there is a 'right' way and a 'wrong'
way to do it. I wonder how the heck a resistor
could care which way current is running through
it...
Make sure you install the shunt so that ALL of the
current going into or out of the batteries has to
pass through the shunt.
 Then you should get an acurate measurement of the
current flowing in your system.
 To measure ONLY the charge current either turn
off all 12 volt loads, or install the shunt in
only the charger's ground lead/
 Check to see if your charger has 'remote battery
voltage sensing'/ That will be another set (much
thinner wires) going from the charger to the
battery positive and negative posts. Those wires
(if present) should NOT be moved from the battery
posts. They are just there to accuratly measure
the battery voltage and carry almost zero
current )like a couple of microamps at most).

Eric Thompson
S/V Procrastinator
South San Francisco
capteric36 at sbcglobal.net