12V Power meter

[gauvins]

I am looking for a simple meter to measure the consumption of various devices on my boat.

Is there something like those devices used in homes (plug in the outlet, plug your appliance in the meter, read consumption in Watts or Amps. In real time or cumulative over some period of time)

Our some other suggestion.

[Sailmonkey]

Like this?

https://www.victronenergy.com/battery-monitors/bmv-700

[Jammer]

I have a GTC clamp-on meter that I use for this type of thing. The clamp-on feature allows me to measure individual circuits without changing the wiring around.


It is sensitive enough to provide useful information about parasitic loads, that is, power drawn by equipment that is supposed to be "off." The usable sensitivity is around 10 mA. Anything less gets lost in stray magnetic fields.


https://www.amazon.com/CM100-Amps-Cu...amp+on+ammeter

[gauvins]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Like this?

https://www.victronenergy.com/battery-monitors/bmv-700

No. I have it already.

I want readings for individual systems (fridge, pilot, etc)

[a64pilot]

Go onto Amazon and search RV power meter.
There are many. I assume you want to know the cumulative total per each device, individually? If so these will work great.
I used on to track battery useage on my Scuba Scooter when cave diving.
It was a 50+ volt scooter, but the watt’s up meter worked great.
$15 to $30 average

[gauvins]

Originally Posted by Jammer;2641811
[URL

https://www.amazon.com/CM100-Amps-Current-Clamp-Meter/dp/B001TCWL1E/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1527705948&sr=8-8&keywords=dc+clamp+on+ammeter[/URL]

Might be the thing. 3 questions

1. To get a reading you put the clamp around the positive wire?

2. Not familiar with clamp meters. Quick search yielded something like - no reading on DC. things have changed?

3. Cheaper meters just as good or you get what you pay for?

[Colin A]

Originally Posted by gauvins

Might be the thing. 3 questions

1. To get a reading you put the clamp around the positive wire?

2. Not familiar with clamp meters. Quick search yielded something like - no reading on DC. things have changed?

3. Cheaper meters just as good or you get what you pay for?

I have one of these at home.

https://www.amazon.com/UT210E-Digita...DC+CLAMP+METER
Seems to line up closely to the fluke meter at work. The other one posted appears to read finer. It depends on how accurate you need to get.

[njoynthewater]

Something like this work for you? This link shows a larger unit. They did make a smaller unit that was quite basic but it didn't come up in my search

Kill A Watt Meter - Electricity Usage Monitor | P3

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by gauvins

Might be the thing. 3 questions

1. To get a reading you put the clamp around the positive wire?

2. Not familiar with clamp meters. Quick search yielded something like - no reading on DC. things have changed?

3. Cheaper meters just as good or you get what you pay for?

The meter measures the current so should work on either positive or negative wire.

The old style measured only AC current but the new ones can measure also measure DC by the Hall effect.

Depends on how cheap. Hard to beat a Fluke but their clamp on meter is almost $200 and you have to plug it into an regular volt meter to see a readout. I would go middle range price.

By the way, I find it quite easy to turn off other loads and look at my Victron battery monitor to find out the current draw of just one device at a time.

[john61ct]

Bayite on eBay.

Cheap, so get a few.

Not a BM though

[Ding Duck]

You may also want to try a search on Amazon for "DC Shunt meters". Lots of inexpensive options if you want a more permanent installation? Just be sure to understand the Chenglish If you require the meter for testing, than the DC Clamp meter is probably best solution.
Cheers

[john61ct]

The shunt-based units can be moved around to different key points via appropriately sized Anderson connectors.

Counting AH cumulatively over time is a completely different metric compared to Amps only instantaneously.

A fridge getting cycled, night vs day, or lowering the temp setpoint, startup surges, etc.

[barnakiel]

The one shown on Amazon is a AC/DC unit and it gives amps only on the AC wire. Is your boat wired AC?

There are similar DC capable units, BUT they do cost quite a bit more.

I use a plain Bogart Engineering unit and a shunt bought in a local DickSmith.

TriMetric Model Descriptions - Bogart Engineering

I am not linked to the company.

Cheers,
b.

[a64pilot]

You do have to wire it in, but it gives you extremely accurate consumption data, there are others down to $15 that seem to do the same, this one just shows the display better so I linked to it, and I have experience with this brand and can recommend it.
https://www.amazon.com/RC-Electronic...rc+power+meter

[Ding Duck]

It really depends on the outcome you want to achieve. If you are looking for instantaneous values, perhaps the clamp meter is a better option as you can move it around and easy to clamp onto different cables. If you got a variety of shunts dependant upon the load being measured with say a 75mV output, these can be permanently wired into the system and connect a meter as required. At around say $10 each, not that expensive. Using Test plugs or a 2 pole selector switch, you could connect the relevant circuit to the panel meter.
Here is the page I came up with on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...c+shunt+meters
Obviously, if you are trying to measure 0.5A through a 20A shunt, the result won't be that accurate. Some give you instantaneous and wHrs as well.
In regard to the Chenglish, there is one meter listed as 0-100A on the front page, but investigating the specs, you find this
<Note:
if measure the current over than 5A for long time. please welding the wires to the meter port, to avoid High impedance and unstable working. >
it is a 10A rated meter with internal shunt. Typo's happpppennnnn

Cheers